Method and system for reversible coupling of conduits

Abstract

A method and system for temporary fluid coupling via a reversibly connectable conduit are provided. In one example, the method includes directing a conduit assembly to an acceptance port by releasing one or more fluid streams from the conduit assembly. The method may further include fluid coupling an internal passage of the conduit assembly to the acceptance port. The internal passage may extend from the conduit assembly along a conduit between a pair of floating bodies, such as between a wave engine and a tanker vessel, to exchange one or more fluids, such as electrolytic reactants and electrolytic products. The fluid coupling may be reversible in that the conduit assembly can be detached from the acceptance port to break the fluid coupling. In certain examples, detachment may be actuated by releasing one or more additional fluid streams from the conduit assembly.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Cross - Reference to Related Applications This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 450,914, filed Mar. 8, 2023, and claims priority to U.S. Patent Application No. 18 / 594,655, filed Mar. 4, 2024, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] Embodiments of the subject matter disclosed herein relate to reversibly connectable conduits, and more particularly, to reversible fluid coupling of supply hoses and / or suction hoses via a controllable fluid stream.

Background Art

[0003] In situations such as military, maritime, and energy capture and storage, there are many scenarios where it may be possible to transfer a product or resource between a pair of floating bodies. When the product or resource exists in a liquid or gaseous state, one option for such transfer involves a temporary fluid coupling of conduits operable to convey the product or resource between a pair of floating bodies. For example, a wave engine may convert energy obtained from ocean waves into hydrogen gas that is periodically siphoned from the wave engine for storage in an energy product, such as a tanker ship.

[0004] Even assuming that a conduit is permanently fixed to a given floating body, achieving a temporary fluid coupling to another floating body can involve significant manual labor and a significant risk associated with performing the temporary fluid coupling. As an example, the relative positions of (non - anchored) floating bodies can continuously change. As another example, a skilled human operator may need to be present at one or both ends of the conduit to engage / disengage the coupling mechanism. To reduce labor and time, it can be beneficial to increase the autonomy of such coupling processes.

[0005] Various embodiments and techniques are described below with reference to the drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0006] [Figure 1] A schematic diagram of a wave energy acquisition system including a first floating body and a second floating body according to at least one embodiment is shown, the second floating body including a conduit that is operable to temporarily fluidize to the first floating body via a conduit assembly located at the distal end of the conduit. [Figure 2] A simplified perspective view of a wave engine, including a port for receiving a conduit assembly, according to at least one embodiment, is shown. [Figure 3] A side view of a wave engine and a tanker vessel according to at least one embodiment, the tanker vessel including a conduit that can be operated to temporarily fluidize the wave engine. [Figure 4] Figure 3 shows an inset side view of at least one embodiment, including a wave engine, conduit assembly, intermediate lift assembly, and intermediate pump assembly. [Figure 5] Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional side view of the wave engine and conduit assembly according to at least one embodiment. [Figure 6] An inset of a cross-sectional side view of Figure 5 shows at least one embodiment, including the receiving port and conduit assembly of the wave engine. [Figure 7] An inset of the inset in Figure 6 shows a conduit assembly according to at least one embodiment. [Figure 8] A partial transmission perspective view of the coupling structure of the wave engine of Figure 3, engaged with the conduit assembly of Figure 3, is shown, according to at least one embodiment. [Figure 9] A cross-sectional perspective view of the coupling structure of the wave engine of Figure 3, engaged with the conduit assembly of Figure 3, is shown according to at least one embodiment. [Figure 10] A cross-sectional perspective view of the intermediate lifting assembly shown in Figure 4, according to at least one embodiment, is provided. [Figure 11] Figure 4 shows a cross-sectional side view of the intermediate pump assembly according to at least one embodiment. [Figure 12]Figure 4 shows a perspective view of the intermediate pump assembly according to at least one embodiment. [Figure 13] An inset of a side view of Figure 3, including a tanker ship, is shown according to at least one embodiment. [Figure 14] Figure 3 shows a perspective view of the tanker ship according to at least one embodiment. [Figure 15] A cross-sectional perspective view of the tanker ship shown in Figure 3 is provided, according to at least one embodiment. [Figure 16] A cross-sectional perspective view of a portion of the tanker ship shown in Figure 3 is presented according to at least one embodiment. [Figure 17] A block diagram of a method for obtaining energy from wave motion in a body of water using a floating object is shown, according to at least one embodiment. [Figure 18A] A block diagram is shown of a method for temporarily fluid-coupled a pair of floating objects on the surface of a body of water, according to at least one embodiment. [Figure 18B] A block diagram is shown of a method for temporarily fluid-coupled a pair of floating objects on the surface of a body of water, according to at least one embodiment. [Figure 19] A cross-sectional view of a wave energy acquisition system with an acceptance port for coupling to a conduit is shown, according to at least one embodiment. [Figure 20] A cross-sectional view of a wave energy acquisition system with an acceptance port for coupling to a conduit is shown, according to at least one embodiment. [Figure 21] A perspective view of a wave energy acquisition system, comprising an acceptance port and a chemical processing system, according to at least one embodiment, is shown. [Figure 22] A cross-sectional view of a transport vessel equipped with a chemical processing system, according to at least one embodiment, is shown. [Figure 23] A schematic diagram of a chemical processing system for converting a first energy product into a second energy product, according to at least one embodiment, is shown. [Figure 24]A perspective view of a wave energy acquisition system including a receiving port and a computing system according to at least one embodiment is shown. [Figure 25] A perspective view of a computing system that can be integrated into a wave energy acquisition system according to at least one embodiment is shown. [Figure 26] A perspective view of a server rack that can be integrated into a wave energy acquisition system according to at least one embodiment is shown. [Figure 27] A process flow diagram of a process for transporting an energy product from a wave energy acquisition system to a transport vessel according to at least one embodiment is shown. [Figure 28] A process flow diagram of a process for converting a first energy product into a second energy product and then transporting the second energy product to a transport vessel according to at least one embodiment is shown. [Figure 29] A process flow diagram of a process for transferring a first energy product to a transport vessel and converting the first energy product into a second energy product according to at least one embodiment is shown. [Figure 30] A process flow diagram of a process for transferring hydrogen from a floating vessel to a storage vessel equipped with a conduit according to at least one embodiment is shown.

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0007] To more fully understand the nature and purpose of the present disclosure, reference should be made to the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings. The following figures and the examples provided therein do not in any way constitute an express or implied limitation on the scope of the present disclosure. Various embodiments or aspects of the present disclosure are described herein. In some implementations, different embodiments are implemented separately. However, embodiments are not limited to embodiments implemented separately. For example, two or more different embodiments can be combined with each other for implementation as a single device, process, structure, etc. In some examples, the entireties of various embodiments can be combined together. In other examples, a part of the first embodiment can be combined with a part of one or more different embodiments. For example, a part of the first embodiment can be combined with a part of the second embodiment, or a part of the first embodiment can be combined with a part of the second embodiment and a part of the third embodiment.

[0008] The embodiments illustrated and discussed in connection with the drawings included herein are provided for the purpose of explaining some of the basic principles of the present disclosure. However, the scope of the present disclosure includes all relevant, potential, and / or possible embodiments even if they are different from the presented idealized and / or exemplary examples. The present disclosure includes embodiments that incorporate and / or utilize components, devices, systems, etc. that are modern, future, and / or unknown at the time of writing this manuscript as alternatives to functionally equivalent, similar, and / or analogous components, devices, systems, etc. used in the embodiments illustrated and / or discussed herein for purposes of explanation, illustration, and example.

[0009] As used herein, “fluid coupling” can refer to a process in which two components are configured to allow the transfer of one or more fluids (e.g., gases and / or liquids) between the two components. For example, if a gas from a first chamber can flow from the first chamber to a second chamber and / or from the second chamber to the first chamber (actively (e.g., by pressurization) or passively (e.g., via a pressure difference)), then the first chamber is fluid coupled to the second chamber. Fluid coupled components may be directly connected to each other; that is, there may be no intervening components between the first and second components. In other examples, one or more additional intervening components (e.g., pipes, valves, chambers, reactors, etc.) may be provided between the first and second components, insofar as one or more fluids can be transferred between the first and second chambers along a path containing one or more intervening components. Additionally, while “components” can be fluid-coupled to one another, the concept of fluid coupling is not limited to structures such as chambers or containers. That is, even if one or both of the first and second volumes are not confined by any particular structure, the first volume of liquid or gas can be fluid-coupled to the second volume of liquid or gas. For example, the volume of fluid in a floating body can be fluid-coupled to a generally unconfined volume (e.g., a body of water or the atmosphere surrounding the floating body) via pipes, tubes, ports, openings, or other passages through the surface of the floating body. For example, the terms “fluid-coupled,” “fluidically coupled,” “fluidally connected,” “fluidly connected,” and / or similar terms may have the same or identical meaning as “fluid-coupled” or “fluidly coupled” in some embodiments.

[0010] Techniques described and suggested herein include methods for guiding a conduit assembly to an acceptance port by releasing one or more fluid streams from the conduit assembly, and for fluid-coupling the internal passages of the conduit assembly to the acceptance port.

[0011] In at least one embodiment, the system may include a first floating body and a second floating body, the second floating body including a conduit with an internal passage configured to fluidly couple to the receiving port, the second floating body further including a conduit assembly located at the distal end of the conduit, the conduit assembly including one or more fluid nozzles, each of which is configured to discharge one or more fluid streams to propel the conduit assembly through the surrounding environment and guide the conduit assembly remotely to the receiving port.

[0012] In at least one embodiment, the watercraft comprises a plurality of storage tanks including a first storage tank and a second storage tank, a water pump, a conduit including a first fluid passage fluid-coupled to the first storage tank, a second fluid passage fluid-coupled to the second storage tank, and a third fluid passage fluid-coupled to the water pump, a conduit assembly coupled to the distal end of the conduit, comprising a plurality of jet nozzles fluid-coupled to the third fluid passage, the conduit assembly comprising a plurality of jet nozzles configured to discharge a plurality of water streams, and a processor, when executed by the processor, selectively causes the watercraft to discharge at least one of the plurality of jet nozzles to discharge at least one of the plurality of water streams. The system may include a processor that stores executable instructions in non-temporary memory that cause the conduit assembly to be guided to the receiving port of the wave engine by receiving instructions from a land-based controller to operate a water pump to pressurize water to be discharged from a plurality of jet nozzles as at least one of a plurality of water streams to at least one of the plurality of jet nozzles according to the instructions, to fluidly couple a first fluid passage and a second fluid passage to the receiving port according to the instructions, to supply electrolytic reaction products from a first storage tank to the wave engine via the first fluid passage, and to siphon the electrolytic products from the wave engine to a second storage tank via the second fluid passage, thereby guiding the conduit assembly to the receiving port of the wave engine.

[0013] These, as well as other embodiments, advantages, and alternative forms, will become apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the following detailed description with due reference to the accompanying drawings. Furthermore, it should be understood that the description and drawings provided herein are intended to illustrate the invention only as examples, and therefore numerous variations are possible.

[0014] For example, the following description relates to various embodiments of systems and methods for watercraft, devices, or other floating devices that are operable to temporarily fluidly couple with another watercraft, device, or floating apparatus. For example, along a supply chain or shipping route, there may be numerous points where two independently operable floating watercraft floating on the surface of a body of water can be mechanically coupled to each other over a period of time to transfer products or resources between them. In some examples, such products or resources may include fluids such as liquids or gases. Thus, the mechanical coupling between floating watercraft may include various aspects specific to fluid transfer, e.g., secure sealing at one or more coupling locations. Special knowledge and / or manual labor may be utilized to achieve the mechanical coupling, and as a result, human operators may be positioned on one or both of the floating watercraft that are coupled to each other.

[0015] An additional factor in coupling floating watercraft to each other is that each floating watercraft that is not towed to a stationary or relatively stationary position (e.g., land, ground beneath a body of water, large watercraft, etc.) may not be in a single static position. Therefore, even when no propulsion is applied, one or more ambient environmental forces (e.g., water currents, wind, ocean winds, or water waves induced by other winds, etc.) act on both floating watercraft, so the position of a given floating watercraft relative to another floating watercraft may be subject to dynamic, real-time adjustments.

[0016] In at least one embodiment provided herein, a first floating body, such as a tanker or other storage vessel, may include a conduit and a conduit assembly located at the distal end of the conduit, the conduit assembly being configured to mechanically couple semi-autonomously or autonomously to a second floating body, such as a wave engine. In one exemplary embodiment, the conduit assembly may include one or more fluid nozzles configured to discharge one or more fluid streams, the fluid streams being timed and angled to guide the conduit assembly to an acceptance port of the second floating body, where the conduit assembly can be mechanically and fluidly coupled to the acceptance port. Advantageously, by relying on fine-grained control of one or more fluid streams, the conduit assembly can follow a more precise trajectory compared to certain other methods of achieving mechanical coupling.

[0017] In one exemplary embodiment, one or more fluids can be exchanged between a first and a second floating body while the conduit assembly is mechanically and fluidly coupled to a receiving port. For example, if the first floating body is a tanker or other storage vessel and the second floating body is a wave engine, the conduit can siphon energy products (e.g., chemical products that store the obtained energy) from the second floating body through the first passage while supplying energy product precursors (e.g., chemical reactants that are converted into energy products when energy is obtained) through a separate second passage. Thus, the energy products can be moved from the wave engine for transport (e.g., to onshore storage facilities and / or end users) and replaced with energy product precursors so that the wave engine can continue to obtain energy.

[0018] In additional or alternative embodiments, the conduit assembly may be removed from the receiving port to sever the mechanical and fluid coupling. For example, the conduit assembly may generate a propulsion force to move away from the receiving port by discharging one or more additional fluid streams (e.g., in the opposite flow direction to the one or more fluid streams that the conduit assembly relies on to guide to the receiving port). As with the initiation of mechanical coupling, such separation can be achieved semi-autonomously or autonomously. Thus, in at least one embodiment provided herein, the transient fluid coupling of two floating bodies can be achieved semi-autonomously or fully autonomously with relatively high precision.

[0019] Referring here to Figure 1, a schematic diagram of the wave energy acquisition system 100 is shown. The wave energy acquisition system 100 may include a first floating body 101 and a second floating body 180 that can float on the surface 105 of a body of water 104 and be temporarily fluid-coupled to each other. In one exemplary embodiment, the first floating body 101 may be configured as a wave engine 101, and the second floating body 180 may be a storage vessel 180 such as a tanker ship 180. Figure 2 shows in detail one embodiment of a wave engine that may be included in the wave energy acquisition system 100 and may be temporarily fluid-coupled to a storage vessel or other floating body. In some embodiments, the wave engine 101 may include a receiving port 120, which receives a conduit assembly 141 from a storage vessel 180, which is in fluid communication with a conduit 140, thereby enabling operation to fluidly couple the wave engine 101 to the storage vessel 180 via the conduit 140 for the transfer of one or more fluids between them. For example, exemplary methods for transferring such fluid(s) between floating bodies during and / or after the energy acquisition operation of the wave engine are discussed in detail below with reference to Figures 17–18B.

[0020] The receiving port 120 and the conduit assembly 141 can take any or a combination of the various configurations described herein. In some embodiments, for example, the conduit assembly 141 may include one or more fluid nozzles (not shown in Figure 1) that are operable to discharge one or more fluid streams to guide the conduit assembly 141 to the receiving port 120. As an example, Figures 3 to 16 show details of a wave engine and a storage vessel that are operable to be temporarily fluid-coupled to each other by utilizing the conduit assembly to guide the conduit of the storage vessel to the wave engine.

[0021] To contextualize the positions of the various components of the wave energy acquisition system 100, a set of Cartesian coordinate axes 150 is shown in Figure 1. Specifically, there are mutually perpendicular x, y, and z axes, the x and z axes define the plane of the schematic diagram shown in Figure 1, and the y axis is perpendicular to that plane. In some embodiments, the direction of gravity may be parallel to the negative direction of the z axis and coincide with the negative direction of the z axis.

[0022] Although illustrated herein in the context of a wave engine, the first floating body 101 can be configured as any self-propelled floating body by utilizing one or more ambient environmental forces, for example, to extract energy from stored fuel, to guide a flow of pressurized water, and / or to move parallel to the surface 105 of a body of water 104. For example, the first floating body 101 could be a ship 101 (such as a deployment ship, tanker or other storage vessel, or other transport vessel), a buoy 101, a wind turbine 101, an offshore platform 101 such as a data center, etc.

[0023] In some embodiments, the outer housing 102 of the first floating body 101 may be formed from a material that is sufficiently durable to withstand one or more extreme ambient environmental conditions such as wind, water waves, and ambient temperature. For example, the outer housing 102 may be formed from steel, aluminum, and / or other metals or alloys thereof, and / or cement, glass fiber, carbon fiber, and / or plastic.

[0024] In some embodiments, the outer housing 102 may be configured as a rotationally symmetric body. Specifically, the outer housing 102 may exhibit rotational symmetry defined with respect to a central axis 151 (e.g., a vertical axis parallel to the z-axis). A rotationally symmetric body may consist of any one of various three-dimensional shapes, such as a sphere, an ellipse, and / or a polygon. For example, a rotationally symmetric body may be cylindrical or quasi-cylindrical in shape. As used herein, “quasi-cylindrical” may refer to a cylindrical shape with one or more dimensions modified. For example, a rotationally symmetric body may be substantially cylindrical at a first end (wherein the term “substantially” as used herein, it means that the enumerated relationships, properties, parameters, or values ​​do not need to be realized with exact precision, but deviations or variations known to those skilled in the art may occur to the extent that they do not interfere with the intended effect) and substantially spherical at a second end on the opposite side (e.g., a second end opposite the first end with respect to the z-axis). Therefore, the external housing 102 may be configured to perform rotational motion that is substantially unobstructed within the water body 104.

[0025] In embodiments where the first floating body 101 is configured as a wave engine 101, water can enter and pass through the wave engine 101 by the vertical motion 106 of water waves (for example, in the positive z-axis direction and the negative z-axis direction, respectively). As will be described in more detail below with reference to Figure 2, the vertical motion 106 can guide the water to enter and pass through the wave engine 101, from which energy can be obtained (as indicated by the dashed arrow 126a) and converted into energy products 108. The energy products 108 may include, for example, electrolytic products, or other fuels such as H2 gas, HCl, removed carbon, minerals, or one or more computational algorithms to be performed, such as the proof-of-work mechanism of cryptocurrency.

[0026] In some embodiments, the first floating body 101 may include a first onboard controller or other computing device 110, and / or the second floating body 180 may include a second onboard controller or other computing device 129, with the first and second onboard controllers 110, 129 each including non-temporary memory capable of storing executable instructions. Executable instructions may be executed by one or more processors of the first and second onboard controllers 110, 129 to perform various functionalities of the first and second floating bodies 101, 180, respectively. Thus, executable instructions may include various routines for the operation, propulsion, maintenance, tracking, and testing of the first and second floating bodies 101, 180. The first and second onboard controllers 110 and 129 are communicatively coupled to various components of the first and second floating bodies 101 and 180 (e.g., valves, power supplies, etc.) to command their operation and enable their use (for clarity, wired and / or wireless communication paths between the first and second onboard controllers 110 and 129 and the various components are omitted from Figure 1). For example, the first onboard controller 110 can command the operation of one or more first coupling elements distributed annularly on the receiving port 120, and the second onboard controller 129 can command the operation of one or more second coupling elements distributed annularly on the conduit assembly 141, so as to selectively engage and disengage one or more first coupling elements with one or more second coupling elements (first and second coupling elements not shown in Figure 1).

[0027] In certain embodiments, the first and second onboard controllers 110, 129 may be communicably coupled to a remote controller or computing device 114 via a wireless network 112. The various controllers 110, 114, 129 may be configured substantially similarly to one another in some examples, except for modifications or differences to one or more given use cases. For example, the remote controller 114 may be positioned so that the operator of the wave energy acquisition system 100 can access it, for example, on a ship (as shown in Figure 1) or within a physical structure 116 on land 118. Thus, even if one or both of the first and second floating bodies 101, 180 are not geographically located within a national or local jurisdiction, one or both of the first and second floating bodies 101, 180 may nevertheless communicate continuously or periodically (e.g., substantially uninterrupted) with the remote controller 114, which may be geographically located within a national or local jurisdiction (e.g., on land 118).

[0028] In some embodiments, the remote controller 114 may be configured for use by an operator, and therefore may include a user interface that allows the operator to input commands or otherwise modify the operation of the wave energy acquisition system 100. The user interface may include one or more displays, input devices (e.g., keyboard, touchscreen, computer mouse, pushable buttons, mechanical switches, other mechanical actuators, etc.), lights, and other components to facilitate operator use of the wave energy acquisition system 100 and to receive operator input (e.g., requests to direct the conduit assembly 141 to the acceptance port 120). In additional or alternative embodiments, one or both of the first and second onboard controllers 110, 129 may be configured with a user interface as described above.

[0029] The overall energy flow 126 of the wave energy acquisition system 100 is schematically shown in Figure 1, in which the energy obtained in the first floating body 101 from the water induced by the vertical motion 106 of the water waves (as indicated by the dashed arrow 126a) is converted into energy products 108, which are then transferred (as indicated by the dashed arrow 126b) to the second floating body 180, and then (as indicated by the dashed arrow 126c) from the second floating body 180 to the land vehicle 130, which can be transported to a storage facility and / or to the end user for consumption. For example, in some embodiments, the wave energy acquisition system 100 may include a plurality of nodes, each comprising a plurality of first floating bodies 101, one or more second floating bodies 180 for transporting a plurality of energy products 108 from the plurality of first floating bodies 101 to land 118, and one or more land vehicles 130 for transporting the plurality of energy products 108 from one or more second floating bodies 180 to storage facilities and / or end users.

[0030] In one exemplary embodiment, the energy product 108 may be a fluid (e.g., liquid or gas) transferred from the first float 101 to the second float 180 via a conduit 140, the conduit 140 being configured to temporarily fluid-couple the internal reservoir of the second float 180 to the internal reservoir of the first float 101 via one or more internal passages extending at least the length of the conduit 140 (the internal reservoir and internal passages are not shown in Figure 1). In a particular embodiment, the conduit 140 may include a plurality of internal passages, each of which can transport a different fluid between the first and second floats 101, 180. As an example, the conduit 140 may include a first internal passage configured to supply an energy product precursor 109 (e.g., an electrolytic reaction product such as deionized water) from the second float 180 to the first float 101, replacing the energy product 108 being transported to the second float 180. Thus, in such an example, the conduit 140 may further include a second internal passage configured to siphon the energy product 108 (e.g., an electrolytic product such as hydrogen gas) from the first float 101 to the second float 180. Thus, the overall energy flow 126 can be maintained by periodically replenishing the capacity of the first float 101, which converts the obtained energy into chemical energy products (e.g., once a week).

[0031] In some embodiments, in order to temporarily fluid-couple the conduit 140 to the receiving port 120, the conduit assembly 141 may include one or more fluid nozzles (not shown in Figure 1) configured to adjust the position of the conduit assembly 141 in three-dimensional space. Specifically, in certain embodiments, the one or more fluid nozzles can adjust the position of the conduit assembly 141 by ejecting, discharging, or otherwise releasing one or more fluid streams from the one or more fluid nozzles according to one or more continuously adjustable parameters. For example, one or more continuously adjustable parameters may include, for each fluid nozzle of the one or more fluid nozzles, one or more of the power of the fluid being pumped through the one or more fluid nozzles, valve opening, or port angle, thereby allowing one or more designated fluid nozzles to be selectively operated based on a received request indicating, for example, the thrust of at least one of the fluid streams, the timing of at least one fluid stream, the duration of each of the at least one fluid stream, or the angle of at least one fluid stream. In some embodiments, one or more continuously adjustable parameters can be dynamically adjusted in response to sensor data, weather data, previous and current trajectories, etc., enabling controlled adjustment of the position of the conduit assembly 141 to guide it to a designated location (e.g., the receiving port 120, as indicated by the dashed arrow 124). As a result of the controllable adjustment of one or more fluid streams, the conduit assembly 141 can be guided to a designated location while avoiding tangles, knots, twists, etc., within the conduit 140.

[0032] For example, changes in the relative positioning of the first and second floating bodies 101, 180 along the water surface 105 of the water body 104 may be considered by dynamically adjusting one or more continuously adjustable parameters of one or more fluid nozzles of the conduit assembly 141. In an additional or alternative example, one or more continuously adjustable parameters may be adjusted in response to receiving instructions from, for example, a remote controller 114 to adjust the position of the conduit assembly 141 (e.g., to selectively engage or disengage the conduit assembly 141 with the acceptance port 120).

[0033] In some embodiments, the position of the conduit assembly 141 can be adjusted based, for example, on manual operator input in the user interface of the remote controller 114. In additional or alternative embodiments, the position of the conduit assembly 141 can be adjusted automatically based, for example, on feedback from one or more sensors and / or data received via the wireless network 112. As an example, one or both of the first and second floating bodies 101, 180 may include an accelerometer (e.g., an inertial measurement unit, not shown) configured to collect, for example, changes in local position data resulting from the movement of water waves. As an additional or alternative example, one or both of the first and second floating bodies 101, 180 may include a global positioning system (not shown) configured to collect geographic position data. As an additional or alternative example, one or both of the first and second floating bodies 101, 180 may include an anemometer (not shown) configured to measure wind speed. As an additional or alternative example, such data (e.g., location data and / or wind speed) may be received via the wireless network 112 in addition to other data such as meteorological data (e.g., wave height, wave propagation direction, wave period, weather, etc.). In some embodiments, the direction and magnitude of the applied force can be inferred based on feedback from one or more sensors and / or data received via the wireless network 112, thereby allowing specific operating parameters (e.g., one or more continuously adjustable parameters) to be adjusted in response so that individual changes in applied forces can be considered with specificity.

[0034] Referring here to Figure 2, a simplified perspective view of the wave engine 201 is shown. In an exemplary embodiment, as shown in Figure 2, the wave engine 201 may include an outer or outer housing 202 having a receiving port 220 through which it passes and a coupling structure 222 surrounding the receiving port 220, the coupling structure 222 being configured to reversibly and securely mechanically connect a conduit (not shown in Figure 2) to the outer housing 202, thereby enabling fluid communication with the inside of the outer housing 202 via the receiving port 220. In such an embodiment, when mechanically connected to the outer housing 202, the conduit can be in fluid communication with a storage tank (not shown in Figure 2) that is sealed within the outer housing 202 or otherwise housed therein, so that one or more fluids can be supplied to and / or transferred from the storage tank by siphon. In some embodiments, the wave engine 201 may be located within a wave energy acquisition system, such as the wave energy acquisition system 100 described in detail above with reference to Figure 1, and one or more fluids supplied to and / or transferred from the storage tank by siphon may include energy product precursors (e.g., electrolytic reactants) and energy products (e.g., electrolytic products). Thus, in one example, the wave engine 201 can replace the first float 101 of the wave energy acquisition system 100 in Figure 1. Furthermore, in such an example, the wave engine 201 may be assembled and configured similarly to the first float 101 in Figure 1 and may operate substantially similarly in practice. Thus, with a few minor configuration differences, the description of the first float 101 described above with reference to Figure 1 may be additionally applied to the wave engine 201 shown in Figure 2 in some embodiments. In certain embodiments, additional components and / or functionalities not described in detail above with reference to Figure 1 may be included in the wave engine 201 and may be additionally applied to the first float 101 shown in Figure 1.

[0035] To demonstrate the suitability of substitution in certain non-limiting embodiments, similar reference indicators are applied to elements that may be interchangeable. For example, the elements shown in Figure 2 may be labeled in the tens and ones places with the same numbering as the elements in Figure 1 that may be interchangeable in such examples, but may use a "2" in the hundreds place instead of a "1" (for example, the outer housing 202 of the wave engine 201 in Figure 2 and the outer housing 102 of the floating body 101 in Figure 1 may be interchangeable in certain non-limiting embodiments). Thus, in certain embodiments, any description of such interchangeable elements described above may replace or supplement the description provided below with reference to Figure 2. Alphabetical indicators (e.g., "a" in "202a") may, in some examples, identify a subcomponent that is included as part of another component (e.g., "202a" may identify a subcomponent of "202").

[0036] To contextualize the positions of the various components of the wave engine 201, a set of Cartesian coordinate axes 250 is shown in Figure 2. Specifically, mutually orthogonal x, y, and z axes are provided. In some embodiments, the direction of gravity may be parallel to the negative z-axis and coincide with the negative z-axis.

[0037] In some embodiments, the wave engine 201 can float on the surface of water in a body of water (not shown in Figure 2) (e.g., floating without being tethered to land, seabed, lakebed, another floating body, etc.). Specifically, the buoyancy of the wave engine 201 can be supplemented at least in part by gas obtained and sealed or otherwise contained within the upper hull enclosure or buoy 202a of the outer housing 202. In one exemplary embodiment, the upper hull enclosure 202a can be at least partially hollow (for example, the upper hull enclosure 202a may include a storage tank and an internal reservoir (not shown in Figure 2) sealed or otherwise contained therein) so as to be filled with the obtained gas. The captured gas may include, for example, air supplied at the manufacturing or deployment location and / or other gases such as hydrogen and / or nitrogen. Additionally or alternatively, air and / or other gases may enter the upper hull enclosure 202a from the surrounding environment. Additionally or alternatively, the captured gas may be generated via a conversion process occurring within the wave engine 201, which can convert the energy captured by the wave engine 201 into energy products.

[0038] In one exemplary embodiment, the trapped gas within the upper hull enclosure 202a may be compressed to exhibit a gas pressure greater than the surrounding ambient pressure (e.g., atmospheric pressure at the water surface in the body of water on which the wave engine 201 is floating). In some embodiments, the trapped gas may be at least partially compressed by water entering the outer housing 202 through the lower opening 203. More specifically, the outer housing 202 may include a lower inertial water tube or pipe 202c, fluid-coupled to the lower opening 203 and the upper hull enclosure 202a, through which water entering the outer housing 202 can pass into the upper hull enclosure 202a. In some embodiments, the outer housing 202 may include a hull enclosure 202a with a diameter of about 20 meters or less, about 10 meters or less, or about 1 meter or less. However, larger diameters may also be used. The length of the pipe 202c may be about 100 meters or less, about 50 meters or less, about 20 meters or less, or about 1 meter or less. However, in some embodiments, longer lengths may be used. More generally, the length of the pipe 202c may relate to the diameter of the hull enclosure 202a by a ratio (pipe length:hull diameter) of 0.5:1 or greater, 1:1 or greater, 2:1 or greater, 5:1 or greater, or 10:1 or greater. However, in some embodiments, smaller ratios may also be used.

[0039] In certain embodiments, water entering the outer housing 202 may be injected, propelled, or otherwise guided through the lower opening 203 as a result of water wave motion, thereby allowing the entering water to rise and fall, for example, in proportion to or otherwise in response to the water wave motion. Additionally or alternatively, the captured gas may be at least partially compressed by an energy product precursor that can be converted into energy products via a conversion process.

[0040] In some embodiments, the outer housing 202 may include an annular collar 202b that mechanically connects the lower inertia water tube 202c to the upper hull enclosure 202a. Specifically, the annular collar 202b can securely fasten the lower inertia water tube 202c to the upper hull enclosure 202a so as to provide overall structural reinforcement of the outer housing 202. As shown in Figure 2, the annular collar 202b may be configured in a curved concave shape, such as a substantially frustoconical shape, together with the upper hull enclosure 202a (which can be configured in a substantially spherical, asymmetric, cuboidal, pyramidal, frustoconical, or any other suitable three-dimensional shape) and the lower inertia water tube 202c (which may be configured in a substantially cylindrical shape, for example).

[0041] In some embodiments, water entering the outer housing 202 can be discharged into the surrounding environment through one or more upper openings 232 that are fluid-coupled to an internal reservoir sealed within the upper hull enclosure 202a, thereby maintaining and / or regulating the pressure and / or flow of water through the outer housing 202 and / or propelling the wave engine 201 by inducing a localized flow within the water body, for example, along the negative direction of the y-axis. Specifically, one or more upper openings 232 may each be fluid-coupled to an internal reservoir via one or more outlet passages (not shown in Figure 2), each of which houses a turbine (for example, the turbine may be configured to dynamically adjust its torque in response to the pressure of the outflowing water) configured to capture energy through the water leaving the internal reservoir. One or more upper openings 232 may be located on the upper hull enclosure 202a as shown in Figure 2, or in additional or alternative embodiments, one or more upper openings 232 may be located at other locations on the outer housing 202, such as on the annular collar 202b. Although one upper opening 232 is visible in Figure 2, additional or alternative embodiments may include multiple upper openings 232, each of which is fluid-coupled to an internal reservoir. In such embodiments, the multiple upper openings 232 may be located on the outer housing 202 substantially adjacent to each other (e.g., on the same side of the plane containing the central axis 251) or substantially apart from each other (e.g., on opposite sides of a plane parallel to the plane containing the central axis 251 and defined by the y and z axes). In one exemplary embodiment, a pair of upper openings 232 may be located opposite each other on opposite sides of the outer housing 202 (e.g., on opposite sides of a plane parallel to the plane formed by the x and z axes along the y axis).Furthermore, although one or more upper openings 232 are shown positioned on the outer housing 202 above the lower portion of the upper hull enclosure 202a (for example, below the bisector plane parallel to the plane formed by the x and y axes), in other examples, one or more upper openings 232 may instead be positioned above the upper portion of the upper hull enclosure 202a (for example, above the bisector plane parallel to the plane formed by the x and y axes).

[0042] In some embodiments, the captured energy can be used to convert an energy product precursor into an energy product via a conversion process, thereby storing the captured energy within the energy product. For example, the conversion process may be a chemical conversion process that converts one or more chemical reactants into one or more chemical products. In such an example, one or more chemical reactants may include an energy product precursor, and one or more chemical products may include an energy product. In the specific case where the chemical conversion process is an electrolytic reaction, the energy product precursor may be an electrolytic reactant such as deionized water, and the energy product may be an electrolytic product such as hydrogen gas.

[0043] In some embodiments, the energy product precursor may be stored in the same volume as the energy product. In one exemplary embodiment, each of the energy product precursor and the energy product may be stored in a storage tank without a physical barrier. Such a configuration can be used, for example, when the energy product precursor is a liquid (e.g., deionized water) and the energy product is a gas (e.g., hydrogen gas), and the (gas) energy product is stored in a first portion of the storage tank above a second portion of the storage tank that stores the (liquid) energy product precursor, and the first and second portions are fluidly continuous with respect to each other and (nominally) separated by a gas-liquid interface between the energy product and the energy product precursor.

[0044] In some embodiments, a storage tank may be fluid-coupled to the receiving port 220 via one or more receiving passages (not shown in Figure 2). In one exemplary embodiment, a first receiving passage of one or more receiving passages may extend to a first portion of the storage tank for storing energy products, and a second receiving passage of one or more receiving passages may extend to a second portion of the storage tank for storing energy product precursors. Thus, once the conduit is fluid-coupled to the receiving port 220, one or more internal passages of the conduit may each be fluid-coupled to one or more receiving passages that fluid-couple the storage tank to the receiving port 220.

[0045] In some embodiments, the receiving port 220 may be located on the upper hull enclosure 202a as shown in Figure 2, or in additional or alternative embodiments, the receiving port 220 may be located at other locations on the outer housing 202, such as on the annular collar 202b, below the water surface of the water body. Furthermore, although the receiving port 220 is shown located on the outer housing 202 on the upper portion of the upper hull enclosure 202a (e.g., above the bisector plane parallel to the plane formed by the x and y axes), in other examples, the receiving port 220 may instead be located on the lower portion of the upper hull enclosure 202a (e.g., below the bisector plane parallel to the plane formed by the x and y axes).

[0046] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 2, the coupling structure 222 can surround the receiving port 220. Thus, in such embodiments, the coupling structure 222 can be annular in shape to receive the conduit and mechanically couple the conduit to the wave engine 201. In one exemplary embodiment, the coupling structure 222 may include one or more coupling elements (not shown in Figure 2) configured to reversibly engage with one or more corresponding coupling elements located at the ends of the conduit. Thus, the coupling structure 222 can be configured to reliably mechanically and fluidly couple the conduit to the receiving port 220.

[0047] Although Figure 2 shows only one receiving port 220 and one coupling structure 222, in other embodiments, multiple receiving ports 220 and multiple coupling structures 222 surrounding each of the multiple receiving ports 220 can be arranged on the outer housing 202 to fluidly couple multiple conduits that transport the same fluid (e.g., energy product precursors and energy products), or to transport different fluids in various ways inside the outer housing 202.

[0048] Referring here to Figures 3 to 16, various diagrams of the wave engine 301, the tanker ship 380, and each of their individual components are shown. A side view of the wave engine 301 positioned to receive the conduit 340 from the tanker ship 380 is shown in Figure 3, and the conduit 340 is operable to temporarily fluid-couple to the wave engine 301. An inset of the dashed box 399a in Figure 3 is shown in Figure 4, and the inset in Figure 4 is a magnified view of an aspect of the wave engine 301, where the conduit assembly 341 is operable to temporarily fluid-couple the conduit 340 to the wave engine 301, the intermediate lift assembly 349 is operable to support the suspension of the conduit 340 in the surrounding environment, and the intermediate pump assembly 360 is operable to supply pressurized water to the conduit assembly 341 and the intermediate lift assembly 349, respectively. A cross-sectional side view of the wave engine 301 and the conduit assembly 341 is shown in Figure 5. An inset of the dashed box 399c in Figure 5 is shown in Figure 6, and the inset in Figure 6 is a magnified view of the receiving port 320a of the wave engine 301. An inset of the dashed box 399d in Figure 6 is shown in Figure 7, and the inset in Figure 7 is a magnified view of the conduit assembly 341. Partially transparent perspective views and cross-sectional perspective views of the coupling structure 322a of the wave engine 301 engaged with the conduit assembly 341 are shown in Figures 8 and 9, respectively, and the coupling structure 322a is partially transparent in Figure 8 to show the manner of engagement of the conduit assembly 341. A cross-sectional perspective view of the intermediate lifting assembly 349 is shown in Figure 10. Cross-sectional side views and perspective views of the intermediate pump assembly 360 are shown in Figures 11 and 12, respectively. An inset of the dashed box 399b in Figure 3 is shown in Figure 13, and the inset in Figure 13 is a magnified view of the tanker vessel 380. Perspective and cross-sectional perspective views of tanker vessel 380 are shown in Figures 14 and 15, respectively. A cross-sectional perspective view of a portion of tanker vessel 380 illustrating the fluid transport configuration within the tanker vessel 380 is shown in Figure 16. The various cross-sectional views in Figures 5-7, 9-11, 15, and 16 are each taken parallel to the plane of the side view in Figure 3. The following descriptions of Figures 3-16 are linked, and each of Figures 3-16 may be interchangeably referenced where relevant.For example, if one or more of Figures 3 to 16 show a given component or embodiment of the wave engine 301 or tanker vessel 380 with at least some specific characteristics, one or more specific figures may be referenced. Furthermore, one or more components of the tanker vessel 380, such as the conduit 340, conduit assembly 341, intermediate lift assembly 349, and / or intermediate pump assembly 360, do not have to be shown on the outside of the tanker vessel 380 or inside the external housing 388, but nevertheless, in certain embodiments, they are considered components (one or more) of the tanker vessel 380.

[0049] In some embodiments, the wave engine 301 and the tanker ship 380 may be located within a wave energy acquisition system, such as the wave energy acquisition system 100 described in detail above with reference to Figure 1. Thus, in one example, the wave engine 301 can replace the first floating body 101 of the wave energy acquisition system 100 in Figure 1, and the tanker ship 380 can replace the second floating body 180 of the wave energy acquisition system 100. Furthermore, in such examples, the wave engine 301 and the tanker ship 380 can be assembled and configured similarly to the first and second floating bodies 101 and 180 in Figure 1, respectively, and can operate substantially similarly in practice. Additionally or alternatively, the wave engine 301 can be assembled and configured similarly to the wave engine 201 in Figure 2, and can operate substantially similarly in practice. Therefore, with the exception of minor configuration differences, the description of the first floating body 101 and / or the description of the wave engine 201 described above with reference to Figure 1 and / or with reference to Figure 2 may be additionally applied to the wave engine 301 shown in Figures 3 to 16 in some embodiments, and the description of the second floating body 180 described above with reference to Figure 1 may be additionally applied to the tanker vessel 380 shown in Figures 3 to 16 in such embodiments. In certain embodiments, additional components and / or functionalities not described in detail above with reference to Figures 1 and 2 may be included in the wave engine 301 and / or tanker vessel 380 and may be additionally applied to the first and / or second floating body 180 shown in Figure 1 or the wave engine 201 shown in Figure 2. Similarly, additional components and / or functionalities described in detail with reference to a subset of embodiments shown in Figures 3 to 16 may be additionally applied to the remaining embodiments shown in Figures 3 to 16.

[0050] To demonstrate the suitability of substitution in certain non-limiting embodiments, similar reference indicators are applied to elements that may be interchangeable. For example, the elements shown in Figures 3 to 16 may be labeled with the same numbers in the tens and ones places as the elements in Figures 1 and 2 that may be interchangeable in such examples, but may use "3" in the hundreds place instead of "1" or "2" (for example, the outer housing 302 of the wave engine 301 in Figures 3 to 16 and the outer housing 102 of the first floating body 101 in Figure 1 may be interchangeable in certain non-limiting embodiments). Thus, in certain embodiments, any description of such interchangeable elements described above may replace or supplement the description provided below with reference to Figures 3 to 16. In other examples, such alphabetical indicators can illustrate relationships between two elements that are substantially similar in other respects but are non-equivalent in some configurations (e.g., size, relative positioning, orientation, etc.) (e.g., “342a”, “342b”, “342c”, and “342d”, described below).

[0051] A set of Cartesian coordinate axes 350 is shown in Figures 3 to 16 to contextualize the positions of the various components of the wave engine 301 and the tanker ship 380, and to allow comparison between the various figures in Figures 3 to 16. Specifically, mutually orthogonal x, y, and z axes are provided, with the x and z axes parallel to the planes of the side views, insets, and cross-sectional side views in Figures 3 to 7, Figure 11, and Figure 13, respectively, and the y axis perpendicular to that plane (the plane of the cross-sectional perspective view in Figure 16 is parallel to the z axis but not to the x axis, and therefore the positive directions of the x and y axes each protrude from the plane of the cross-sectional perspective view in Figure 16 at a non-zero angle). In some embodiments, the direction of gravity is parallel to the negative direction of the z axis and may coincide with the negative direction of the z axis.

[0052] In some embodiments, the wave engine 301 may be configured to allow water to pass through, for example, induced by the movement of water waves in a body of water, in order to power one or more turbines (not shown in Figures 3 to 16) located within an external housing 302. In an exemplary embodiment, water can enter the external housing 302 through a lower opening 303 and eventually exit the external housing 302 through one or more upper openings (not shown in Figures 3 to 16). Thus, the lower opening 303 may be fluid-coupled to one or more upper openings, for example, via a series of fluid-coupled passages, a reservoir, and other chambers having one or more turbines located therein. In an exemplary embodiment, water can pass through the wave engine 301 continuously (e.g., without a temporary interruption of flow within it) during its operation.

[0053] For example, water entering the lower opening 303 can then pass through the internal passage 334 into the internal reservoir 336, which is fluid-coupled to both the lower opening 303 and the internal reservoir 336. As shown in Figure 5, the internal reservoir 336 may be enclosed within the external housing 302 or otherwise housed within it. In one exemplary embodiment, the internal reservoir 336 may be configured to maintain the buoyancy of the external housing 302 (and thereby the wave engine 301) relative to the water surface of the body by capturing and storing gas, for example, from the surrounding environment, from an external gas supply source, and / or as a product of an energy conversion process. In some embodiments, the water in the internal reservoir 336 may be led to one or more turbine assemblies (not shown in Figures 3 to 16) fluid-coupled to the internal reservoir 336. In such embodiments, each of the one or more turbine assemblies may include an outlet passage fluid-coupled to one of one or more upper openings through which water in an internal reservoir 336 can flow, powering a turbine housed within the outlet passage and then being discharged from within the external housing 302 through one of one or more upper openings.

[0054] In some embodiments, the energy conversion process may be an electrolytic reaction that converts an electrolytic reactant, such as deionized water, into an electrolytic product, such as hydrogen gas. In certain embodiments, one or more storage tanks, such as storage tank 335a, may be enclosed within the external housing 302 or otherwise housed therein. Storage tank 335a may store at least a portion of the electrolytic reactant and at least a portion of the electrolytic product. In certain embodiments, the electrolytic reactant and the electrolytic product may remain separated within storage tank 335a based on their respective physicochemical properties. For example, the electrolytic reactant may be a liquid (e.g., deionized water) and the electrolytic product may be a gas (e.g., hydrogen gas), and the electrolytic reactant may be separated from the electrolytic product by a gas-liquid interface.

[0055] In such embodiments, the first receiving passage 333a and the second receiving passage 333b can be reversibly fluid-coupled to the surrounding environment, "for example, via one or more valves (not shown in Figures 3 to 16) of the receiving port 320a that fluid-couple the storage tank 335a to the surrounding environment if it is configured in an open configuration, and disconnect the fluid coupling if it is configured in a closed configuration." In certain embodiments, as shown in Figure 6, the first receiving passage 333a may be fluid-coupled to the lower portion of the storage tank 335a, and the second receiving passage 333b may be fluid-coupled to the upper portion of the storage tank 335a. In one exemplary embodiment, the first and second receiving passages 333a, 333b are capable of extending coaxially from the receiving port 320a to the storage tank 335a, the second receiving passage 333b surrounding the first receiving passage 333a for a portion of its length, and the first receiving passage 333a extending beyond the end of the second receiving passage 333b for the remainder of its length, so that the first receiving passage 333a opens exclusively to the lower portion of the storage tank 335a, and the second receiving passage 333b opens exclusively to the upper portion of the storage tank 335a. Therefore, during a particular operating mode of the wave engine 301, the first receiving passage 333a may be configured to supply electrolytic reactants to the storage tank 335a (for example, to replenish the electrolytic reactants for the electrolytic reaction), and the second receiving passage 333b may be configured to transfer the electrolytic products from the storage tank 335a by siphon (for example, to move the electrolytic products for storage).

[0056] In some embodiments, if the conduit 340 is fluid-coupled to a storage tank 335a, the conduit 340 can transport electrolytic reaction products from a reaction product reservoir 395 on a tanker ship 380 to the storage tank 335a via a first internal fluid passage 343a. In additional or alternative embodiments, if the conduit 340 is fluid-coupled to a storage tank 335a, the conduit 340 can transport electrolytic products from the storage tank 335a to a product reservoir 392 on a tanker ship 380 via a second internal fluid passage 343b. As described in more detail below, in certain embodiments, the first and second internal fluid passages 343a, 343b may extend coaxially along the conduit 340 at least along its length. In one embodiment, the conduit 340 may include any suitable material that allows for a fluid seal to transport a fluid (e.g., liquid, gas, etc.) along the length of the conduit 340. In one embodiment, the first internal fluid passage, the second internal fluid passage, and any other fluid passages, housing, cladding, coatings, etc., may include materials suitable for fluid transmission in a marine environment. In some embodiments, the conduit 340 may include a metallic material such as a flexible pipe made from stainless steel, galvanized metal, or plastic-coated metal. The material of the conduit 340 may also include polymer tubing (e.g., nylon, polyester, polypropylene, etc.) or composite tubing (e.g., carbon fiber, aramid fiber, etc.).

[0057] In some embodiments, the conduit assembly 341 may be located at the distal end of the conduit 340 and coupled thereto, the distal end being on the opposite side of the proximal end of the conduit 340 which is coupled to the outside of the tanker vessel 380 or to the outer housing 388. In one exemplary embodiment, the conduit assembly 341 may include a plurality of fluid nozzles 342a, 342b, 342c, which are distributed annularly on the conduit assembly 341 and are configured to discharge a plurality of fluid streams, respectively, to propel the conduit assembly 341 through the surrounding environment and remotely guide the conduit assembly 341 to the receiving port 320a. In certain embodiments, as shown in Figures 7 and 8, the plurality of fluid nozzles 342a, 342b, 342c may include a plurality of side fluid nozzles 342a configured to guide fluid streams perpendicular to the fluid flow along first and second internal fluid passages 343a, 343b in the conduit assembly 341, a plurality of rear fluid nozzles 342b configured to guide fluid streams parallel to the fluid flow along first and second internal fluid passages 343a, 343b in the conduit assembly 341, and a plurality of front fluid nozzles 342c configured to guide fluid streams parallel to the fluid flow along first and second internal fluid passages 343a, 343b in the conduit assembly 341, in the opposite direction to the flow direction of the fluid streams guided by the plurality of rear fluid nozzles 342b.

[0058] In some embodiments, a plurality of fluid nozzles 342a, 342b, 342c can be fluid-coupled to a third internal fluid passage 343c that can extend coaxially with the first and second internal passages 343a, 343b along at least the length of the conduit 340. In one exemplary embodiment, as described in more detail below, the third internal fluid passage 343c can supply fluid to the plurality of fluid nozzles 342a, 342b, 342c to supply a plurality of fluid streams. For example, since the surrounding environment may include a body of water on which the wave engine 301 and the tanker vessel 380 are floating, the fluid can be water, and the plurality of fluid nozzles 342a, 342b, 342c can be configured as a plurality of water jet nozzles 342a, 342b, 342c. In additional or alternative embodiments, a plurality of side fluid nozzles 342d of the intermediate lifting assembly 349 can be fluid-coupled to the third internal fluid passage 343c to discharge a plurality of auxiliary fluid streams. In one exemplary embodiment, the multiple side fluid nozzles 342d can be assembled and configured in the same way as the multiple side fluid nozzles 342a and can actually operate substantially similarly.

[0059] In some embodiments, multiple fluid streams may be selectively discharged from multiple fluid nozzles 342a, 342b, 342c to guide the conduit assembly 341 to a predetermined position with relatively high precision. In one exemplary embodiment, the position of the conduit assembly 341 in three-dimensional space can be adjusted through corresponding adjustments to one or more of the thrust of at least one of the multiple fluid streams, the timing of at least one fluid stream, the duration of at least one fluid stream, or the angle of at least one fluid stream. For example, when the conduit assembly 341 is commanded to move from a first position to a second position (e.g., in accordance with a request received from a remote land-based controller), a series of commands may be executed by a controller on the tanker vessel 380 (e.g., a pump controller 383) to ensure that each of the multiple fluid nozzles 342a, 342b, 342c operates at predetermined start and end times with a predetermined thrust profile (which may, for example, be substantially static or continuously changing). In certain examples, all of the fluid nozzles 342a, 342b, and 342c may be actuated to move the conduit assembly 341 from a first position to a second position. In other examples, only a subset of the fluid nozzles 342a, 342b, and 342c may be actuated to move the conduit assembly 341 from a first position to a second position (for example, in certain non-limiting examples where the conduit assembly 341 is commanded to move in a given direction, a subset of the fluid nozzles 342a, 342b, and 342c that can be actuated to discharge a fluid stream(s) in a given direction may not be actuated).

[0060] In an exemplary embodiment, the conduit assembly 341 may be guided from a first location that may be in the surrounding environment to a second location that may be in the coupling structure 322a, for example, the receiving port 320a, via one or more fluid streams discharged from a plurality of fluid nozzles 342a, 342b, 342c. Specifically, in such an embodiment, the conduit assembly 341 may be guided from a location on or near the tanker vessel 380 toward the receiving port 320a of the coupling structure 322a, for example, when the wave engine 301 is floating on the water at a distance from the tanker vessel 380 shorter than the length of the conduit 340.

[0061] In some embodiments, the coupling structure 322a may be configured as a partially hollow cone or frustum with an open (maximum) base to receive the conduit assembly 341. In one exemplary embodiment, as shown in Figure 6, the receiving port 320a may be configured as a hollowed-out portion within the coupling structure 322a. In such embodiments, at least one end of the receiving port 320a may be fitted to receive the conduit assembly 341 flush (for example, the receiving port 320a may be a gap fit to the conduit assembly 341).

[0062] In some embodiments, one or more exit lights, such as one or more first exit lights 339a and / or one or more second exit lights 339b, may be distributed annularly on the receiving port 320a (for example, within the coupling structure 322a). In some embodiments, one or more exit lights may be arranged on the conduit 340 and / or on the conduit assembly 341. Specifically, as shown in Figure 6, one or more second exit lights 339b may be positioned closer to the receiving opening of the receiving port 320a than one or more first exit lights 339a (for example, one or more second exit lights 339b may be positioned closer to the base of the partially hollowed-out cone of the coupling structure 322a than one or more first exit lights 339a). In an exemplary embodiment, one or more first indicator lights 339a and one or more second indicator lights 339b may be independently or in subsets operable to enhance the visibility of the receiving port 320a to one or more cameras 345 of, for example, the conduit assembly 341 (see Figure 8). In some embodiments equipped with indicator lights, each indicator light is illuminated continuously during coupling operation. In some embodiments equipped with indicator lights, each indicator light is illuminated in a manner, pattern, and / or sequence to facilitate manual or automatic coupling between the respective conduit assembly and the receiving port. In such embodiments, each of the one or more cameras may be a visual or optical camera configured to receive an image (optionally illuminated by one or more first indicator lights 339a and / or one or more second indicator lights 339b) that can determine the current position of the receiving port 320a. In additional or alternative embodiments, as shown in Figure 8, the conduit assembly 341 may include one or more hydrophones 346 configured to radiate and receive audio signals, from which the current location of the receiving port 320a can be determined.

[0063] In some embodiments, the coupling structure 322a may include one or more first coupling elements distributed annularly on the receiving port 320a (for example, within the coupling structure 322a). Correspondingly, in such embodiments, one or more second coupling elements may be distributed annularly on the conduit assembly 341, and one or more second coupling elements are configured to reversibly engage with one or more first coupling elements. As an example, as shown in Figure 9, one or more first coupling elements may include a first mechanical latch element 337, and one or more second coupling elements may include a second mechanical latch element 347, the second mechanical latch element 347 being reversibly engageable with the first mechanical latch element 337 via a mechanical latch mechanism (for example, the first mechanical latch element 337 may include a projection that transitions into a recess of the second mechanical latch element 347). As an additional or alternative example, the conduit assembly 341 may include one or more electromagnets 348, each of which is actuated to reversibly couple to the receiving port 320a via magnetic attraction. In one such example, one or more second coupling elements may include one or more electromagnets 348, and one or more first coupling elements may include one or more housings (e.g., one or more ferromagnetic surfaces not shown in Figures 3 to 16, one or more additional electromagnets) for magnetic coupling to one or more electromagnets 348, respectively. In another such example, the coupling structure 322a may be the housing itself, formed from, for example, a ferromagnetic material. In certain embodiments, each of the one or more electromagnets 348 may be actuated independently via a command(s) received from a controller of the tanker vessel 380.

[0064] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 9, the first and second internal fluid passages 343a, 343b may be fluid-coupled to the first and second receiving passages 333a, 333b, respectively, by mechanically coupling the conduit assembly 341 to the receiving port 320a, for example, by engaging one or more second coupling elements with one or more first coupling elements. In certain embodiments, the ends of the first and second internal fluid passages 343a, 343b may each include first and second O-ring seals 344a, 344b (see Figures 7 and 9) to prevent fluid leakage at the interface with the receiving port when mechanically coupled to the receiving port 320a.

[0065] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 3 to 9, the receiving port 320a may be recessed within the coupling structure 322a so that the coupling structure 322a is configured to receive the conduit assembly 341 therein. In other embodiments, the receiving projection may be located on the outer housing 302, with the receiving port 320a located at the distal end of the receiving projection, and the conduit assembly 341 may include a recess (not shown in Figures 3 to 16) configured to receive the receiving projection internally. In such embodiments, the receiving port 320a may be configured as a valve operating opening without surrounding recesses when located at the distal end of the receiving projection.

[0066] The above discussion refers to a coupling structure 322a positioned on the upper portion of the outer housing 302 (e.g., above the bisector plane parallel to the plane formed by the x and y axes) so that the wave engine 301 is exposed to air when floating on the surface of the water body. In additional or alternative embodiments, a coupling structure 322b may be positioned on the lower portion of the outer housing 302 (e.g., below the bisector plane parallel to the plane formed by the x and y axes) so that the wave engine 301 sinks into the water body when floating on the surface of the water body. The coupling structures 322a, 322b can be configured in substantially the same manner as each other, except in some examples one or more modifications or differences arising from their relative positioning on the outer housing 302 (e.g., the coupling structures 322a, 322b may include their respective receiving ports 320a, 320b which are fluidly coupled to storage tanks 335a, 335b, respectively). As an example, multiple fluid streams may be discharged from multiple fluid nozzles 342a, 342b, and 342c with greater thrust when the conduit assembly 341 is directed to a coupling structure above the water surface of the body (e.g., coupling structure 322a) than when the conduit assembly 341 is directed to a coupling structure below the water surface of the body (e.g., coupling structure 322b). As another example, a greater number of guide lights (e.g., first and second guide lights 339a and 339b) may be provided on coupling structure 322b than on coupling structure 322a. In certain embodiments, other modifications may be made based on, for example, less biofouling occurring in conduit assembly 322a than in conduit assembly 322b, or less ice accumulation occurring in conduit assembly 322b than in conduit assembly 322a.

[0067] In some embodiments, the tanker vessel 380 may include an intermediate lift assembly 349 interposed along the conduit 340 between the proximal and distal ends of the conduit 340. In one exemplary embodiment, the intermediate lift assembly 349 may be configured to discharge one or more auxiliary fluid streams, for example, through one or more corresponding side fluid nozzles 342d, to support the suspension of the conduit 340 in the ambient environment. In such embodiments, if the conduit 340 is at least partially suspended in the ambient environment via the intermediate lift assembly 349, fewer fluid streams and / or fluid streams with less thrust can be discharged from the conduit assembly 341.

[0068] In some embodiments, the tanker vessel 380 may include an intermediate pump assembly 360 interposed along the conduit 340 between the proximal and distal ends of the conduit 340. In certain embodiments, as shown in Figure 11, the intermediate pump assembly 360 may include a lower opening 362 and an internal reservoir 361 fluidly coupled to the surrounding environment through the lower opening 362. In one exemplary embodiment, water can enter the lower opening 362 and subsequently enter the internal reservoir 361. As shown in Figure 11, the internal reservoir 361 may be enclosed or otherwise housed outside the intermediate pump assembly 360 within an outer housing 368. In some embodiments, the internal reservoir 361 may be configured to maintain the buoyancy of the outer housing 368 (and thereby the intermediate pump assembly 360) in the water by, for example, capturing and storing gas from the surrounding environment and / or an external gas supply source.

[0069] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 11, the intermediate pump assembly 360 may include a fluid pump 367 configured to guide a fluid (e.g., water) along the conduit 340, which is discharged as the various fluid streams described above (e.g., through various fluid nozzles 342a, 342b, 342c, 342d). In one exemplary embodiment, at least a portion of the water entering the lower opening 362 can then pass through the fluid pump 367 (e.g., through a first pump passage 363a that fluid-couples the fluid pump 367 to the lower opening 362) and enter a third internal fluid passage 343c (e.g., through a second pump passage 363b that fluid-couples the third internal fluid passage 343c to the fluid pump 367). In some embodiments, the fluid pump 367 may be electrically coupled to one or more components within the external housing 388 of the tanker vessel 380 (e.g., one or more power supplies, one or more controllers such as a pump controller 383) via a wire 352 (connection of the wire 352 to the fluid pump 367 not shown in Figures 3 to 16). In such embodiments, the wire 352 can supply power to the fluid pump 367 and / or transmit data (e.g., commands to operate the fluid pump 367) to the fluid pump 367. In some embodiments, although not shown in Figures 3 to 16, the wire 352 can extend along the length of the conduit 340 so as to be electrically coupled to one or more additional components, such as various fluid nozzles 342a, 342b, 342c, 342d, one or more electromagnets 348, one or more cameras 345, one or more hydrophones 346, etc., so that one or more additional components can be powered and / or receive commands or other data.

[0070] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 11 and 12, the intermediate pump assembly 360 may include one or more propellers configured to support the suspension and / or propulsion of the intermediate pump assembly 360 in the surrounding environment. In one exemplary embodiment, one or more propellers may include one or more outboard propellers 364 (e.g., propellers located outside the outer housing 368) configured to propel one or more first localized water flows in a body of water. For example, as shown in Figure 12, one or more outboard propellers 364 may be configured as a pair of outboard propellers 364 located on opposing sides of the outer housing 368. In additional or alternative embodiments, one or more propellers may include one or more fluid jet nozzles 365 configured to propel one or more (relatively highly pressurized) second localized water flows in a body of water. In certain embodiments, one or more fluid jet nozzles 365 may be configured as a single fluid jet nozzle 365 fluid-coupled to the lower opening 362 via an auxiliary fluid passage 363c to receive at least a portion of the water entering the outer housing 368 through the lower opening 362. In some embodiments, although not shown in Figures 3 to 16, wires 352 may be electrically coupled to one or more thrusters so that the wires 352 can supply power to one or more thrusters and / or transmit data (e.g., commands to activate and operate one or more thrusters) to one or more thrusters. In additional or alternative embodiments, the intermediate pump assembly 360 may include one or more fins or rudders 366 configured to stabilize the intermediate pump assembly 360 during suspension and / or propulsion. For example, as shown in Figure 12, one or more fins or rudders 366 may be configured as four fins 366 distributed annularly in the outer housing 368 and protruding from there.

[0071] In some embodiments, the external housing 388 can enclose or otherwise house one or more components configured for fluid exchange, and / or such components (one or more) can be located outside the external housing 388 and fixed thereto, with each component of the one or more components being fluid-coupled to other components of the one or more components. In one exemplary embodiment, as shown in Figures 13–16, the conduit 340 can extend into the external housing 388 through a first compartment 381a to a breakout enclosure 382 in a second compartment 382b, thereby allowing the fluid carried by the conduit 340 to be led therein in various ways. For example, electrolysis products can enter the breakout enclosure 382 via a second internal fluid passage 343b of the conduit 340, and the breakout enclosure 382 can lead the electrolysis products to a compressor / pump assembly 386. The compressor / pump assembly 386 can pump the electrolysis products to a product reservoir 392 for storage. From the product reservoir 392, the electrolysis product, which may be a methanol precursor such as hydrogen gas, flows to the reactor 393, where it is combined with additional methanol precursors such as carbon dioxide and delivered to the reactor 393 from multiple precursor storage tanks 391. The methanol produced by the reactor 393 by mixing the electrolysis product with additional methanol precursors may flow to the internal reservoir 390 for storage. The second compartment 381b may include a first fluid pump 387a, which is fluid-coupled to the surrounding environment and configured to pump water from a water body to the distillation unit 394. The distillation unit 394 may be configured to distill the water pumped from the first fluid pump 387a to produce distilled deionized water for use as an electrolysis reactant. The electrolysis reactant (e.g., distilled deionized water) may be transferred to the reactant reservoir 395 for storage. From the reactant reservoir 395, the electrolysis reactant may be pumped to the breakout enclosure 382 via the second fluid pump 387b. The breakout enclosure 382 can guide the electrolytic reaction products into the first internal fluid passage 343a and transport them to the wave engine 301 via the conduit 340.In some embodiments, a pump controller 383, which may be housed in a second compartment 381b, can execute commands to operate and control one or more of the fluid pump 367, the compressor / pump assembly 386, the first fluid pump 387a, or the second fluid pump 387b.

[0072] In some embodiments, as shown in Figures 13–15, the tanker vessel 380 may include one or more propulsators configured to support the suspension and / or propulsion of the tanker vessel 380 in the surrounding environment. In one exemplary embodiment, one or more propulsators may include one or more outboard propellers 384 (e.g., propellers located outside the outer housing 388) configured to propel one or more first localized water flows in a body of water. For example, one or more outboard propellers 384 may be configured as a pair of outboard propellers 384 located on opposing sides of the outer housing 388. In additional or alternative embodiments, one or more propulsators may include one or more fluid jet nozzles 385 configured to propel one or more (relatively highly pressurized) second localized water flows in a body of water. In certain embodiments, one or more fluid jet nozzles 385 may be configured as a pair of fluid jet nozzles 385 configured to receive water from the surrounding environment (for example, via a first fluid pump 387a, a fluid coupling not shown in Figures 3 to 16).

[0073] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 16, the wire 352 can extend from the conduit 340 into the external housing 388, thereby allowing the wire 352 to be electrically coupled to the pump controller 383. Although not shown in Figures 3 to 16, in some embodiments, additional wires may be electrically coupled to the pump controller 383 and to one or more of the following other components of the tanker vessel 380, which are configured to operate under power received from the additional wires and / or to receive data transmitted through the additional wires: one or more outboard propellers 384, one or more fluid jet nozzles 385, compressor / pump assembly 386, first fluid pump 387a, second fluid pump 387b, or reactor 393.

[0074] Referring here to Figure 17, a block diagram of Method 1700 for capturing energy from wave motion in a body of water using a floating body such as an arbitrary wave engine, as described in detail above with reference to Figures 1 to 16. In one exemplary embodiment, water can be induced and pressurized, at least in part, by wave motion, to pass through the floating body and exit through one or more openings in the floating body. In some embodiments, the water exiting the floating body can drive the conversion of an energy product precursor into an energy product via the captured energy. In additional or alternative embodiments, as described in more detail below with reference to Figures 18A and 18B, the energy product can be transferred from the floating body by siphon and replaced with an energy product precursor via a conduit that temporarily fluid-couples the floating body to another floating body.

[0075] In some embodiments, Method 1700 or a portion thereof can be implemented as executable instructions stored in the non-temporary memory of a computing device, such as a controller communicatively coupled to one or more actuators of a floating body. However, embodiments of the method for utilizing a floating body to capture energy from the movement of water waves are not limited to the following description of Method 1700. For example, in certain embodiments, an additional or alternative set of steps, which can be added, deleted, replaced, modified, or interchanged with respect to the individual steps considered with reference to Method 1700, can be implemented, for example, as executable instructions on such a computing device.

[0076] In block 1702, method 1700 may include guiding water into a reservoir of a floating body via the motion of water waves. Specifically, the first opening allows water to be guided by the motion of oscillating water waves into a fluid passage housed within the floating body and fluid-coupled to the reservoir, so that the reservoir can receive the guided water.

[0077] In block 1704, method 1700 may include flowing water from a reservoir to an outlet passage of the floating body. Specifically, the outlet passage can fluidly couple the reservoir to a second opening of the floating body.

[0078] In block 1706, method 1700 may include capturing and storing energy from water flowing along an outlet passage. Specifically, as water flows through the outlet passage toward a second opening, the flowing water can utilize the energy of the water flow motion to convert an energy product precursor into an energy product, by driving an energy conversion process, for example, by powering a generator contained in a floating body through the rotation of an onboard turbine.

[0079] In block 1708, method 1700 may include releasing water from the float. Specifically, as the water passes through the outlet passage, the water is pressurized, for example, through the shape of the outlet passage and / or by the gas pressure of the trapped gas sealed within the float, so as to push the water through to the second opening.

[0080] In block 1710, method 1700 may include transporting energy products for storage or end use via at least a temporary fluid coupling of one floating body to another. Specifically, a supply chain can be established in which a transport or transport chain (e.g., one or more tankers, land vehicles, etc.) can transport energy products to an end user for storage in a watercraft or land storage facility, or for consumption. As an example of at least one step along the supply chain, the temporary fluid coupling may be established to exchange energy products for energy product precursors, as described in detail below with reference to Figures 18A and 18B.

[0081] Referring here to Figures 18A and 18B, block diagrams of Method 1800 for temporarily fluid-coupling a pair of floating bodies, such as various floating bodies floating on the surface of a body of water, wave engines, and / or any pair of tanker ships, as described in detail above with reference to Figures 1 to 16. In one exemplary embodiment, floating bodies can be temporarily fluid-coupled to additional floating bodies via conduits for additional floating bodies. In such an embodiment, a conduit assembly can be positioned at the end of the conduit, and the conduit assembly is operable to guide the end of the conduit to a receiving port for the floating bodies. In one embodiment, Method 1800 is performed as part of Method 1700 in Figure 17, such as in block 1710.

[0082] In some embodiments, Method 1800 or a portion thereof can be implemented as executable instructions stored in the non-temporary memory of a computing device, such as a controller communicatively coupled to one or more actuators of a floating body. However, embodiments of the method for temporarily fluid-coupling a floating body are not limited to the following description of Method 1800. For example, in certain embodiments, an additional or alternative set of steps can be implemented, for example, as executable instructions on such a computing device, by adding, deleting, replacing, modifying, or interchangeing the individual steps considered with reference to Method 1800. As an example, blocks 1808 and 1810 are represented by dashed lines to indicate that alternative implementations of block 1806 are possible in some embodiments (blocks 1808 and 1810 are subblocks showing non-limiting embodiments of block 1806). As another example, blocks 1816 and 1818 are represented by dashed lines to indicate that alternative implementations of block 1814 are possible in some embodiments (blocks 1816 and 1818 are subblocks showing non-limiting embodiments of block 1814). As yet another example, blocks 1826 and 1828 are represented by dashed lines to show that alternative implementations of block 1824 are possible in several embodiments (blocks 1826 and 1828 are subblocks that represent non-limiting embodiments of block 1814).

[0083] Referring here to Figure 18A, in block 1802, method 1800 may include determining whether a first instruction has been received to fluidly couple the conduit assembly to the receiving port. As an example, the first instruction may be received in response to a determination that the amount of energy products stored in the float is greater than or equal to a first threshold amount. As another example, the first instruction may be received in response to a determination that the amount of energy product precursors stored in the float is less than or equal to a second threshold amount. In certain embodiments, the first instruction may be received from a remote land-based controller.

[0084] If no first instruction has been received to fluid-couple the conduit assembly to the receiving port, method 1800 may proceed to block 1804, which may include method 1800 maintaining the current operating mode of the float. In such an example, transient fluid coupling may not be established.

[0085] When a first instruction is received to fluid-couple a conduit assembly to an acceptance port, method 1800 can proceed to block 1806, which may include method 1800 guiding the conduit assembly to the acceptance port by discharging one or more fluid streams from the conduit assembly. In an exemplary embodiment, one or more first fluid nozzle operating parameters can be determined in block 1808. For example, one or more first fluid nozzle operating parameters may include one or more continuously adjustable parameters such as the power of the fluid pumped through one or more first fluid nozzles of the conduit assembly, the valve opening of one or more first fluid nozzles, and / or the port angle of one or more first fluid nozzles. In block 1810, one or more first fluid nozzles may be actuated to generate one or more first fluid streams according to one or more first fluid nozzle operating parameters. In an exemplary embodiment, one or more first fluid nozzles may be actuated to guide a first fluid flow in a first direction. For example, one or more first fluid nozzles may be selectively operated to adjust one or more of the thrust of at least one of the first fluid streams, the timing of at least one first fluid stream, the duration of each of the at least one first fluid stream, or the angle of at least one first fluid stream. In one example, adjusting the thrust of at least one first fluid stream may include adjusting the thrust of at least one first fluid stream to a first value in response to at least one first fluid stream being released above the water surface of a body of water, and adjusting the thrust of at least one first fluid stream to a second value less than the first value in response to at least one first fluid stream being released below the water surface of a body of water.

[0086] In block 1812, method 1800 may include fluid coupling one or more internal passages of a conduit assembly to a receiving port. In some embodiments, the fluid coupling may be sealed and secured by reversibly engaging one or more first coupling elements of a floating body with one or more second coupling elements of an additional floating body.

[0087] In block 1814, method 1800 may include, for example, transferring one or more fluids between a float and an additional float via one or more internal passages. In one exemplary embodiment, one or more internal passages may be configured as a composite coaxial internal passage including a first passage and a second passage coaxial with the first passage. In such an embodiment, a first fluid, such as energy products, among one or more fluids may flow through the first passage, and a second fluid, such as energy product precursors, among one or more fluids may flow through the second passage. For example, in block 1816, energy products may be siphoned from the receiving port of the float to the additional float via the first passage. In block 1818, energy product precursors may be supplied from the additional float to the receiving port of the float via the second passage. In some embodiments, blocks 1816 and 1818 may be performed substantially simultaneously.

[0088] Referring here to Figure 18B, in block 1820, method 1800 may include determining whether a second instruction has been received to remove the conduit assembly from the receiving port. As an example, the second instruction may be received in response to a determination that the amount of energy products stored in the float is less than a third threshold amount, which is less than or equal to a first threshold amount. As another example, the second instruction may be received in response to a determination that the amount of energy product precursors stored in the float is greater than or equal to a fourth threshold amount, which is greater than or equal to a second threshold amount. In certain embodiments, the second instruction may be received from a remote land-based controller.

[0089] If no second instruction is received to remove the conduit assembly from the receiving port, method 1800 may proceed to block 1822, which may include method 1800 continuing to transfer one or more fluids between the float and the additional float. In one exemplary embodiment, method 1800 may continue to transfer one or more fluids between the float and the additional float until it is determined in block 1820 that a second instruction has been received.

[0090] If a second instruction is received to remove the conduit assembly from the receiving port, method 1800 may proceed to block 1824, which may include method 1800 removing the conduit assembly from the receiving port by releasing one or more second fluid streams from the conduit assembly such that the internal passage is no longer fluid-coupled to the receiving port. In one exemplary embodiment, one or more second fluid nozzle operating parameters may be determined in block 1826. For example, one or more second fluid nozzle operating parameters may include one or more continuously adjustable parameters such as the power of the fluid pumped through one or more second fluid nozzles of the conduit assembly, the valve opening of one or more second fluid nozzles, and / or the port angles of one or more second fluid nozzles. In block 1828, one or more second fluid nozzles may be actuated to generate one or more second fluid streams according to one or more second fluid nozzle operating parameters. In an exemplary embodiment, one or more second fluid nozzles may be operated to guide a second fluid flow in a second direction (for example, opposite to the first direction of the first fluid flow guided in block 1810). For example, one or more second fluid nozzles may be operated selectively to adjust one or more of the thrust of at least one of the second fluid streams, the timing of at least one second fluid stream, the duration of each of the at least one second fluid stream, or the angle of at least one second fluid stream. For example, adjusting the thrust of at least one second fluid stream may include adjusting the thrust of at least one second fluid stream to a third value in response to at least one second fluid stream being released above the water surface of the body, and adjusting the thrust of at least one second fluid stream to a fourth value less than the third value in response to at least one second fluid stream being released below the water surface of the body.

[0091] In additional, alternative, or otherwise modified embodiments of those described in detail above with reference to Figures 1 to 18B, one or more components of the wave engine may be added, deleted, replaced, modified, or interchanged to adapt the wave engine to a given use case. Specific embodiments may represent, for example, combinations of the embodiments described herein. As an example, at least one modification of the embodiments in Figures 3 to 16 may omit the intermediate pumping assembly 360, and instead enclose the fluid pump 367 within the external housing 388 (in such embodiments, the conduit 340 may include a variable diameter along the length of the conduit 340, where the diameter of the conduit 340 decreases from the proximal end to the distal end of the conduit 340, for example, to account for pumping losses). Furthermore, although the various embodiments described herein have been considered with reference to wave engines including cylindrical bodies, the various embodiments, with or without modification, may be applicable to other floating watercraft, devices, or apparatus. Such floating watercraft, devices, or apparatus may vary in shape, size, and functionality, and may include, but are not limited to, vessels, tankers or other transports, deployment vessels, buoys, data centers, etc., associated with one or more wave engines.

[0092] Figure 19 shows a cross-sectional view of a wave energy acquisition system 400 according to one embodiment. The wave energy acquisition system 400 floats adjacent to the upper surface 401 of the water body through which the waves pass. The wave energy acquisition system 400 may include a buoyancy chamber 402 having an internal volume 429. The internal volume 429 may be partially filled with water 427. Gas (e.g., oxygen, hydrogen, air, etc.) can fill an additional portion of the internal volume 429. The buoyancy chamber 402 may also be provided with internal structures. For example, baffles, walls, sub-chambers, doors, etc., may be provided inside the chamber 402. The internal structures can be used to control the flow or movement of water 427 inside the chamber 402, provide housing for different types of gas, etc.

[0093] Chamber 402 can be axisymmetric in some examples. For example, in Figure 19, chamber 402 is a spherical segment with a substantially horizontal top surface. In other examples, chamber 402 can be a spherical cap or any other type of axisymmetric shape. However, chamber 402 can be asymmetric in other examples. For example, chamber 402 can have a keel or hull shape similar to that of a floating vessel (e.g., a boat or ship). Openings, ports, etc., can also be provided through the walls of chamber 402 to provide access to material and / or substance within chamber 402, control of pressure within chamber 402, etc.

[0094] The tube 404 can be coupled to the chamber 402. The tube 404 may have an open bottom that is in fluid communication with the water 401 surrounding the wave energy acquisition system 400. The tube 404 can pass through the wall of the chamber 402 and enter the inner volume 429. The uppermost opening of the tube 404 is fluidly coupled to the inside of the chamber 402. The tube 404 may have a constant diameter along its length. In other examples, the tube 404 may have a non-uniform diameter along its length. For example, the tube 404 may have a first section 404A with a constant diameter and a second constricted section 404B with a reduced diameter. The tube 404 may be cylindrical or have a cross-section of any other shape.

[0095] As shown in the figure, water 421 with a free surface 423 can exist within tube 404. The level oscillates up and down in response to the vibrations of the wave energy acquisition system 400, as indicated by the double arrow 424 crossing the free surface 423. The vibrations are driven by interaction with waves passing along the surface of the water body 401. The trapped water 421 within tube 404 can acquire momentum during the vibrations of the wave energy acquisition system 400. At some point, the free surface 423 rises above the upper opening of tube 404 and is discharged into the inner volume 429 of chamber 402 (as indicated by arrow 426). The water from tube 404 maintains the level of water 427 in chamber 402.

[0096] To generate energy, water 427 is discharged from inside the chamber 402 through a pipe. As the water 427 passes through the pipe, the energy generating device 430 is activated. The energy generating device 430 may include a hydraulic turbine such as a reaction turbine (e.g., a propeller turbine, valve turbine, straflo turbine, tube turbine, Kaplan turbine, Francis turbine, or kinetic turbine) or an impulse turbine (e.g., a Pelton turbine or cross-flow turbine). In some examples, a single turbine is used for the energy generating device 430, while in other examples, multiple turbines arranged in series are used for the energy generating device 430. Although the wave energy acquisition system 400 is shown with a single energy generating device 430, embodiments may include multiple energy generating devices 430.

[0097] The energy generating device 430 can be coupled to a power generator (not shown). The energy generating device provides rotational energy which is converted into electrical energy by the power generator. The electrical energy may be stored (e.g., in a battery) or consumed for one or more purposes as described in detail herein. While a power generator is one option, other types of generators may also be used. For example, the generators described herein may include any generator, alternator, other mechanism, device, and / or component that converts energy from one form to another. In some examples, one or more of the energy generating systems can be replaced with magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) generators that generate electricity directly from a flow of fluid without requiring connection to a turbine and associated rotating shaft. That is, a combination of a turbine connected to the generator by a shaft can, in some examples, be replaced with an MHD generator by a suitable selection of working fluid.

[0098] As described above, the wave energy acquisition system 400 can generate a considerable amount of energy that needs to be stored or used in a constructive manner. In some examples, the energy generated from the wave energy acquisition system 400 may be stored in a battery. The battery can provide an accessible energy source to power one or more electrical components incorporated into the wave energy acquisition system 400. Alternatively (or additionally), the wave energy acquisition system 400 can provide a material conversion process to “store” the energy in a more transportable form. For example, the energy generated by the wave energy acquisition system 400 can be stored in the form of energy products as described in more detail herein.

[0099] If the energy product is hydrogen gas, an electrolytic cell 436 may be provided in the wave energy acquisition system 400. The electrolytic cell 436 may be fluid-coupled to a water source, such as water 432 in the chamber 403. The water 432 may be deionized, filtered, distilled, and / or purified by other means. The water 432 may be supplied to the wave energy acquisition system 400 as a precursor material. For example, the water 432 may be supplied to the wave energy acquisition system 400 via a conduit (not shown) similar to any of the conduits described in detail herein. The energy generated by the wave energy acquisition system 400 may be consumed by the electrolytic cell 436 to convert the water into oxygen and hydrogen. The hydrogen gas may be stored in the internal volume 434 of the chamber 403, or in any other confined space associated with the wave energy acquisition system 400. The oxygen gas may be discharged into the atmosphere. After the hydrogen gas has been produced, the gas may be periodically collected (i.e., moved from or unloaded from the wave energy acquisition system 400) by an external vessel, ship, airship, submersible, drone, or any other vehicle using a conduit (not shown) similar to any of the conduits described in detail herein.

[0100] In one embodiment, a conduit coupled to a second floating body (e.g., a storage vessel, a transport ship, etc.) can be temporarily coupled to a wave energy acquisition system 400 via a receiving port 420. The receiving port 420 may include a frustoconical receiving section to receive and couple a conduit assembly (not shown). The conduit assembly may be similar to any of the conduit assemblies described in more detail herein. In one embodiment, the conduit assembly may be operable to transport the end of the conduit to the receiving port 420. The receiving port 420 in Figure 19 is located above the water surface of the water 401. In other embodiments, the receiving port 420 may be located below the water surface of the water 401. In one embodiment, a pipe 433, etc., may be inserted into a chamber 403 through the receiving port 420. The pipe 433 may include one or more channels for delivering fluid to and / or transferring fluid from the chamber 403 by siphon. For example, water 432 can be delivered to the chamber 403 through pipe 433, and / or hydrogen can be transferred from the chamber 403 by siphon through pipe 433.

[0101] The wave energy acquisition system 400 can be an autonomous device capable of moving and / or navigating around a body of water in a controlled manner. The propulsion of the wave energy acquisition system 400 may be driven by one or more different mechanisms. In one example, water 431 discharged from a pipe provides a propulsive force that can move the wave energy acquisition system 400. The wave energy acquisition system 400 can be steered by controlling the force and / or direction of the discharged water 431. In some examples, one or more rudders (not shown) can be coupled to the wave energy acquisition system 400 to provide directional control, rotational control, etc.

[0102] In some embodiments, propulsion of the wave energy acquisition system 400 may be provided via one or more active propulsion devices. For example, in some examples, propellers or the like can be used. Energy to drive the active propulsion devices can be obtained by energy generation in the wave energy acquisition system 400 or from a battery charged by wave energy generation in the wave energy acquisition system 400. In other examples, hydrogen or other gases produced in the wave energy acquisition system 400 can be consumed (e.g., via the use of a fuel cell) to power the active propulsion devices.

[0103] The wave energy acquisition system 400 may include an enclosure 435 provided on the chamber 402. The enclosure 435 may be a waterproof chamber for securing one or more electrical components. For example, a computing system, a positioning system, and / or a communication system may be provided within the enclosure 435. The computing system may provide one or more processors and associated hardware and / or software that enable control of the wave energy acquisition system 400. For example, the computing system may control power generation by controlling the flow rate of water to the energy generation device 430. The positioning system may include a GPS, compass, accelerometer, gyroscope, or any other suitable navigation system. The positioning system may control the propulsion and steering systems to navigate the wave energy acquisition system 400. The communication system may include an antenna, receiver, and associated circuit configurations, hardware, and / or software. The communication system may provide communication links to external systems, other wave energy generation systems, etc. It should be understood that the system described in enclosure 435 of wave energy acquisition system 400 is essentially illustrative, and many different systems, control devices, etc., may be provided in enclosure 435.

[0104] As described herein, the energy products produced by the wave energy acquisition system 400 may then be delivered to the shore (or near the shore) for use, storage, etc. The energy products may be transported to the shore by one or more vessels. In some examples, the energy products are transported to the shore without further processing. For example, the wave energy acquisition system 400 can produce hydrogen gas, which is then transported to the shore. In other examples, the energy products may be used to produce different energy products. For example, the energy products may be used as precursors for the production of alternative energy products (e.g., energy products with a higher energy density). In one example, the hydrogen energy product may be converted to methanol or ammonia by a chemical reaction with one or more other precursor gases. This additional conversion may occur in the wave energy acquisition system 400 or during the transport of the energy products to the shore.

[0105] Figure 20 shows a cross-sectional view of a wave energy acquisition system 440 according to one embodiment. The wave energy acquisition system 440 may be similar to the wave energy acquisition system 400 described above, except for the energy products generated or produced by the wave energy acquisition system 440. For example, the wave energy acquisition system 440 may include a buoyancy chamber 442 coupled to injection tubes 444A / 444B. Water 461 in tube 444 oscillates so that its surface 463 moves up and down within tube 444. In some examples, water 461 can flow out of tube 444 to the inside of chamber 442 469 in order to fill the chamber 442 with water 467. The water 467 in chamber 442 can be discharged through an energy generating device 470 to generate energy and exit the wave energy acquisition system 440 471.

[0106] In one embodiment, a conduit coupled to a second floating body (e.g., a storage vessel, a transport ship, etc.) can be temporarily coupled to a wave energy acquisition system 440 via a receiving port 460. The receiving port 460 may include a frustoconical receiving section to receive and couple a conduit assembly (not shown). The conduit assembly may be similar to any of the conduit assemblies described in more detail herein. In one embodiment, the conduit assembly may be operable to transport the end of the conduit to the receiving port 460. The receiving port 460 in Figure 20 is located above the water surface of the water 441. In other embodiments, the receiving port 460 may be located below the water surface of the water 441. In one embodiment, a pipe 473, etc., may be inserted into the chamber 443 through the receiving port 460. The pipe 473 may include one or more channels for delivering fluid to and / or transferring fluid from the chamber 443 by siphon. For example, water 472 can be delivered to the chamber 443 through pipe 473, and / or hydrogen can be transferred from the chamber 443 by siphon through pipe 473.

[0107] However, instead of producing gas as an energy product (or gas only), the wave energy acquisition system 440 may produce biological products. These biological products may include one or more of the following: seaweed (e.g., microalgae and / or macroalgae), seagrass, other marine plants, fish, krill, or other marine organisms. More specifically, the power generated by the operation of the energy generation device 470 can be used to power a light 482, a lamp, a heat device (e.g., a heater), etc. For example, the light 482 could be a light-emitting diode (LED) light, or any other suitable source for generating electromagnetic radiation 483. The electromagnetic radiation 483 may be consumed by the biological products to induce their growth within the wave energy acquisition system 440.

[0108] As shown in Figure 20, the light 482 may be positioned, mounted, or otherwise coupled to the inner surface of the chamber 442. Additionally, the light 482 may be provided along the side wall of the injection tube 444. Although shown as being directly coupled to the inner wall surface, other embodiments may include a light 482 suspended within the inner volume of the chamber 442. All lights 482 in Figure 20 are shown submerged in water 467 or 461. However, in other embodiments, the light 482 may be provided above the water level of the water 467 in the chamber 442.

[0109] In one embodiment, a substantially circular net 481, designed to promote the growth of biological products (e.g., algae and / or other marine plant organisms), spans and / or is adjacent to a substantially flow-normal and / or horizontal cross-section of a water reservoir adjacent to the surface of water 467. The net 481 draws the biological products into the lower portion of water 467, thereby tending to prevent, if not prevent, the outflow and / or loss of its macroalgae through the energy generation device 470. In other embodiments, other structures (e.g., sieves, catchments, meshes, or grids) are placed in the path of the water flow to the energy generation device 430 to prevent the outflow or loss of biological products.

[0110] Periodically, the biological products may be moved from the water 467 by a ship, platform, or other vessel. A ship may insert a suction tube into the access tube 485, passing through it. Once inserted into the access tube 485, the inserted suction tube is positioned near the bottom of the reservoir of water 467 in the embodiment and can aspirate a portion of the biological products in it. A complementary access tube (not shown) and / or complementary channel within the single access suction tube 485 can return water to the reservoir while the biological products are being moved from the reservoir of water 467, thereby maintaining and / or preserving the original level of water 467 in the reservoir.

[0111] The access tube 485 allows algae, water, nutrients, and / or other materials to be added to and / or removed from the reservoir of water 467 while the reservoir is sealed inside the chamber 442. Since the access tube is open to the atmosphere at its upper opening 487 (as indicated by arrow 488) and open to the water and biological products in the water 467 at its lower opening 484, the water 467 from the reservoir rises freely within the algae access tube 485. Due to the pressure of the air trapped in the air pocket 469 inside the chamber 442 and the corresponding pressure of the water 467, the water level 486 in the access tube 485 tends to rise to a height above the water level of water 467 in the reservoir, where the head pressure is approximately equivalent to the pressure of the air inside the hollow chamber 442.

[0112] In addition to cultivating biological products, particularly macroalgae, in the water reservoir 467 inside the hollow chamber 442, biological products, particularly macroalgae, can be cultivated inside the injection tube 404 of the embodiment. An upper barrier net 491 spanning the upper portion and / or upper position of the injection tube 444 prevents at least a portion of the algae inside the injection tube 444 from getting too close to the upper constriction of the injection tube 444, which would otherwise clog the injection tube 404 at that position.

[0113] Macroalgae or other biological products are cultivated in a net enclosure and / or containment bag 493 that forms a porous bag that encloses most, if not all, of the biological products. The upper end of the algal containment bag 493 is pulled upward by a float 492, which tends to position the upper end of the bag close to the underside of the barrier net 491. The biological products in the containment bag 493 are promoted to grow through light (e.g., 483) emitted by a lamp (e.g., 482) positioned along the inner wall and / or surface of the injection tube 444, as provided in the embodiment.

[0114] The lower end of the containment bag 493 is pulled downward by a weight 494 connected to the bag by a tether, chain, rope, linking mechanism, and / or cable 495. The upper end of a tether, chain, rope, linking mechanism, and / or cable 496 is connected to a float 497 which tends to float on the water surface 441 in the body of water where the wave energy acquisition system 440 is floating, and is connected to the weight 494, through which it is connected to the containment bag 493.

[0115] Periodically, biological products can be moved from the injection tube 444 of the wave energy acquisition system 440 by a ship or other vessel. The ship attaches a secondary cable to the cable 496 and then lowers a secondary weight to increase the total weight which tends to lower the algae containment bag 493 and pull it out of the injection tube 444. After the containment bag 493 has been pulled down and released from the injection tube 444, the containment bag 493 may be lifted by the secondary cable, thereby being raised onto and / or into the ship from which the biological products can be acquired. The same moved containment bag 493 can be reinserted into the injection tube 444 using the same second cable, using an underwater autonomous vehicle, and / or using another method, mechanism, and / or system. When the same containment bag 493 is reinserted into the inertial water tube 444 of the embodiment, it tends to be reinserted after a large, but not all, of its drawn-in biological products have been acquired and / or moved. By leaving a portion of the biological products within the containment bag 493, the residual biological products can grow and produce another yield. When a “new” second containment bag 493 is inserted into the injection tube 444 of the embodiment to replace the moved containment bag 493, it is advantageous to first “seed” the containment bag 493 with the biological stock so that a new crop of a preferred species of algae can be cultivated.

[0116] The scope of this disclosure extends not only to a complementary vessel for periodically acquiring the biological products grown within the embodiments, but also to coastal facilities, floating platforms, and / or other vessels where the acquired algae are processed and / or stored, and to a wave energy converter of the type disclosed herein placed in a body of water for acquiring the biological products, the electrical energy produced by the wave energy converter operating in the waves, and to LEDs or other lamps or other light sources mounted on, inside, inside or outside the wave energy converter, and / or the converted wave energy to the inside, inside or outside walls, surfaces, and / or structures The method also includes a method used to supply power to LEDs or other lamps or other light sources suspended from a component, enabling biological products to grow in or near the enclosure, cavity, or therein of the wave energy converter using light from the lamps as a metabolic energy source, and the biological products (or products or by-products generated therefrom, e.g., algal oil, fish oil, etc.) to be transported to a ship or other floating vessel, and the ship or floating vessel to transport the biological products (or products or by-products generated therefrom, e.g., algal oil, fish oil, etc.) to a land-based facility for processing and / or storage.

[0117] Embodiments of aquaculture configurations shown in Figure 20 may also include fish in either or both of the water reservoir 467 and / or algae containment bags 493. If one or more fish species are selected that can eat and / or consume the type(s) of algae growing in the embodiment and are included in their respective aquaculture areas before each growth cycle, then a portion of those fish may be obtained along with any leftover algae. The scope of this disclosure is a method for obtaining fish, wherein a wave energy converter of the type disclosed herein is placed in a body of water, and the electrical energy produced by the wave energy converter is used to power LEDs or other lamps or other light sources mounted on, inside, inside or outside the wave energy converter, as well as LEDs or other lamps or other light sources suspended from the walls, surfaces, and / or structural members inside, inside or outside the wave energy converter, and the algae use the light from the lamps as a metabolic energy source to power the wave energy converter The method includes enabling growth in the enclosure, cavity, or vicinity of the converter, and enabling growth in the enclosure, cavity, or vicinity of the wave energy converter by fish or other marine organisms consuming the algae at least partially as a metabolic energy source, and the fish or other marine organisms being transported to a ship or other floating vessel, and the ship or other floating vessel transporting the fish and / or other marine organisms (or products or by-products generated therefrom, such as fishmeal, fish oil, etc.) to a land-based facility for processing and / or storage.

[0118] The scope of this disclosure includes, but is not limited to, the cultivation / farming and / or acquisition of all kinds of microalgae, macroalgae, fish, and crustaceans. Nevertheless, fish that do not feed on cultivated algae can obtain nutrients from, for example, plankton and phytoplankton in the water that is periodically introduced into the water reservoir 467 and injection tube 444 as a result of the action of waves. In addition to introducing potentially nutrient-rich water into the water reservoir 467 and injection tube 444 from outside the embodiment as a result of the action of waves, the embodiment also tends to move waste-containing and / or nutrient-depleted water out of the water reservoir 467 and injection tube 444 as a result of the same water cycle (i.e., water enters tube 444, from there enters the water reservoir 467, and then flows out of the water reservoir through the energy generating device 470).

[0119] The scope of this disclosure includes embodiments utilizing water reservoir lamps and / or inertial water tube lamps that emit light of any single wavelength, any range of wavelengths, and / or any combination of wavelengths or ranges.

[0120] The scope of this disclosure includes embodiments in which the lamp is mounted on the inner surface of the upper portion of the hollow chamber 442, i.e., within the air pocket 469. The scope of this disclosure also includes embodiments in which the lamp is mounted on the outer surface of the hollow chamber 442 and / or the injection tube 444, thereby promoting the growth of biological products and the establishment of communities of fish or other marine organisms outside but near the wave energy acquisition system 440.

[0121] In addition to the generation of biological energy products, energy products such as hydrogen gas can be produced by an electrolytic cell 476 on the wave energy acquisition system 440. The electrolytic cell 476 may be fluid-coupled to a water source such as water 472 in the chamber 443. The water 472 may be deionized, filtered, and / or purified by other means. The water 472 may be supplied to the wave energy acquisition system 440 as a precursor material. The energy generated by the wave energy acquisition system 440 may be consumed by the electrolytic cell 476 to convert the water into oxygen and hydrogen. The hydrogen gas can be stored in the internal volume 474 of the chamber 443, or in any other confined space associated with the wave energy acquisition system 440. The oxygen gas may be discharged into the atmosphere. After the hydrogen gas has been produced, the gas may be periodically collected (i.e., moved from or unloaded from the wave energy acquisition system 440) by an external vessel, ship, airship, submersible, drone, or any other vehicle.

[0122] Referring here to Figure 21, a side perspective view of a wave energy acquisition system 501 according to one embodiment is shown, which includes a conduit and a receiving port 520 and a coupling structure 522 for fluid coupling. In one embodiment, the wave energy acquisition system 501 may further include an integrated processing plant on a platform 530. The wave energy acquisition system 501 floats adjacent to the surface 505 of a body of water through which waves tend to pass. The wave energy acquisition system 501 includes a housing 502. In one embodiment, the housing 502 includes a buoyancy chamber 502a and a tube 502c coupled to the chamber 502a by an annular collar 502b. An opening 537 may be provided through the chamber 502a to allow water to exit the chamber 502a (for example, for energy generation purposes, navigation purposes, etc.).

[0123] In one embodiment, the receiving port 520 and coupling structure 522 may be similar to any of the receiving port and coupling structures described in detail herein. For example, the receiving port 520 and coupling structure 522 may be configured to receive a conduit assembly (neither of which are shown) attached to the conduit. In one embodiment, the receiving port 520 may be located above or below the water 505. Although a single receiving port 520 is shown, it should be understood that according to one embodiment, any number of receiving ports can be provided.

[0124] As described in other embodiments, the energy product 531 can be generated by converting wave energy into electricity. In some embodiments, the energy product 531 can be a gas or other fluid such as hydrogen gas. The energy product 531 may be stored in a first storage container 523. The wave energy acquisition system 501 is shown to have the first storage container 523 for the energy product 531 on a platform 530. However, other implementations may include a first storage container 523 that is integrated into a hollow chamber 502a, or located outside the wave energy acquisition system 501 (e.g., attached to the outer surface of the wave energy acquisition system 501 or otherwise coupled), or located in an approximate area of ​​the wave energy acquisition system 501 (e.g., on a second floating platform at least temporarily coupled to the wave energy acquisition system 501).

[0125] In one embodiment, the energy product 531 in the first storage container 523 can be used as a precursor for a chemical reaction. In an additional embodiment, a second precursor 532 may be stored in the second storage container 524. In the case of a chemical reaction that converts hydrogen gas to methanol, the second precursor 532 may contain CO2 or another carbon-containing source. The second precursor 532 may also be produced as an energy product on the wave energy acquisition system 501, or the second precursor 532 may be periodically replenished by a vessel or the like (for example, by using conduits similar to those in the embodiments described in more detail herein). The energy product 531 can flow from the first storage container 523 to the reactor 521 through pipe 527, and the second precursor 532 can flow from the second storage container 524 to the reactor 521 through pipe 526. The reacted product 533 (e.g., the second energy product) can flow through pipe 528 to the third storage container 525. The reacted product 533 may be periodically moved from the third storage container 525 for transport to an alternative location (e.g., another storage location or use facility, either on water 505 or on land). For example, the third storage container 525 may be fluidly coupled to the receiving port 520 to transfer the reacted product 533 by siphon. Although a simple reaction process is shown in Figure 21, it should be understood that the wave energy acquisition system 501 can carry out any suitable processes such as conversion, filtration, compression, reaction, and processing.

[0126] Referring here to Figure 22, a schematic side view of a vessel 680 that may be used to transport energy products from a wave energy acquisition system (not shown) to land (not shown). For example, vessel 680 may be similar to the second floating body 180 in Figure 1. Vessel 680 may include a first storage container 623 for storing energy products 631. Energy products 631 may be transported into the first storage container 623 from the wave energy acquisition system or from another vessel (not shown) that acquired the energy products 631 from the wave energy acquisition system using a conduit similar to one of the conduits described in detail herein. For example, energy products 631 may include hydrogen or any other energy products described in detail herein. Vessel 680 may also include a second storage container 624 for storing additional precursors 632. In the case of hydrogen to methanol conversion, the additional precursors 632 may include carbon (e.g., CO2). In one embodiment, the energy product 631 and precursor 632 flow into the reactor 621. The combined energy product 631 and precursor 632 may react within the reactor 621 to form a reacted product 633, which is transported to a third storage container 625. The reacted product 633 may be transported by the vessel 680 to an alternative storage or use facility (either on land or on water 605). A simple reaction process is shown in Figure 22, but it should be understood that the vessel 680 can carry out any appropriate processes such as transformation, filtration, compression, reaction, and treatment.

[0127] Referring here to Figure 23, a diagram is shown that provides a more detailed description of a reaction process that may be used to convert a first energy product to a second energy product according to one embodiment. The conversion shown in Figure 23 can be carried out on a wave energy acquisition system (e.g., similar to Figure 21), on a transport vessel (e.g., similar to Figure 22), partially on a wave energy acquisition system and partially on a transport vessel, or partially on a first transport vessel and partially on a second transport vessel. The embodiment shown in Figure 23 shows a detailed process for synthesizing methanol (CH3OH) from CO2 hydrogenation, by and / or through CO2 hydrogenation. In one embodiment, CO2 is stored in a CO2 tank 659 and H2 is stored in an H2 tank 658. One or both of CO2 and H2 may be energy products generated by the wave energy acquisition system. CO2 and H2 are pumped by pumps 691 and 692 and merged with a recirculation stream from a flash vessel 662 in a mixer 661. The mixed stream (of CO2 and H2 gases) is pumped into a catalytic reactor tank 663, where an exothermic reaction occurs, and the temperature and pressure can reach over 250°C and 65 bar, respectively. The post-reaction stream exits the catalytic reactor tank 663, passes through a heat exchanger 667, and then enters a flash vessel 662, where the temperature and pressure are approximately 30.0°C and 64.5 bar, respectively.

[0128] The streams of H2, CO, and CO2 from the flash vessel 662 are recirculated by pump 669 to the mixer 661 after purging a small amount of gas to further purify the stream. The liquid stream from the flash vessel 662 enters the heat exchanger 667 and is then pumped by pump 673 to the distillation column 671. The crude CH3OH stream entering the distillation column 671 may be at a temperature and pressure of 85°C and 1.3 bar, respectively. The final separation of CH3OH and water takes place within the distillation column 671. The gaseous CH3OH is pumped via compressor pump 678 to the methanol ballast sphere 655, where the CH3OH is cooled until it liquefies. The water extracted from the crude CH3OH aqueous solution is discharged from the bottom of the distillation column 671. Other processes for synthesizing methanol from CO2 and H2 are known in the prior art and can be used instead of those shown. Embodiments that utilize, incorporate, and / or include such other methanol synthesis processes and / or related mechanisms and equipment are included within the scope of this disclosure. Furthermore, while methanol synthesis is provided as an example, any conversion or reaction of any energy product using any suitable chemical reaction, process, treatment, filtration, etc., can be used.

[0129] Referring here to Figure 24, a side perspective view of a wave energy acquisition system 701 according to one embodiment is shown, including a receiving port 720 and a coupling structure 722 for fluid coupling with a conduit. In one embodiment, the wave energy acquisition system 701 may further include an integrated computing system 731 on a platform 730. The wave energy acquisition system 701 floats adjacent to the upper surface 705 of a body of water through which waves tend to pass. The wave energy acquisition system 701 includes a housing 702. In one embodiment, the housing 702 includes a buoyancy chamber 702a and a tube 702c coupled to the chamber 702a by an annular collar 702b. An opening 737 may be provided through the chamber 702a to allow water to exit the chamber 702a (for example, for energy generation purposes, navigation purposes, etc.).

[0130] In one embodiment, the receiving port 720 and coupling structure 722 may be similar to any of the receiving port and coupling structures described in detail herein. For example, the receiving port 720 and coupling structure 722 may be configured to receive a conduit assembly (neither of which is shown) attached to the conduit. In one embodiment, the receiving port 720 may be located above or below the water 705. Although a single receiving port 720 is shown, it should be understood that according to one embodiment, any number of receiving ports can be provided.

[0131] In one embodiment, the wave energy acquisition system 701 may include an integrated computing system 731 on the uppermost platform 730 of the wave energy acquisition system 701 shown, according to one embodiment. As described in other embodiments, energy products can be generated by converting wave energy into electricity. In some embodiments, the energy products can be gases or other fluids such as hydrogen gas. In some examples, the energy products may be stored in a chamber within the housing 702 or in a chamber outside the housing 702 (not shown).

[0132] In one embodiment, a platform 730 may be provided at the top of the buoyancy chamber 702a. The computing system 731 is provided on the platform 730 and may include an enclosure to protect its components from water and weather. Any number of computing systems (e.g., processors, graphics processors, etc.), memory, etc., can be housed within the enclosure. The computing system 731 may consist of multiple processing systems integrated with each other to perform complex computer processing operations. As described above, the computing system 731 may be optimized and / or configured to perform one or more of the following: data center hosting, blockchain mining implementation, ML or AI algorithm training, etc. The results of the computing work (e.g., blockchain coins or tokens, trained algorithms, data center capacity, etc.) may be transmitted to an external device via a wireless network through one or more antennas 732 or other wireless systems. As described above, the computing system may be powered by energy generated by the wave energy acquisition system 701 by converting wave energy into electricity, or by converting energy products stored in the chamber into electricity (e.g., by using a hydrogen fuel cell, etc.).

[0133] Referring now to Figure 25, a perspective view of a computing system 800, according to one embodiment, which can be integrated into a wave energy acquisition system as described in more detail herein. The computing system 800 may include an array of electronics, hardware, and / or software configured to control one or more aspects of a wave energy generating device. Although the components shown in Figure 25 are shown on a single substrate, it should be understood that the components may be on separate substrates, structures, etc. The computing system 800 may be housed in a watertight chamber or enclosure provided in the wave energy acquisition system.

[0134] The computing system 800 may include a computing device 810. The computing device 810 houses a substrate. The substrate may include, but is not limited to, a processor 801 and several other components. The processor 801 may include, but is not limited to, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), and the like. The processor 801 is physically and electrically coupled to the substrate. Other components of the computing device 810 include, but are not limited to, memory 802 or 803 such as volatile memory (e.g., DRAM), non-volatile memory (e.g., ROM), flash memory, and mass storage devices (e.g., hard disk drives, compact disks (CDs), digital versatile disks (DVDs), etc.). The computing device may include a communications chipset 804, a digital signal processor 805, a chipset 806, an antenna 807, and / or an input / output device 808.

[0135] The computing system 800 may include a communication device 820. The communication device 820 enables wireless communication for the transfer of data to and from the computing system 800. The term “wireless” and its derivatives can be used to describe circuits, devices, systems, methods, techniques, communication channels, etc., that can communicate data via the use of modulated electromagnetic radiation over a non-solid medium. The term does not mean that the device in question is wire-free, although in some embodiments it may be wire-free. The communication device 820 may implement any of several wireless standards or protocols, including, but not limited to, Wi-Fi (IEEE 802.11 family), WiMAX (IEEE 802.16 family), IEEE 802.20, long term evolution (LTE), Ev-DO, HSPA+, HSDPA+, HSUPA+, EDGE, GSM, GPRS, CDMA, TDMA, DECT, Bluetooth, their derivative standards or protocols, and any other wireless protocols designated as 3G, 4G, 5G, and later. The computing system 800 may include a plurality of communication devices 820. For example, a first communication device 820 may be dedicated to short-range wireless communication such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and a second communication device 820 may be dedicated to GPS, EDGE, GPRS, CDMA, WiMAX, LTE, Ev-DO and other long-range wireless communication. The communication devices 820 may be communicatively coupled to one or more antennas, dish-shaped satellite antennas, or other devices to broadcast and / or receive wireless communications. The antennas, etc., may be located outside the enclosure, or the antennas may be located inside the enclosure.

[0136] The computing system 800 may also include a server rack 830. The server rack 830 may include multiple processors with associated hardware and software. The server rack 830 can perform computing tasks to provide revenue-generating services. The server rack 830 may be powered via energy generated by a wave energy acquisition system as described in more detail herein. While a constant power supply may be desirable, the computing system 800 can still function with intermittent or transient power supplies provided by wave energy generation. To accommodate variable power supplies, the server rack 830 may include a controller that adjusts the clock speed of the processors. This allows for direct control of power consumption to match the available power. In some examples, the server rack 830 can perform data center operations or tasks. The server rack 830 can host and / or distribute content, or provide a link between consumers and centralized data storage. In some examples, the server rack 830 can perform services in conjunction with blockchain technologies, such as cryptocurrency mining. The server rack 830 can also perform services such as ML or AI training.

[0137] The computing system 800 may include a positioning system 840. The positioning system 840 may include one or more modules, components, and / or devices for determining the geographical location of the wave energy generating device. In some examples, the positioning system 840 may include a GPS, compass, accelerometer, gyroscope, etc. The positioning system 840 may include a processor and / or controller to enable the navigation of the wave energy generating device. For example, it may control actuators to steer or guide the wave energy generating device in a particular direction. Propulsion devices on the wave energy acquisition system (e.g., propellers, water jets, etc.) may also be powered and / or guided by components of the positioning system 840.

[0138] The computing system 800 may include a sensor module 860. The sensor module 860 may include a processor, memory, and associated hardware and software for controlling and / or recording data from one or more sensors that monitor various aspects of the wave energy acquisition system. The sensors may include, but are not limited to, pressure sensors, gas composition sensors, water level sensors, temperature sensors, fluid flow sensors, current sensors, power sensors, cameras, optical sensors, and the like. The physical sensors may be distributed throughout the wave energy acquisition system, and the control circuit configuration / software may be located in the sensor module 860 within the computing system 800.

[0139] The computing system 800 may include an interface module 850. The interface module 850 may include one or more components used to interface with a wave energy generating device. The interface module 850 may include one or more input devices. For example, a keyboard, mouse, touchscreen display, etc., may be provided in the interface module 850. Output devices such as a display screen, speaker, etc., may also be provided in the interface module 850. The interface module 850 may further include a camera, video camera, biometric screening device, etc.

[0140] The computing system 800 may include a battery module 870. The battery module 870 may include any type of battery. The battery may include a rechargeable battery such as a lithium-based battery (e.g., a lithium-ion battery). The battery in the battery module 870 may be charged by electricity generated by the wave energy acquisition system. The battery module 870 can be used as a power storage unit to supply power to one or more electrical components of the computing system 800, or to any other powered devices of the wave energy generating device. The battery module 870 can be used to normalize the power supply to the electrical components. For example, if the wave energy generating device supplies fluctuating power over time, the battery module can supply power to equalize the total power supply.

[0141] Referring here to Figure 26, a perspective view of a server rack 830 that can be integrated into a wave energy acquisition system as described in more detail herein is shown. As shown, the server rack 830 may include a plurality of server blades 835 mounted on a rack 832. The server blades 835 may be coupled to communicate with each other via the rack 832 and / or associated cabling to increase processing power. The server blades 835 may include, but are not limited to, processors such as a central processing unit (CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or field-programmable gate array (FPGA).

[0142] In some examples, the server rack 830 is communicatively coupled to an antenna 837 to enable wireless communication. The antenna 837 may include a dish-shaped parabolic antenna or any other antenna configuration. The ability to wirelessly transmit data from the server rack 830 makes it possible to remotely process data at a power source (e.g., at sea) while remaining useful to the end consumer. Data distribution, hosting, computing, etc., can be performed at a lower energy cost using such a wave energy generating device. Furthermore, the server rack 830 can be passively cooled by the body of water surrounding the wave energy generating device (e.g., the server rack 830 may be in a watertight enclosure immersed in water). In some examples, the server rack 830 functions as a cryptocurrency mining rig powered by energy produced by the wave energy acquisition system.

[0143] Figure 27 is a process flow diagram of a process 910 for generating energy products using a wave energy acquisition system and transporting the energy products to an alternative location, according to one embodiment. In one embodiment, process 910 can begin with operation 911, which includes converting wave energy into energy products using a wave energy acquisition system. The wave energy acquisition system may be any of the wave energy acquisition systems described in detail herein. The energy products may be any of the energy products described in detail herein. For example, the energy products may be liquid or gaseous fuels (e.g., hydrogen), chemicals (e.g., HCl), biological products (e.g., algae, fish, or any other marine species), etc. The energy products can be produced using any of the processes described herein. For example, the electricity generated by the wave energy acquisition system can be used to produce energy products.

[0144] In one embodiment, process 910 may be followed by operation 912, which includes transferring energy products from the wave energy acquisition system to a transport vessel through a conduit, including a conduit assembly configured to be temporarily fluidly coupled to the receiving port of the wave energy acquisition system. The conduit and conduit assembly may be similar to any of the conduits or conduit assemblies described in detail herein. The transport vessel may be similar to any vessel described herein. For example, the transport vessel may include a boat, a submersible, an aircraft vehicle, or any other vessel capable of controlled movement over, through, and / or above the body of water on which the wave energy acquisition system is floating. The energy products may be delivered to or transported (actively or passively) to the transport vessel via any mechanism such as hoses, pipes, or cables.

[0145] In one embodiment, process 910 may be followed by operation 913, which includes transporting the energy products to a storage facility or power plant using a transport vessel. The storage facility or power plant may be located at a location different from the approximate location of the wave energy acquisition system. In one embodiment, the location is on land. However, in other embodiments, the location is near land (e.g., up to 100 kilometers from land, up to 40 kilometers from land, up to 1 kilometer from land, up to 500 meters from land, or up to 50 meters from land). In other embodiments, the storage facility may be a second vessel. For example, a first vessel may take in energy products from the wave energy acquisition system and deliver them to a second vessel. The second vessel may then transport the energy products toward the shore.

[0146] Figure 28 is a process flow diagram of process 920 for converting a first energy product into a second energy product and transporting the second energy product to a storage facility or power plant. In one embodiment, process 920 can begin with operation 921, which includes converting wave energy into a first energy product using a wave energy acquisition system. The wave energy acquisition system may be any of the wave energy acquisition systems described in detail herein. The first energy product may be any of the energy products described in detail herein. For example, the energy product may be a liquid or gaseous fuel (e.g., hydrogen), a chemical (e.g., HCl), a biological product (e.g., algae, fish, or any other marine species), etc. The first energy product can be produced using any of the processes described herein. For example, the electricity generated by the wave energy acquisition system can be used to produce the energy product.

[0147] In one embodiment, process 920 may be followed by operation 922, which includes converting a first energy product to a second energy product via one or more processes on the wave energy acquisition system. The conversion of the first energy product to the second energy product may include converting one type of fuel or chemical substance to another. In one embodiment, the first energy product may include hydrogen, and the second energy product may include methanol. To produce the second energy product, an additional precursor (e.g., CO2) may be reacted with the first energy product. For example, in some embodiments, a process similar to the process described with respect to Figure 23 may be used. Other conversion processes may also be used, but are not limited to filtration, compression (e.g., from gas to liquid), purification, etc. The conversion may also include processing biological products. For example, algae may be processed into algal oil, or fish may be processed into fish oil. The conversion process may be carried out on or near the wave energy acquisition system. For example, a processing plant may be provided on the wave energy acquisition system, as shown in Figure 21.

[0148] In one embodiment, process 920 may be followed by operation 923, which includes moving a second energy product from the wave energy acquisition system to a transport vessel through a conduit, which includes a conduit assembly configured to be temporarily fluidly coupled to the receiving port of the wave energy acquisition system. The conduit and conduit assembly may be similar to any of the conduits or conduit assemblies described in more detail herein. The transport vessel may be similar to any vessel described herein. For example, the transport vessel may include a boat, a submersible, an aircraft vehicle, or any other vessel capable of controlled movement over, through, and / or above the body of water on which the wave energy acquisition system is floating. The second energy product may be delivered or moved (actively or passively) to the transport vessel via any mechanism such as a hose, pipe, or cable.

[0149] In one embodiment, process 920 may be followed by operation 924, which includes delivering the second energy product to a storage facility or power plant using a transport vessel. The storage facility or power plant may be located at a location different from the approximate location of the wave energy acquisition system. In one embodiment, the location is on land. However, in other embodiments, the location is near land (e.g., up to 100 kilometers from land, up to 40 kilometers from land, up to 1 kilometer from land, up to 500 meters from land, or up to 50 meters from land). In other embodiments, the storage facility may be a second vessel. For example, a first vessel may take in the second energy product from the wave energy acquisition system and deliver it to a second vessel. The second vessel may then transport the second energy product toward the shore.

[0150] Figure 29 is a process flow diagram of process 930 for converting a first energy product into a second energy product and transporting the second energy product to a storage facility or power plant. In one embodiment, process 930 can begin with operation 931, which includes converting wave energy into a first energy product using a wave energy acquisition system. The wave energy acquisition system may be any of the wave energy acquisition systems described in detail herein. The first energy product may be any of the energy products described in detail herein. For example, the energy product may be a liquid or gaseous fuel (e.g., hydrogen), a chemical (e.g., HCl), a biological product (e.g., algae, fish, or any other marine species), etc. The first energy product can be produced using any of the processes described herein. For example, the electricity generated by the wave energy acquisition system can be used to produce the energy product.

[0151] In one embodiment, process 930 may be followed by operation 932, which includes transferring a first energy product from the wave energy acquisition system to a transport vessel through a conduit, which includes a conduit assembly configured to be temporarily fluidly coupled to the receiving port of the wave energy acquisition system. The conduit and conduit assembly may be similar to any of the conduits or conduit assemblies described in more detail herein. The transport vessel may be similar to any vessel described herein. For example, the transport vessel may include a boat, a submersible, an aircraft vehicle, or any other vessel capable of controlled movement over, through, or above the body of water on which the wave energy acquisition system is floating. The first energy product may be delivered or transported (actively or passively) to the transport vessel via any mechanism such as a hose, pipe, or cable.

[0152] In one embodiment, process 930 may be followed by operation 933, which includes converting a first energy product to a second energy product via one or more processes on a transport vessel. The conversion of the first energy product to the second energy product may include converting one type of fuel or chemical to another. In one embodiment, the first energy product may include hydrogen, and the second energy product may include methanol. To produce the second energy product, an additional precursor (e.g., CO2) may be reacted with the first energy product. For example, in some embodiments, a process similar to the process described with respect to Figure 23 may be used. Other conversion processes may also be used, but are not limited to filtration, compression (e.g., from gas to liquid), purification, etc. The conversion may also include processing biological products. For example, algae may be processed into algal oil, or fish may be processed into fish oil. The conversion process may be carried out on or near a transport vessel. For example, a processing plant may be provided on the transport vessel, as shown in Figure 22.

[0153] In one embodiment, process 930 may be followed by operation 934, which includes delivering the second energy product to a storage facility or power plant using a transport vessel. The storage facility or power plant may be located at a location different from the approximate location of the wave energy acquisition system. In one embodiment, the location is on land. However, in other embodiments, the location is near land (e.g., up to 100 kilometers from land, up to 40 kilometers from land, up to 1 kilometer from land, up to 500 meters from land, or up to 50 meters from land). In other embodiments, the storage facility may be a second vessel. For example, a first vessel may take in energy products from the wave energy acquisition system and deliver them to a second vessel. The second vessel may then transport the energy products toward the shore.

[0154] Figure 30 is a process flow diagram of process 940 for transferring hydrogen from a floating body to a floating storage vessel. In one embodiment, process 940 can begin with operation 941, which includes fluid coupling the floating storage vessel to the floating body with the apparatus. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a conduit having a first end and a second end, the second end being opposite the first end. The second end can be coupled to the floating storage vessel, and the conduit assembly can be coupled to the first end of the conduit. In one embodiment, the conduit assembly may be similar to any of the conduit assemblies described in more detail herein. For example, the conduit assembly may include a plurality of nozzles for discharging one or more fluid streams to lead the conduit assembly to or from the receiving port of the floating body. The conduit assembly may also include an internal passage for fluid coupling the floating storage vessel to the receiving port of the floating body. That is, the internal passage runs along the conduit and can extend through the conduit assembly.

[0155] In one embodiment, process 940 may be followed by operation 942, which includes transferring hydrogen gas from the receiving port of the float to the floating storage vessel via the apparatus. While embodiments of process 940 may be targeted at the transfer of hydrogen, other gases and / or liquids can be transferred along the apparatus between the float and the floating storage vessel. Additionally, the apparatus may be provided with multiple internal passages for transferring multiple different fluids between the float and the floating storage vessel. For example, water can be delivered to the float (from the floating storage vessel) via a first internal passage, and hydrogen can be delivered to the floating storage vessel (from the float) via a second internal passage. In some embodiments, the second internal passage may surround the second internal passage coaxially.

[0156] This specification and the drawings should be considered illustrative rather than restrictive. However, it will be apparent that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as described in the claims.

[0157] Other variations are also within the spirit of this disclosure. Therefore, while various modifications and alternative structures are possible with respect to the disclosed techniques, the specific exemplary embodiments are shown in the drawings and described in detail above. However, it should be understood that the invention is not intended to be limited to the specific forms disclosed, but rather to encompass all modifications, alternative structures, and equivalents that fall within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

[0158] The use of “a” and “an” and “the” and similar demonstrative pronouns in the context of describing the disclosed embodiments (particularly in the context of the following claims) should be interpreted as encompassing both singular and plural forms unless otherwise indicated herein or unless the context clearly contradicts this. Similarly, the use of the term “or” should be interpreted as meaning “and / or” unless explicitly or contextually contradicted. The terms “comprising,” “having,” “including,” and “containing” should be interpreted as open-ended terms (i.e., “including, but not limited to”) unless otherwise indicated. The term “connected,” when unmodified and referring to a physical connection, should be interpreted as being partially or entirely included in, attached to, or joined together, even if there is something intervening. The descriptions of value ranges herein are merely intended as a concise way of referring individually to each individual value within that range unless otherwise indicated herein, and each individual value is incorporated herein as if it were individually described herein. Unless otherwise specified or inconsistent with the context, the use of the terms “set” (e.g., “set of items”) or “subset” should be interpreted as a non-empty set containing one or more members. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified or inconsistent with the context, the term “subset” of a corresponding set does not necessarily refer to a suitable subset of the corresponding set, and a subset and a corresponding set may be equivalent. The use of the phrase “based on” means “at least partially based” and is not limited to “based only on” unless otherwise specified or inconsistent with the context.

[0159] Unless otherwise specified or unless clearly inconsistent with the context, conjunctive language such as phrases of the form "at least one of A, B, and C" or "at least one of A, B, and C" (i.e., the same phrase with or without an Oxford comma) is generally understood to indicate, within the context in which it is used, that an item, term, etc., may be A or B or C, any non-empty subset of the set A, B, and C, or any set that contains at least one A, at least one B, or at least one C, and is not inconsistent with the context or otherwise excluded. For example, in the exemplary example of a set with three members, the conjunctive phrases "at least one of A, B, and C" and "at least one of A, B, and C" refer to any of the following sets: {A}, {B}, {C}, {A,B}, {A,C}, {B,C}, {A,B,C}, and, where explicitly or inconsistent with the context, any set having {A}, {B}, and / or {C} as subsets (e.g., a set having multiple "A"s). Therefore, such collocations are not generally intended to mean that a particular embodiment requires the presence of at least one A, at least one B, and at least one C. Similarly, phrases such as “at least one of A, B, or C” and “at least one of A, B, or C” refer to the same thing as “at least one of A, B, and C,” where “at least one of A, B, and C” refers to any of the following sets unless a different meaning is explicitly stated or evident from the context: {A}, {B}, {C}, {A,B}, {A,C}, {B,C}, {A,B,C}. Also, unless specifically stated or contradicted in the context, the term “plural” indicates a state of being multiple (e.g., “a plurality of items” refers to multiple items). The number of multiple items is at least two, but may be more if explicitly stated or indicated by the context.

[0160] The operation of the processes described herein may be performed in any suitable order, unless otherwise indicated herein or unless it is clearly inconsistent with the context. In one embodiment, such processes (or their variations and / or combinations) described herein are executed under the control of one or more computer systems consisting of executable instructions and are implemented by hardware or a combination thereof as code (e.g., executable instructions, one or more computer programs, or one or more applications) collectively implemented on one or more processors. In one embodiment, the code is stored in a computer-readable storage medium in the form of a computer program containing, for example, a number of instructions executable by one or more processors. In one embodiment, the computer-readable storage medium is a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium that excludes temporary signals (e.g., the propagation of temporary electrical or electromagnetic transmissions) but includes non-temporary data storage circuit configurations (e.g., buffers, caches, and queues) within a transceiver for temporary signals. In one embodiment, code (e.g., executable code or source code) is stored in one or more non-temporary computer-readable storage media containing executable instructions that cause the computer system to perform the operations described herein when executed by one or more processors of the computer system (i.e., as a result of execution). In one embodiment, the set of non-temporary computer-readable storage media includes a plurality of non-temporary computer-readable storage media, where one or more individual non-temporary storage media lack all of the code, and the plurality of non-temporary computer-readable storage media collectively store all of the code. In one embodiment, the executable instructions are executed such that different instructions are executed by different processors, for example, in one embodiment, a non-temporary computer-readable storage medium stores the instructions, the main CPU executes some of the instructions, while a graphics processor unit executes others. In another embodiment, different components of the computer system have separate processors, and different processors execute different subsets of instructions.

[0161] Accordingly, in one embodiment, the computer system is configured to implement one or more services that perform the operations of the processes described herein individually or collectively, and such a computer system consists of applicable hardware and / or software that enables the performance of the operations. Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present disclosure, the computer system is a single device, and in another embodiment, it is a distributed computer system comprising multiple devices that perform different operations, such that a single device does not perform all the operations, and the distributed computer system performs the operations described herein.

[0162] Any examples or illustrative expressions provided herein (e.g., "such as") are intended solely to better illustrate embodiments of the invention and, unless otherwise claimed, do not limit the scope of the claims. No language herein should be construed as indicating that non-claimed elements are essential for the practice of the invention.

[0163] Embodiments of the present disclosure, including the best mode known to the inventors for carrying out the present invention, are described herein. Variations of these embodiments may become apparent to those skilled in the art by reading the foregoing description. The inventors expect that those skilled in the art will appropriately use such variations, and they intend that the embodiments of the present disclosure will be carried out in ways other than those specifically described herein. Accordingly, the scope of the present disclosure includes all modifications and equivalents of the subject matter enumerated in the claims appended herein, as permitted by applicable law. Furthermore, any combination of the elements described above in all possible variations thereof is included in the scope of the present disclosure unless otherwise indicated herein or unless it is clearly inconsistent with the context.

[0164] All references cited herein, including publications, patent applications, and patents, are incorporated herein by reference to the same extent as if each reference were included herein in whole, as if it were shown to be incorporated individually and specifically. [Examples]

[0165] A device for fluid coupling to a floating body, comprising: a conduit having a first end and a second end, the second end being on the opposite side of the first end and the second end being for coupling to a floating storage vessel; a conduit assembly coupled to the first end of the conduit, comprising a plurality of nozzles for discharging one or more fluid streams to guide the conduit assembly to or from a receiving port of a floating body; and an internal passage for fluid coupling the floating storage vessel to a receiving port of a floating body, the internal passage extending along the conduit through the conduit assembly. [Examples]

[0166] The apparatus according to Embodiment 1, comprising a first set of nozzles oriented to propel a conduit assembly along a first direction, a second set of nozzles oriented to propel a conduit assembly along a second direction opposite to the first direction, and a third set of nozzles oriented to propel a conduit assembly along a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions. [Examples]

[0167] The apparatus according to Embodiment 1 or Embodiment 2, wherein one or more of the multiple nozzles are configured to actuate to control a corresponding one of the one or more fluid streams. [Examples]

[0168] The apparatus according to Examples 1 to 3, wherein the internal passage includes a first internal fluid passage and a second internal fluid passage coaxial with the first internal fluid passage. [Examples]

[0169] The apparatus according to Example 4, wherein a first internal fluid passage is configured to supply energy product precursors from a floating storage vessel to a floating body receiving port, and a second internal fluid passage is configured to transfer the energy products from the floating body receiving port to the floating storage vessel by siphon. [Examples]

[0170] The apparatus according to Example 5, wherein the energy product precursor is deionized water and the energy product is hydrogen gas. [Examples]

[0171] The apparatus according to Examples 4 to 6, wherein the internal passage further comprises a third internal fluid passage coaxially surrounding the first internal fluid passage and the second internal fluid passage, and the third internal fluid passage is configured to supply fluid to a plurality of nozzles. [Examples]

[0172] The apparatus according to Examples 1 to 7, further comprising an intermediate lifting assembly interposed along the conduit between a first end and a second end of the conduit. [Examples]

[0173] The apparatus according to Embodiment 8, wherein the intermediate lifting assembly is configured to discharge one or more auxiliary fluid streams to support the suspension of the conduit in the surrounding environment. [Examples]

[0174] The apparatus according to Examples 1 to 9, further comprising an intermediate pump assembly interposed along a conduit between a first end and a second end of the conduit, and configured to pump fluid to a plurality of nozzles. [Examples]

[0175] A method for forming a storage hydrogen gas or chemical substance, comprising fluidly coupling a floating storage vessel to a floating body by an apparatus, the apparatus comprising: a conduit having a first end and a second end, the second end being opposite to the first end and the second end being coupled to a floating storage vessel; a conduit assembly coupled to the first end of the conduit, comprising a plurality of nozzles for discharging one or more fluid streams to or from an acceptance port of the floating body and the conduit assembly; an internal passage for fluidly coupling the floating storage vessel to an acceptance port of the floating body, the internal passage extending along the conduit through the conduit assembly; and transferring hydrogen gas from an acceptance port of the floating body to the floating storage vessel via the apparatus. [Examples]

[0176] The method according to Example 11, wherein the floating body is a wave engine, and the method further comprises forming hydrogen gas within the wave engine by electrolyzing water with energy generated by the wave engine. [Examples]

[0177] The method according to Example 12, further comprising supplying water to the wave engine using the apparatus to replenish the water used to form hydrogen gas. [Examples]

[0178] The method according to Examples 11 to 13, further comprising storing hydrogen gas on a floating storage vessel to form storage hydrogen gas. [Examples]

[0179] The method according to Examples 11 to 14, further comprising forming a chemical substance from hydrogen gas. [Examples]

[0180] Wave engine comprising: an upper chamber having a fluid reservoir and a storage tank; an injection tube fluid-coupled to the upper chamber, which, when the upper chamber and the injection tube vibrate around the waterline with the upper chamber adjacent to the waterline and the injection tube below the waterline, pushes fluid into the fluid reservoir; and an receiving port outside the upper chamber, which is fluid-coupled to the storage tank of the upper chamber, and the receiving port includes a first passage fluid-coupled to the lower part of the storage tank, and a second passage fluid-coupled to the upper part of the storage tank. [Examples]

[0181] The wave engine according to Embodiment 16, wherein the second passage coaxially surrounds the first passage. [Examples]

[0182] A wave engine according to Example 16 or Example 17, wherein the receiving port is located outside the upper chamber at a position above the waterline. [Examples]

[0183] A wave engine according to Example 16 or Example 17, wherein the receiving port is located outside the upper chamber at a position below the waterline. [Examples]

[0184] Wave engines as described in Examples 16 to 19, wherein the storage tank is for storing hydrogen gas. [Examples]

[0185] Apparatus comprising a conduit and conduit assembly, wherein the conduit assembly is located at the distal end of the conduit and the conduit assembly is configured to mechanically couple a first floating body to a second floating body semi-autonomously or autonomously, the conduit assembly comprising one or more fluid nozzles, the one or more fluid nozzles being configured to discharge one or more fluid streams, which are timed and angled to guide the conduit assembly to the receiving port of the second floating body and to mechanically and fluidly couple the conduit assembly to the receiving port. [Examples]

[0186] A method comprising: directing a conduit assembly to an acceptance port by releasing one or more fluid streams from the conduit assembly; and fluid coupling the internal passage of the conduit assembly to the acceptance port. [Examples]

[0187] The method according to Example 22, further comprising removing the conduit assembly from the receiving port so that the internal passage is no longer fluidly coupled to the receiving port. [Examples]

[0188] The method according to Example 23, wherein removing the conduit assembly from the receiving port includes releasing one or more additional fluid streams from the conduit assembly. [Examples]

[0189] The method according to Example 24, wherein one or more fluid streams are generated by acting one or more first fluid nozzles of a conduit assembly to guide a first fluid flow in a first direction, and one or more additional fluid streams are generated by acting one or more second fluid nozzles to guide a second fluid flow in a second direction opposite to the first direction. [Examples]

[0190] The method according to Examples 22 to 25, wherein guiding a conduit assembly to an acceptance port involves adjusting one or more of the thrust of at least one of the fluid streams, the timing of at least one of the fluid streams, the duration of at least one of the fluid streams, or the angle of at least one of the fluid streams. [Examples]

[0191] The method according to Example 26, wherein adjusting the thrust of at least one fluid stream includes adjusting the thrust to a first value in response to at least one fluid stream being released above the water surface of a body of water, and adjusting the thrust to a second value less than the first value in response to at least one fluid stream being released below the water surface of a body of water. [Examples]

[0192] The method according to Examples 22 to 27, wherein the internal passage includes a first passage and a second passage coaxial with the first passage, and the method further includes supplying a first fluid to an receiving port through the first passage and transferring a second fluid from the receiving port via the second passage using a siphon. [Examples]

[0193] The method according to Examples 22 to 38, comprising: guiding a conduit assembly to an acceptance port by releasing one or more fluid streams; receiving instructions from a remote land controller to fluidize a conduit assembly to an acceptance port by releasing one or more fluid streams; and guiding the conduit assembly to an acceptance port in accordance with the received instructions. [Examples]

[0194] A system comprising: a first floating body including an acceptance port; a second floating body including a conduit with an internal passage configured to be fluidly coupled to the acceptance port; and a second floating body comprising a conduit assembly located at the distal end of the conduit, the conduit assembly comprising one or more fluid nozzles, each of which is configured to discharge one or more fluid streams that propel the conduit assembly through the surrounding environment so as to remotely guide the conduit assembly to the acceptance port. [Examples]

[0195] The system according to Example 30, wherein the first floating body further comprises a coupling structure having a recessed receiving port, the coupling structure being configured to receive a conduit assembly internally. [Examples]

[0196] The system according to Example 30 or Example 31, wherein the first floating body further comprises a receiving projection, and a receiving port is located at the distal end of the receiving projection, and includes a recess configured such that a conduit assembly receives the receiving projection internally. [Examples]

[0197] The system according to Examples 30 to 32, wherein the first floating body further comprises one or more guide lights distributed in a ring shape over the receiving port. [Examples]

[0198] The system according to Examples 30 to 33, further comprising a second floating body, an intermediate lifting assembly interposed along the conduit between the proximal and distal ends of the conduit, wherein the intermediate lifting assembly is configured to discharge an auxiliary fluid stream to support the suspension of the conduit in the surrounding environment. [Examples]

[0199] The system according to Examples 30 to 34, further comprising a second floating body, an intermediate pump assembly interposed along the conduit between the proximal and distal ends of the conduit, wherein the intermediate pump assembly includes a fluid pump configured to guide fluid along the conduit, from which the fluid is discharged as one or more fluid streams, and one or more propellers configured to support the suspension of the intermediate pump assembly in the ambient environment. [Examples]

[0200] The system according to Examples 30 to 35, wherein the first floating body further comprises one or more first coupling elements distributed in an annular manner on the receiving port, and the second floating body further comprises one or more second coupling elements distributed in an annular manner on the conduit assembly, wherein one or more second coupling elements are configured to reversibly engage with one or more first coupling elements, and the internal passage is configured to be fluidly coupled to the receiving port by engaging one or more second coupling elements with one or more first coupling elements. [Examples]

[0201] The system according to Embodiment 36, wherein one or more first coupling elements and one or more second coupling elements are reversibly engageable via a mechanical latch mechanism. [Examples]

[0202] The system according to Examples 30 to 37, wherein the first floating body further comprises one or more electromagnets that are operable to reversibly couple to a receiving port via magnetic attraction. [Examples]

[0203] The system according to Examples 30 to 38, further comprising one or more hydrophones configured to send and receive audio signals that determine the location of the receiving port. [Examples]

[0204] The system according to Examples 30 to 39, wherein the conduit assembly further comprises one or more cameras configured to receive images that determine the location of the receiving port. [Examples]

[0205] The system according to Examples 30 to 40, wherein one or more processors store in non-temporary memory executable instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause one or more fluid nozzles to selectively actuate one or more fluid streams to discharge at least one of one or more fluid streams, thereby fluid-coupled the conduit assembly to the acceptance port, and the executable instructions for fluid-coupled the conduit assembly to the acceptance port are transmitted from a remote land-based controller to the non-temporary memory when the first and second floating bodies are floating on the surface of the water body. [Examples]

[0206] A watercraft comprising: a plurality of storage tanks including a first storage tank and a second storage tank; a water pump; a conduit comprising a first fluid passage fluid-coupled to the first storage tank, a second fluid passage fluid-coupled to the second storage tank, and a third fluid passage fluid-coupled to the water pump; a conduit assembly coupled to the distal end of the conduit comprising a plurality of jet nozzles fluid-coupled to the third fluid passage, the plurality of jet nozzles configured to discharge a plurality of water streams; and a processor, which, when performed by the processor, selectively activates at least one of the plurality of jet nozzles to discharge at least one of the plurality of water streams to the watercraft. A watercraft including a processor that stores executable instructions in non-temporary memory to guide the conduit assembly to the receiving port of the wave engine so as to receive instructions from a land-based controller guide the conduit assembly to receive instructions from a land-based controller to receive instructions from a land-based controller to guide the conduit assembly to a receiving port of the wave engine so as to receive instructions from a land-based controller to guide the conduit assembly to a receiving port of the wave engine so as to receive instructions from a land-based controller to guide the conduit assembly to a receiving port of the wave engine so as to receive instructions from a land-based controller to guide the conduit assembly to a receiving port of the wave engine so as to receive instructions from a land-based controller to guide the conduit assembly

Claims

1. A device for fluid coupling to a floating object, A conduit having a first end and a second end, wherein the second end is on the opposite side of the first end, and the second end is for coupling to a floating storage vessel, A conduit assembly coupled to the first end of the conduit, comprising a plurality of nozzles for discharging one or more fluid streams to guide the conduit assembly to or from the receiving port of the floating body, An internal passage for fluidly coupling the floating storage vessel to the receiving port of the floating body, the internal passage extending along the conduit through the conduit assembly and A device including a device.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of nozzles include a first set of nozzles oriented to propel the conduit assembly along a first direction, a second set of nozzles oriented to propel the conduit assembly along a second direction opposite to the first direction, and a third set of nozzles oriented to propel the conduit assembly along a third direction perpendicular to the first and second directions.

3. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one or more of the plurality of nozzles are configured to actuate to control a corresponding one of the one or more fluid streams.

4. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the internal passage includes a first internal fluid passage and a second internal fluid passage coaxial with the first internal fluid passage.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the first internal fluid passage is configured to supply energy product precursors from the floating storage vessel to the receiving port of the floating body, and the second internal fluid passage is configured to transfer the energy products from the receiving port of the floating body to the floating storage vessel by siphon.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the energy product precursor is deionized water and the energy product is hydrogen gas.

7. The apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the internal passage further comprises a third internal fluid passage coaxially surrounding the first internal fluid passage and the second internal fluid passage, and the third internal fluid passage is configured to supply fluid to the plurality of nozzles.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an intermediate lifting assembly interposed along the conduit between the first end and the second end of the conduit.

9. The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the intermediate lifting assembly is configured to discharge one or more auxiliary fluid streams to support the suspension of the conduit in the surrounding environment.

10. An intermediate pump assembly interposed along the conduit between the first end and the second end of the conduit, further comprising an intermediate pump assembly configured to pump fluid to the plurality of nozzles, The apparatus according to claim 1.

11. A method for forming storage hydrogen gas or chemical substances, Fluid coupling of a floating storage vessel to a floating body by a device, the device comprising: a conduit having a first end and a second end, the second end being opposite to the first end and the second end being coupled to the floating storage vessel; a conduit assembly coupled to the first end of the conduit, comprising a plurality of nozzles for discharging one or more fluid streams to or from the receiving port of the floating body; and an internal passage for fluid coupling the floating storage vessel to the receiving port of the floating body, the internal passage extending along the conduit through the conduit assembly; Transferring hydrogen gas from the receiving port of the floating body to the floating storage vessel via the aforementioned device. Methods that include...

12. The floating body is a wave engine, and the method is The method according to claim 11, further comprising forming the hydrogen gas in the wave engine by electrolyzing water with the energy generated by the wave engine.

13. The apparatus further includes supplying water to the wave engine using the apparatus to replenish the water used to form the hydrogen gas, The method according to claim 12.

14. The invention further includes storing the hydrogen gas on the floating storage vessel in order to form the storage hydrogen gas. The method according to claim 11.

15. Further comprising forming a chemical substance from the hydrogen gas, The method according to claim 11.

16. It is a wave engine, An upper chamber having a fluid reservoir and a storage tank, An injection tube fluidly coupled to the upper chamber, wherein when the upper chamber is adjacent to the waterline and the injection tube is below the waterline, and the upper chamber and the injection tube vibrate around the waterline, the injection tube promotes fluid into the fluid reservoir. An receiving port on the outside of the upper chamber, which is fluid-coupled to the storage tank of the upper chamber, and the receiving port includes a first passage fluid-coupled to the lower portion of the storage tank, and the receiving port includes a second passage fluid-coupled to the upper portion of the storage tank. A wave engine, including one.

17. The wave engine according to claim 16, wherein the second passage coaxially surrounds the first passage.

18. The wave engine according to claim 16, wherein the receiving port is located above the waterline and on the outside of the upper chamber.

19. The wave engine according to claim 16, wherein the receiving port is located below the waterline and on the outside of the upper chamber.

20. The wave engine according to claim 16, wherein the storage tank is for storing hydrogen gas.

21. A conduit and conduit assembly, wherein the conduit assembly is positioned at the distal end of the conduit and is configured to mechanically couple a first floating body to a second floating body semi-autonomously or autonomously, and the conduit assembly includes one or more fluid nozzles, the one or more fluid nozzles being configured to discharge one or more fluid streams, which are timed and angled to guide the conduit assembly to the receiving port of the second floating body and to mechanically and fluidly couple the conduit assembly to the receiving port, Device.

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