Wave action power plant

Patent · Tue Mar 16 04:00:00 EST 1982

OSTI ID:5167073

Lucia, L V

A wave action power plant powered by the action of water waves has a drive shaft rotated by a plurality of drive units, each having a lever pivotally mounted on and extending from said shaft and carrying a weight, in the form of a float, which floats on the waves and rocks the lever up and down on the shaft. A ratchet mechanism causes said shaft to be rotated in one direction by the weight of said float after it has been raised by wave and the wave has passed, leaving said float free to move downwardly by gravity and apply its full weight to pull down on the lever and rotate the drive shaft. There being a large number of said drive units so that there are always some of the weights pulling down on their respective levers while other weights are being lifted by waves and thereby causing continuous rotation of the drive shaft in one direction. The said levers are so mounted that they may be easily raised to bring the weights into a position wherein they are readily accessible for cleaning the bottoms thereof to remove any accumulation of barnacles, mollusks and the like. There is also provided means for preventing the weights from colliding with each other as they independently move up and down on the waves.

• Assignee: EDB-82-140382
• Patent Number(s): US 4319454
• OSTI ID: 5167073
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

16 TIDAL AND WAVE POWER
160800* -- Tidal & Wave Power-- Wave Energy Converters
DESIGN
ENERGY SOURCES
GRAVITY WAVES
MACHINE PARTS
MECHANICAL STRUCTURES
MOTION
POWER
POWER GENERATION
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
ROTATION
SHAFTS
WATER WAVES
WAVE ENERGY CONVERTERS
WAVE POWER