Device harnessing wave energy to produce electrical energy with amplification system

Abstract

The invention relates to a device that harnesses wave energy to convert it into electrical energy via hydraulic energy. This device is installed on marine structures with vertical walls and comprises: a free float (1) which harnesses the variation in vertical sea level due to the swell, guided by a triple-rail lateral movement channelling system (2) installed on vertical walls; a support connecting the float (1) to a hydraulic system of cylinders (5) allows the conversion of mechanical energy into hydraulic energy in both directions of movement, up and down; an energy amplification system (4) to optimise the efficiency of the device; a hydraulic power plant; pressure accumulators (7); an oil tank (8) and a hydro-electric turbine (9) which allow the conversion of hydraulic energy into electrical energy.

Description

EDITORIAL NOTE 2021282882 There 3 pages of description « DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION (IDENTIFICATION) The device subject of the invention has the particularity to directly capture, through a free floating element, the variation of the vertical sea level due to the swell, that is to say, it directly exploits the translation movements. By equipping the vertical dikes of maritime or harbour protection with this device, we benefit from the advantages of on-shore (accessibility, connection, shelters, low investment and maintenance costs) while being offshore (undamped swell - full energy in the vicinity of the vertical protection dikes). By controlling the interactions with the fixation elements, thanks to a triple rail system installed on the seawall wall, the device allows to enlarge the field of exploitation of the wave energy by going towards more important wave amplitudes. The device is equipped with an amplification system allowing to channel the incident swells and to amplify the incident energy to the device which will optimize its performance and widen the operation periods. The device is equipped with a self-balancing system based on the density distribution of the floating element to limit the parasitic movements, as well as a ballasting system for total immersion in case of strong storm. Figure 1 shows a top view of the device installed on a vertical protection dike with amplification. Figure 2 shows a side view on the sea side of the device installed on a vertical protection dike with amplification. The device is composed of a free floating element (1) allowing to directly exploit the sea variation capturing the swell energy as potential energy. The floating element has a minimum average density of 0.8 with a density after ballasting up to 1.05. This floating element includes : - a self-balancing system (1-a) thanks to valves that control the filling of the chambers inside the floating element to ensure a weight distribution that balances the variable overpressures of the variation of the sea level under the floating element due to the swell amplification system (4). - an automatic ballasting system (1-b) allowing to drown the floating element in case of storm or to raise the floating element after the end of the storm The floating element (1) is guided by a lateral movement channeling system (2), with 3 rails taking advantage of the support and verticality of the caisson walls, to ensure horizontality and tracking of the upward / downward movement. The travel of the movement channelling system is designed to sweep all cases with exploitable swell energy. The exploitation of the walls allows to extend the operating range of the device to the important amplitudes of the swell. No contact between the wall of the vertical dikes and the floating element (1) is allowed thanks to the movement channeling system (2). A rigid support (3) connecting the floating element to a hydraulic system of cylinders (5) allows to convert mechanical energy into hydraulic energy in both directions of movement, up and down, the support allows to convert a vertical translation into a horizontal translation of the pistons of the cylinders (5). An energy amplification system (4) to optimize the efficiency of the device allowing to channel the energy of the swell thanks to inflatable structures supported on vertical flat wall caissons, the floating element is placed in the middle zone of energy convergence, for the vertical dikes which presents this form of amplification, whether it is oblique or triangular, the device will benefit directly from this amplification without needing the amplification system (4). Cylinders (5) that transform the mechanical energy into hydraulic energy, exploiting the two directions of movement, upward and downward. A hydraulic unit (6) to manage the junctions and flows between the different cylinders. Pressure accumulators (7) with controlled flow that receive variable hydraulic energy and transmit a continuous and uniform flow at the output with a capacity of up to 20 cycles of up and down movement (10 min maximum). An oil tank (8) to ensure the continuity of the fluid chain, high pressure oil - low pressure oil that exits the turbine (9). A hydro-electric turbine {9) to transform the flow of hydraulic energy into electrical energy. A management interface (10) of output current and injection in the electrical network allowing a harmonization of voltage and frequency. The sensitive components are housed in conditions of optimal durability. This invention is exploitable in : - Port facilities: Protective dikes in caissons or vertical walls - Tourist facilities exposed to the sea: Vertical protection walls - Maritime developments with a vertical wall connection to the sea Note that the shape of the vertical wall can be flat or other. The objective is to revolutionize the role of port or maritime protection facilities, moving from hunting the swell to its exploitation to produce green energy.

Claims

1. A device for exploiting the energy of a swell to produce energy exploitable at an output, through a mechanical-hydraulic and / or electrical converter chain, the device including:a. a free floating element configured to float at various sea levels due to the swell, and to move vertically in relation to three lateral rails installed on vertical walls to guarantee such vertical movement, the free floating element including a plurality of internal chambers for being ballasted to vary the density of said floating element;b. a support connecting the floating element to a hydraulic system of cylinders for converting mechanical energy into hydraulic energy in both upward and downward directions of swell-induced movement of said floating element;c. an energy amplification system of the incident swell; andd. a hydraulic power plant comprising pressure accumulators, an oil tank and a hydro-electric turbine configured to convert hydraulic energy into electrical energy,wherein the free floating element includes a self-balancing system based on controlling density distribution within said element by allowing controlled and selective filling of the internal chambers, thereby to adapt the distribution of the element weight to balance variable overpressures due to variation of the sea level under the floating element.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the free-floating element allows direct exploitation of vertical swell movements, capturing the energy of the swell as potential energy during its downward movements and kinetic energy during its upward movements.2021282882   16 Oct 20263. A device according to any one or more of the preceding claims, including an automatic ballasting system adapted to submerge the floating element by ballasting in the event of storm conditions, and to raise the floating element after the end of the storm conditions by de-ballasting.

4. A device according to any one or more of the preceding claims, wherein a position of the end of the support when attached to the floating element is variable according to a center of application of forces applied to the floating element .

5. A device according to any one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the energy amplification system comprises two or more inflatable structures which, by virtue of their geometric shape, define a mouth that causes convergence of the incident swell towards the floating element , whereby the swell, at the level of the floating element, will have an amplified amplitude.

6. A device according to any one or more of the preceding claims, wherein the system of cylinders is configured to transform the wave energy of a swell, through movement of the floating element , into hydraulic energy, exploiting the whole cycle of such movement comprising hydrostatic and hydrodynamic ascending, through hydrostatic and hydrodynamic efforts, and descending, through recovery of the residual potential energy of the floating element .

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