Ocean wave energy device
This patent describes an ocean wave energy device of a type including a buoy which reciprocates in a substantially vertical direction in response to successive waves of variable frequency passing therebeneath, the buoy being supported upon a substantially vertically oriented shaft and a power take off means including a shaft driven by movement of the vertical shaft. The improvement described consists of: wave frequency detector means for detecting the instantaneous frequency of a wave passing the detector and which will thereafter pass the buoy by monitoring the contour of each wave as such wave passes such wave frequency detector means and measuring the time interval between the crest and the following trough and between the trough and following crest of each such wave and means for imposing an artificial resonance to the buoy whereby the buoy resonance may be substantially conformed to the frequency of the wave at the time at the buoy, the artificial resonance imposing means including brake means for halting vertical movement of the buoy at substantially the uppermost and substantially the lowermost limits of vertical travel of the buoy.
- Assignee:
- NOV; NOV-85-017779; EDB-86-149273
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4599858
- OSTI ID:
- 5471911
- Resource Relation:
- Patent File Date: Filed date 25 Oct 1977
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
WATER WAVES
FREQUENCY MEASUREMENT
WAVE ENERGY CONVERTERS
CONTROL EQUIPMENT
DESIGN
BRAKES
BUOYS
GRAVITATION
MONITORING
RESONANCE
SEAS
SHAFTS
TIME MEASUREMENT
WAVE PROPAGATION
EQUIPMENT
GRAVITY WAVES
MACHINE PARTS
SURFACE WATERS
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