WO1996002748A1

WO1996002748A1 - Wavemotor with basin

Info

Publication number: WO1996002748A1
Application number: PCT/NO1995/000129
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hans-Olav Ottersen
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1994-07-19
Filing date: 1995-07-18
Publication date: 1996-02-01
Anticipated expiration: 1997-01-19
Also published as: NO942702D0; AU3088095A

Abstract

A wavemotor with basin, where the wavemotor is designed such that its floating bodies (5) follow all the wave movements and absorb all the wave energy, which in turn may be utilized technically in form of pressure in a fluid. This fluid pressure, which is energy, is converted to heat in the basin provided near the wavemotor. Since this distance is very short the energy achieves a very high utilization factor. The innovating design of this invention makes it stable in any rough weather. This invention is useful for fishfarming and swimming for sports, schools and holiday. Technical control is obtained of the above water temperature and chemical and physical content. The wavemotor may also be used in a power plant.

Description

Wavemotor with basin

This invention relates to a wavemotor with basin, where s the wavemotor comprises a number of floating bodies each having a built-in displacement pump.

The main task of all wavemotors is to convert the largest possible part of the wave-energy in the sea to a useful energy. Wavemotors of prior art convert only a fraction of the 0 wave-energy into useful energy. One of the reasons for this, is that many of the wavemotors are designed such that they only can absorbe the kinetic energy in the waves from one direction.

Another reason is that the floating bodies comprising the wavemotors only are able to absorb a limited part of the s buoyancy energy, because the buoyancy decreases as the floating body floats higher above the water surface, causing the pressure against the piston in the wavemotor to decrease.

The third reason is that the absorbed energy often is converted (e.g. from mechanical to electrical energy). This means 0 that the major part of the absorbed energy is lost.

The object with this invention is to provide a wave¬ motor that converts a much greater part of the wave energy in the sea to useful energy than wavemotors of prior art.

This object is achieved according to the invention by 5 the characteristic features of the wavemotor as disclosed in the characteristic part of claim 1. Preferable embodiments of the wavemotor are stated in the dependent claims.

With the wavemotor according to the invention, the floating bodies follow the complete movements of the waves independent of wave direction and will therefore absorb a much larger part of the kinetic energy in the waves. Further, the design according to the invention causes the pressure against the piston in the wavemotor to be maintained and remain almost constant as the floating body floats higher above the surface, even if the buoyancy decreases.

The pressure energy created in the pumps will be directly converted into heat, which will heat the water on site or comparatively near the basin because it is often used at the same location in the sea. The invention may be used e.g.for basins with heated, purified seawater, such as swimming basins or for tempered basins with circulated seawater for fish farming In both cases costly plants for electricity supplies are avoided which also have some limitations. The invention will now be described with reference t some preferred embodiments and to the drawings, wherein Fig. shows scematically a wavemotor viewed from the side and one o the floating bodies in section, and Fig. 2 shows anothe embodiment of the wavemotor seen from the top. The wavemotor in Fig. 1 comprises three spheri floating bodies 5, each having a built-in piston pump. Th floating bodies 5 are arranged evenly spaced and rotatably aroun a stable and vertical pipe 4. The piston rods 3 of the pumps ar arranged slanting upwards towards the pipe 4 with their end connected to the pipe 4 via swivel links 2. Each piston rod i therefore movable in a plane through its central axis and th central axis of the pipe 4, at the same time the piston rod i rotatingly connected to the pipe 4. On the opposite side of th through-connection of the piston rod 3 through the floating bod 5 the floating bodies 5 are interconnected by a frame con struction 10 via ball joints 8. The frame construction 10 is i the form of a pyramid with the top turned down, the top compris ing a housing 11 slidingly and jointly connected to the pipe 4. The slide and joint connection is provided by a ball-shape sleeve 12 with a cylindrical bore provided slindingly on the pip 4, the sleeve 12 provided slindingly as a ball joint within th housing 11.

Each of the piston rods 3 of the pumps is connected t a double-acting piston movable inside a cylinder 6. The cylinde space on the side of the piston distant to the piston rod 3 i provided with a spring means 13.

The pipe 4 is below the joint connection 11, 12 secure to a large body of little higher specific gravity than the water in which it is located. This body (not shown) can be in the for of a thin-walled container filled with water and which is held in suspension under the water surface as a large inert mass by the floating bodies 5. This inert mass acts like a counter force when the floating bodies 5 move in the waves. The provision of the large, inert mass enables the wavemotor to work independent of the tide.

When a wave reaches the nearest floating body, indepen¬ dent of the direction of the wave, e.g. the floating body to the right in Fig. 1, the floating body due to the buoyancy and the dynamic force represented by the wave, will be lifted. In the moment the wave surge across the floating body the floating body will have the largest buoyancy with the direction of its main power perpendicular to the wave surface. This direction of the main power will for the most part coincide with the direction of the piston rod 3 slanting towards the pipe 4, because the frame design and the outset angel of the piston rod in relation to the pipe 4 may be adapted optimally to the wave type on site. The pump piston is pushed into the cylinder 6 and compresses the spring means 13, which will then absorb energy. At the same time the water at this side of the piston is pumped through the piston rod 3 via the hoses 1 to the pipe 4 and from there to the basin. On the side of the piston rod new water is drawn from the sea via the filter 9. This is automatically controlled by check valves 7. The check valves is in the drawings shown as small arrows noting the directions of flow.

As the floating body 5 rises and floats higher above the water surface, the buoyancy decreases, but the angle of the piston rod 3 in relation to the pipe 4 will increase, so that the piston movement decreases and the power acting on the piston and thus the pressure in the pump will remain almost constant.

When the floating body sinks and follows the wave movement downwards energy is released in the spring means 13 acting on the piston and pushes the piston rod out of the cylinder 6. Thus the water on the piston rod side of the cylinder 6 is pumped through the piston rod 3 and via the hoses 1 to the pipe 4 and further to the basin. At the same time new water is drawn from the sea into the cylinder space where the spring means 13 is located.

This mode of operation is performed at the same time in all of the floating bodies 5 around the pipe 4.

The frame construction 10 enables the floating bodies 5 to move together and follow the movement of the wave in an efficient manner.

The wave motor will therefore work efficiently indepen- dent of the direction of the waves. The pressure energy which is developed by the pumping work of the wave motor is absorbed by the water which is pumped and directed to the basin, and which is converted to heat energy at the outlet in the basin where the s pressure is released. In order to prevent wasting energy the wave motor is located as near as possible to the basin. Further, hoses and pipes guiding the water may be heat-insulated and/or made of an heat-insulating material.

In the embodiment described here of the wave motor 0 according to the invention the floating bodies are spherical. However, the floating bodies may also have other forms, such as cylinder or disc. Further, the number of floating bodies may be more than three.

Fig. 2 shows a special embodiment of the wavemotor s comprising three spherical floating bodies 5, which on the sides are connected to the frame construction 10 via swivel links 8. During the wave movement the frame construction 10 moves parallel with the pipe 4 and the spherical floating bodies 5 slide along the pipe 4 while at the same time revolving around 0 the links 8.

The frame construction 10 (Fig. 1) may also be in the form of a floating body, such as a floating ring around the pipe 4. The floating bodies 5 will then contribute less to the buoyancy and act more like housings for the pumps. 5 As an alternative to pumping new water through the filter 9 also a closed system may be used, in which a fluid is recirculated from the basin to each pump whereafter it is pumped and once again supplied to the basin.

It will be appreciated that the wave motor according to o the invention also may be used for other pumping work at sea. The wavemotor may be used i.e. for pumping gas to a pressure vessel for a power plant.

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Claims

Patent Claims

1. A wavemotor with basin, comprising a number of floating bodies (5) each having a built-in displacement pump, characterized in that the floating bodies (5) are arranged evenly spaced and rotatably around a substantial stable and vertical pipe (4), the piston rods (3) of the pumps are arranged slanting upwards towards the pipe (4) and with the ends link- connected to the pipe (4), said floating bodies (5) are inter¬ connected by a frame construction (10) via link means (8) and the piston rods (3) are tubular for transport of fluid from the pumps to the pipe (4) and further to the basin during the wave movement.

2. A wavemotor according to claim 1, characterized in that the number of floating bodies is at least three.

3. A wavemotor according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the fluid is water.

4. A wavemotor according to anyone of the claims 1 - 3, characterized in that each piston rod (3) is connected to the pipe (4) via a swivel link (2) and hoses (1) are provided between the end region of the piston rods (3) and the pipe (4) .

5. A wavemotor according to one of the claims 1 - 4, characterized in that the link means (8) being ball joints.

6. A wavemotor according to claim 5, characterized in that the frame construction (10) is in the form of a pyramid with the top turned down, the top comprising a housing (11) slidingly and jointly connected to the pipe (4).

7. A wavemotor according to claim 6, characterized in that the slide and joint connection is comprising a ball-shaped sleeve (12) with a cylindrical bore provided slidingly on the pipe (4), the sleeve (12) provided slidingly within the housing (11), the housing (11) having an inside surface corresponding to the ball shape of the sleeve (12).

8. A wavemotor according to anyone of the claims 1 - 7, characterized in that each of the piston rods (3) of the pumps is connected to a double-acting piston which is movable inside a cylinder (6), the cylinder space on the side of the piston distant from the piston rod (3) is provided with a spring means (13).

9. A wavemotor according to anyone of the claims 1 - 8, characterized in that the pipe (4) is held stable and vertical by providing it at the lower end with a large body having a s little higher specific gravity than the water in which it is located.

10. A wavemotor according to anyone of the claims 1 - 9, characterized in that several wavemotors are arranged at regular mutual distances around the basin and in short distance o from the basin, the connecting elements between the wave motors and between the basin and the wave motors are secured to the pipe (4) below the frame construction (10).

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