Login| Sign Up| Help| Contact|

Patent Searching and Data


Title:
WAVE ENERGY CONVERTER WITH A DEPTH ADJUSTABLE PARAVANE
Document Type and Number:
WIPO Patent Application WO/2018/023051
Kind Code:
A4
Abstract:
A wave energy converter is provided. The wave energy converter includes a paravane rotationally and pivotably coupled to a support structure, and operatively coupled to an energy collection device. A method of harvesting water wave energy is provided. The method includes positioning the paravane within water to be impacted by water waves, and transferring water wave energy from the paravane to the energy collection device.

Inventors:
STAPELMANN FRANK HERBERT (US)
Application Number:
PCT/US2017/044477
Publication Date:
March 08, 2018
Filing Date:
July 28, 2017
Export Citation:
Click for automatic bibliography generation   Help
Assignee:
STAPELMANN FRANK HERBERT (US)
International Classes:
F03B13/18; F03B13/10; F03B13/12; F03B13/22; H02K7/18
Attorney, Agent or Firm:
MCCOY, Michael (US)
Download PDF:
Claims:
AMENDED CLAIMS

received by the International Bureau on 09 February 2018 (09.02.2018) 1. A wave energy converter comprising:

a support structure;

a paravane rotationally and pivotably coupled to the support structure; and an energy collection device operatively coupled to the paravane, wherein the paravane applies downward force on said energy collection device in response to downward force applied to the paravane by heave-down waves.

2. The wave energy converter of claim 1, wherein said support structure comprises:

a first section;

a second section telescopically engaged to said first section; and

a third section telescopically engaged to said second section.

3. The wave energy converter of claim 2, wherein said first section is fixed relative to the seabed, said second section is extendable relative to the first section, and said third section is extendable relative to said second section.

4. The wave energy converter of claim 3, wherein the first section is a static structural column, the second section is an operating range telescope extendable and retractable to define an operating range of the paravane, and the third section is a stroke telescope extendable and retractable in response to impact with water waves.

5. The wave energy converter of claim 4, wherein said paravane is rotationally and pivotably coupled to said stroke telescope.

6. The wave energy converter of claim 5, wherein said energy collection device is connected to said paravane via said stroke telescope.

7. The wave energy converter of claim 1, wherein said energy collection device includes a hydraulic cylinder.

8. The wave energy converter of claim 1, wherein said support structure is adjustable to position said paravane at a selectable depth.

9. The wave energy converter of claim 1, wherein said paravane is attached to said support structure by a gimbal joint.

10. The wave energy converter of claim 1, wherein said paravane has a substantially triangular plan shape.

11. The waive energy converter of claim 10, wherein said plan shape has a symmetrical cross-section.

12. The wave energy converter of claim 10, wherein said paravane has a surface area and a center of planar area, and wherein a majority of said surface area is aft of the center of planar area.

13. The wave energy converter of claim 12, wherein said surface area is more than 900 ft2.

14. The wave energy converter of claim 1, wherein said paravane has neutral buoyancy.

15. The wave energy converter of claim 1, wherein the paravane is configured to have a pitch and roll range of up to 40°, and 360° rotation about said support structure.

16. The wave energy converter of claim 1, wherein said paravane comprises at least one tail foil.

17. The wave energy converter of claim 1, wherein said paravane is connected to a top of said support structure.

18. The wave energy converter of claim 1, wherein the paravane is depth adjustable.

19. The wave energy converter of claim 18, wherein the support structure comprises a static structural column, an operating range telescope extendable and retractable relative to the static structural column to adjust the depth of the paravane and define an operating range of the paravane, and a stroke telescope coupled to the paravane and extendable and retractable in response to impact with water waves impacting the paravane, wherein the stroke telescope is operative ly coupled to the energy collection device.

20. The wave energy converter of claim 19, wherein the stroke telescope is coupled to the operating range telescope via girth rollers.

21. The wave energy converter of claim 19, wherein the operating range telescope includes guide bar/racks configured to limit rotation of the operating range telescope.

22. The wave energy converter of claim 21, wherein the guide bar/racks are engaged with draft locking assemblies and draft adjustment assemblies.

23. The wave energy converter of claim 22, wherein each draft locking assembly includes wedge chocks configured to be selectively engaged or disengaged from the guide bar/racks.

24. The wave energy converter of claim 22, wherein each draft adjustment assembly includes lower alignment rollers coupled with the operating range telescope or guide bar/racks, rotation limit rollers engaged with the operating range telescope and configured to limit rotation of the operating range telescope, and a power train engaged with the guide bar/racks and configured to extend and retract the operating range telescope.

25. The wave energy converter of claim 19, wherein the stroke telescope includes a pressurized buoyancy chamber.

26. The wave energy converter of claim 19, wherein the stroke telescope includes guide bars and guide bar rollers configured to limit stroke telescope rotation.

27. The wave energy converter of claim 19, wherein the support structure includes seawater vents.

28. The wave energy converter of claim 19, wherein the paravane is rotationally and pivotably coupled to a top of the stroke telescope via a gimbal joint.

29. The wave energy converter of claim 28, wherein the gimbal joint includes a double gimbal and a spindle.

30. The wave energy converter of claim 29, wherein the spindle is coupled to the stroke telescope, and wherein both the spindle and the stroke telescope are configured to not rotate in response to paravane azimuth change.

31. The wave energy converter of claim 29, further comprising a slip ring for mechanical, electrical, and/or data communication links to and from the paravane, the slip ring coupled to the spindle

32. The wave energy converter of claim 1, the energy collection device includes a linear, reciprocating power take off (PTO) assembly.

33. The wave energy converter of claim 1, wherein the paravane is configured to align with the prevailing flow, or to the resultant vector of multiple flows, of water via rotation of the paravane about the support structure.

34. The wave energy converter of claim 2, wherein said first section is an omni- directional cantilever operatively coupled to a pedestal frame, wherein the pedestal frame is fixed relative to a seabed, wherein said second section moves relative to the seabed, and wherein said third section is coupled to the paravane.

35. The wave energy converter of claim 34, wherein said omni-directional cantilever is operatively coupled to the pedestal frame via a first gimbal along a midsection of the first section and via a hydraulic cylinder at a bottom end of the first section, the hydraulic cylinder coupled to a second gimbal, the second gimbal coupled to the pedestal frame.

36. The wave energy converter of claim 35, wherein the support structure has a mechanical advantage to the hydraulic cylinder.

37. The wave energy converter 34, wherein said support structure is configured to absorb wave-surge energy from any direction, and wherein the wave energy converter is configured to harvest both wave heave and surge energy.

38. The wave energy converter of claim 34, further comprising self- tending fairings coupled to the support structure.

39. The wave energy converter of claim 1, wherein said support structure includes a guide spar.

40. The wave energy converter of claim 39, wherein the guide spar is a portion of a fixed offshore platform.

41. The wave energy converter of claim 40, wherein the energy collection device is disposed onboard the offshore platform and above sea level.

42. The wave energy converter of claim 39, wherein the paravane is coupled to the guide spar via a pitch wheel and roll ring and azimuth bearing chase assembly.

43. The wave energy converter of claim 42, wherein the pitch wheel is aligned with the fore and aft centerline of the paravane, and wherein the pitch wheel is centralized by a pitch wheel bearing chase and carriage frame within the guide spar.

44. The wave energy converter of claim 42, wherein a pitch wheel yoke of the pitch wheel supports roll ring axles of the pitch wheel, the pitch wheel yoke configured to transmit heave forces to the energy collection device via an actuator rod coupled to the pitch wheel yoke.

45. The wave heave energy converter of claim 44, wherein the roll ring and azimuth bearing chase assembly includes a roll ring frame coupled to the roll ring axles, wherein the azimuth bearing chase is coupled to the paravane, and wherein horizontal loads are transmitted from the roll ring and azimuth bearing chase assembly to the roll ring frame via roller bearings.

46. The wave energy converter of claim 45, wherein the guide spar comprises a sluice, and wherein the sluice is a gateway and includes structural tracks for the pitch wheel and the pitch wheel bearing chase and carriage frame.

47. The wave energy converter of claim 46, wherein the structural tracks of the sluice are operatively engaged by upper traveling spar frame and lower traveling spar frame of the guide spar.

48. The wave energy converter of claim 47, further comprising continuous loop chains operatively engaged with the upper traveling spar frame, the lower traveling spar frame, and the sluice gates, wherein the continuous loop chains are configured to control

31 deployment and elevation of the upper traveling spar frame, the lower traveling spar frame, and the sluice gates.

49. The wave energy converter of claim 42, wherein the pitch wheel bearing chase and carriage frame supports a sphere fairing.

50. The wave energy converter of claim 49, wherein the pitch wheel bearing chase and carriage frame, the sphere fairing, and the paravane are configured to reciprocate together in response to wave energy heave.

51. A method of harvesting water wave energy, the method comprising:

positioning a paravane within water to be impacted by water waves, the paravane rotationally and pivotably coupled to a support structure, and the paravane operatively coupled to an energy collection device, wherein impact of the paravane by water waves transfers water wave energy to the paravane; and

transferring water wave energy from the paravane to the energy collection device; wherein the paravane applies downward force on said energy collection device in response to downward force applied to the paravane by heave-down waves.

52. The method of claim 51, further comprising raising or lowering the paravane relative to a mean sea level.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein the depth of the paravane relative to the mean sea level is adjusted in response to changes in the mean sea level, changes in the force of impact imparted from the water waves to the paravane, changes in a desired level of energy to be harvested from the water waves, or combinations thereof.

54. The method of claim 52, wherein the support structure comprises the a static structural column, an operating range telescope extendable and retractable relative to the static structural column to define an operating range of the paravane, and a stroke telescope coupled to the paravane, the stroke telescope extendable and retractable in response to impact of water waves with the paravane;

wherein raising the paravane comprises extending the operating range telescope, and wherein lowering the paravane comprises retracting the operating range telescope.

55. The method of claim 54, wherein energy is transferred from the paravane to the energy collection device via extension and retraction of the stroke telescope.

56. The method of claim 51, further comprising storing the transferred wave energy in the energy collection device as hydraulic energy, pneumatic energy, or electrical energy.

32

57. The method of claim 51, further comprising aligning the paravane with the prevailing flow, or to the resultant vector of multiple flows, of water via rotation of the paravane about the support structure.

58. The method of claim 51, wherein the support structure comprises:

an omni-directional cantilever operatively coupled to a pedestal frame, wherein the pedestal frame is fixed relative to a seabed;

an operating range telescope engaged with the omni-directional cantilever and extendable and retractable therefrom to define an operating range of the paravane; and

a stroke telescope coupled to the paravane and engaged with the operating range telescope, the stroke telescope extendable and retractable in response to water wave impact with the paravane.

59. The method of claim 58, further comprising raising or lowering the paravane, wherein raising the paravane includes extending the operating range telescope, and wherein lowering the paravane includes retracting the operating range telescope.

60. The method of claim 58, wherein the support structure is configured to absorb wave- surge energy from any direction, and wherein both wave heave and surge energy are harvested.

61. The method of claim 51, wherein the support includes a guide spar, the guide spar a portion of a fixed offshore platform.

62. The method of claim 61, wherein the paravane is coupled to the guide spar via a pitch wheel and roll ring and azimuth bearing chase assembly, and wherein a yoke of the pitch wheel is configured to transmit heave forces from the paravane to the energy collection device via an actuator rod.

63. The method of claim 51, wherein the paravane applies upward force on said energy collection device in response to upward force applied to the paravane by heave-up waves.

64. The wave energy converter of claim 1, wherein the paravane applies upward force on said energy collection device in response to upward force applied to the paravane by heave-up waves.

33