Technical Field

The main objective of this invention is an overall system for the production of clean electricity and potentially clean water from the pressure generated by the waves.

BACKGROUND ART

One of the most widely accepted methods for wave energy generation is the hydraulic method. In this method there is a hydro cylinder, which is connected to a floater. In such case, the hydro cylinder acts as a pump, which is pumping high pressurized oil (or any other liquid) to the hydro motor, which turns the oil pressure to rotational movement, which is then turns the generator, that creates electricity and or clean drinking water.

The disadvantages of this standard and widely used system is this is has low efficiency due to very limited range of work for the system. Meaning that the system can operate only is certain wave conditions and therefore it does not generate sufficient electricity or drinking water amounts, in comparison to the construction prices.

In addition, as to desalination, the most expensive element in the desalination process is the electrical source that is used to create that pressure which is needed for the process itself. Once the electrical source for the pressure creation is the waves, then the tremendous electricity costs are saved and when the electricity produced by the plant is not needed it can divert itself to production of desalinated water.

The system that will be presented hereto efficiently handles such disadvantages. The proposed system has a lower cost both for electricity production and for desalination, higher range of use in different wave patterns, higher working efficiency of the overall system and easier construction, installation and maintenance of the system.

Description of Drawings: The intention of the drawings attached to the application is not to limit the scope of the invention and its implementation. The drawings are intended only to illustrate the invention and they constitute only one of many possibilities for its implementation.

Drawing No. 1 (Figure 1A to 1C) portrays general scheme of the overall power station, which can produce electricity or clean (desalinated) water , or electricity combined with clean (desalinated) water.

Drawing No. 2 (Figure 2 A, 2b, 2c) illustration of the variable use of the hydro cylinder (3) in different wave heights

Figure 2A shows the hydro cylinder status (3) when the wave is in its lowest position relative to the floater (1)

Figure 2B shows the hydro cylinder status when the floater (1) is being elevated by the wave.

Figure 2C shows the hydro cylinder status when the wave is in its highest position relative to the floater (1)

Drawing No. 3 (Figure 3A, 3b, 3C, 3d) shows different methods for storm protection mechanisms.

Drawing 3A shows floater's (1) regular operation in normal wave conditions.

Drawing 3B shows a method for protecting the floater (1) by elevating it above the water level

Drawing 3C shows a method for protecting the floater (1) by elevating it above the water level and rotating it to minimize exposed surface.

Drawing 3D shows a method for protecting the floater (1) by sinking it under the water level

Drawing No. 4 (Figure 4) illustrates the possibility to unite different modules, in order to work more efficiently in lower waves. Drawing No. 5 (figure 5) illustrate the solution for multiple floaters synchronization.

The Invention

We first describe the entire power station and its' method of operation, which enables to efficiently convert the energy of sea waves into significant amounts of electricity and or clean water and or combined, followed by the proposed power station's unique components .

The main objective of the invention is to provide a comprehensive system for generation of electricity and/or clean water from the waves, and or a combined system that can generate both clean electricity and clean water from the waves, and which operates as follows:

The floater (1) connects to any type of structure, may direct itself to face the waves, and makes oscillating motions along the axis of the floater's arm (2) i.e. a power stroke up and a power stoke down; in such way, a certain mechanical moment is created on the arm due to Archimedes force, as well as the floater (1) weight and such force is transmitted to the hydro cylinder (3). The hydro cylinder may be adjustable and movable on the floater's arm for increased efficiency and higher reliability.

The number of working hydro cylinders (3) can vary depending on constructive expediency and can be one or more for various configurations and ocean structures.

In figure 2A, we can see that in order for the hydro cylinder (3) to operate as a pump, we install a number of check valves (63,64). During the descent of the floater (1), the hydraulic liquid accumulates in the under pressure area of the hydro cylinder (62). In the elevation of the floater, the volume of 62 (in figure 2A) becomes smaller, check valve (63) is closed and check valve (64) opens and then the oil flows to the high pressure line (12).

In order to maximize the efficiency of the overall system, and to create higher pressure in different wave heights' in operation mode, the automation can connect between volumes 62 and 61 (in figure 2C) is the hydro cylinder, using a selector (70). Now, when the floater is going up, the total volume (62+61) of the hydro cylinder decreases to the size of the rod (700) and this raises the created pressure to at least double the pressure, which enables us to operate in lower waves and to synchronize between a numbers of floaters which generate different pressures.

On standard power strokes, it pumps hydraulic liquid into the high pressure line (12) of the power station, and goes through check valve (101), which prevents a backflow of hydraulic liquid from the hydraulic accumulators (17) to the hydro cylinder (3) and then some of the hydraulic fluid continues to the collector (16) and into hydraulic accumulators (17). The automation (34) system keeps some of the pressurized hydraulic fluid in the accumulators, to be used for stabilization and released into the hydro motor in case of a long time period between one wave and another and it sends the rest of the pressurized hydraulic liquid to the hydro motor or hydro motors (20,22) and some of the hydraulic liquid (in case of stable waves) continues directly to the hydro motor (20,22) through an automatically controlled flow control valve (19), which is also controlled by the automation system and assists in regulating the RPM of the hydro motor.

In order not to lose any energy from shock waves, which happens very unexpectedly and very rapidly and causes a very high power stroke the oil may be partially captured and accumulated in accumulator (7) to be located in nearest proximity to the floater.

The hydro motor converts a stream of the hydraulic pressurized liquid to an angular momentum on the shaft. Waste hydraulic liquid without pressure flows back into the hydraulic tank (28).

The shaft of the hydraulic motor (20,22) is mechanically connected to the generator shaft (21,24) and upon activation of the hydraulic motor, an angular momentum is transmitted directly to the generator, which produces electric current.

In each module (18), there might 1 or more hydro motors and 1 or more generators. Such hydro motors and generators are of different capacity, one set of small capacity for low waves, and one set of large capacity for higher waves. In Figure 1, the smaller hydro motor (20) is coupled with a smaller generator (21) and a larger capacity hydro motor (22) is coupled with a larger scale capacity generator (24). The automation (34) constantly measures the pressure in the accumulators (17) and in accordance with the accumulated pressure decides whether to activate the system with the smaller capacity output, or to activate the system with the higher capacity output, or in case of extremely high waves and high pressure to activate both sets in parallel. The advantage of 2 sizes of hydro motors and generators in each module (18) is the fact that higher efficiency can be reached, because in case of low waves there are less energy loses turning a smaller scale hydro motor and generator.

Since parameters of current produced by the asynchronous generator (21) can vary within certain limits depending on RPM, we can either use an inverter (25) controlled by an automation system in order to stabilize and standardize frequency and voltage of output current, which is eventually delivered to the end user or we can use synchronic generator (24), which does not require an inverter, as is controlled by synchronization system (26) to the grid (33)

In order to have the possibility to utilize synchronous generator (24) , control the RPM, and eliminate the need of an inverter (25), we can utilize axial piston variable motor (22), which can modify its' volume according to continuous commands it receives from the automation system (34). The Automation system (34) measures the pressure in the accumulators (17) and calculates the quantity of hydraulic fluid in the accumulators (17). If this hydraulic fluid is not sufficient for the stable operation of the hydro motor (22) then the automation will control the hydro motor and minimize its's operational volume, and Vis versa. Due to the possibility to modify the volume of the hydro motor, it enables us to control the moment on the shaft of the hydro motor, and combined with flow control valve (19) it enables us to support the necessary moment and RPM which is necessary for the synchronic generator.

In order for the same system to also generate clean water, the process remains the same till it reaches the accumulators (17), which means that The floater (1) connects to any type of structure, and makes oscillating motions along the axis of the floater's arm (2) i.e. a power stroke up and a power stoke down; in such way, a certain mechanical moment is created on the arm due to Archimedes force, as well as the floater (1) weight and such force is transmitted to the hydro cylinder (3).

The number of working hydro cylinders (3) can vary depending on constructive expediency and can be one or more for various configurations and ocean structures. On standard power strokes, it pumps hydraulic liquid into the high pressure line (12) of the power station, and goes through check valve (101), which prevents a backflow of hydraulic liquid from the hydraulic accumulators (17) to the hydro cylinder (3) and the hydraulic fluid continues to the collector (16). Some of the hydraulic fluid from the collector is going into the accumulators (17), to stabilize the system in case of longer wave period and some of the pressurized hydraulic liquid will go through flow control valve (36).

After control valve (36), the pressurized hydraulic fluid continues to a hydro motor (200), which is used to rotate high pressure pump (201) with feeds marine salt water into membrane modules (202), and we can clear water.

The system that is shown of Figure 1 is fully modular, in order to enable easy construction and maintenance. As a result, in order to achieve a large scale of energy and water supply systems we have to install a number of modular units (18) with the same components in each unit. In case of low waves, when we do not have enough wave height for the operation of each unit separately, we can unite the hydro systems of one or few units. In figure 4, we illustrate that we can unite and combine the hydraulic of both units (18 and 300). In this case, the floaters of unit A (18) will create pressure and fill its' own accumulators. However, when the automation system recognizes that the wave heights are too low for each system to operate independently, then unit A (18) will commence transferring its' pressurized hydraulic fluid into neighboring unit (300) or units. As a result, we can reach higher production levels. Each unit (18) can have 1 or more floaters connected to it. In case of multiple floaters connected to the same unit, there might occur an issue of floaters synchronization. Each floater (1) is exposed to different wave heights, as a result, each floater will create different pressure. The problem in such case is that the floater that creates the highest pressure will take over the hydraulic system and will not let the pressure from other floaters to get into the hydraulic system, as higher pressure blocks lower pressures. As a result, one of the additional rolls of the automation system is to measure the pressure in the main accumulators (17) and accumulator (7), when the pressure in accumulator (7) is higher than the pressure in the main accumulators (17), then on/off switch (120) opens and the oil from accumulator (7) is allowed to enter the main accumulators (17)

In order for the system to also be able to survive storms and high waves and winds regimes, the proposed system is also equipped with storm protection mechanisms which provides three protection modes to the floaters.

Figure 3B illustrates a floater (1) in the upward vertical position (preferably higher than the standard maximal height of the wave (82)). This kind of protection mode enables us to lift the floater during a storm (waves that are too high for the system to handle) and protect it in a non-operational mode, till the storm passes. Figure 3C illustrates a floater in an upward horizontal position (preferably higher than the standard maximal height of the wave (82)). This kind of protection mode enables us to lift the floater horizontally and lock it (84), and by doing so we decrease the surface on which the waves and winds are acting. By decreasing such surface decreases the potential damages during storms.

The lifting process is occurring with the utilization of the hydro cylinder (3). Pressure is pumped from the hydraulic accumulators (17) to the secondary chamber of the working hydro cylinder, which lifts the floater from the working area to the storm protection area. In case there is no pressure in the power station, then we can also connect to the pressurized airport (10) a suitable sort of pressurized gas in order to create the pressure and lift the floaters or create pressure with the use of an external electrical source. Another method of protecting the floater is extreme wave condition is to submerge it, as illustrated in figure 3D. The floater (1) can be submerged by fastening it to the structure or to the ocean floor, depending on the depth. The submerging process can occur either by flooding the floater (1) with water or when using a double-cylinder, the arm (2) may be pushed downward. When the storm subsides, the floater can be raised by pumping compressed air through the compressed air port (10).

The whole system is controlled by an automation (34), which continuously measures the different characteristics of the system such as but not limited to: pressure in the hydro cylinders, hydro cylinder displacement, pressure in the accumulators, RPM in the hydro motors and hydraulic liquid flow and in accordance with such measurements the automation independently decides whether to increase or decrease the volume of the hydro cylinder, controls the proper volume of the hydro motor, decides whether to operate the smaller or bigger generator or both, whether to bring the floaters to storm protection mode and switches between the energy production vs water production mode or both, in accordance with the wave heights and the needs. In addition, the automation system can handle the floater's synchronization between different pressures.