Offshore Wave Energy Converter Tether Deployment Mechanism
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wave energy conversion systems require high-pressure pipelines connecting to shore, incurring significant costs and posing operational risks due to pressure losses.
Innovation Solution
A wave energy conversion system featuring a buoyant structure responsive to wave motion, a pump, and a tether that moves into engagement with a fixture below the unit, allowing energy conversion to pressurized fluid without the need for shore-based connections, with deployable and recoverable components for site installation and retrieval.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If high-pressure pipelines are used to connect the wave energy conversion system to shore, then the system can transmit pressurized fluid to shore-based processing facilities, but the installation cost increases significantly and operational reliability decreases due to pressure losses
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts the wave energy conversion system from its traditional shore-connected configuration and relocates it to an offshore floating platform. The pressurized fluid generation and storage are performed on the floating platform itself, eliminating the need for high-pressure pipelines to shore. This extraction of the core functionality from the shore-based infrastructure resolves the contradiction by removing the source of reliability issues (pressure losses in pipelines) while reducing overall system complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a floating platform as an intermediary between the wave energy conversion system and shore-based facilities. This floating platform serves as a mobile base that can be positioned optimally in wave zones and provides on-site pressurized fluid storage and processing capabilities. The intermediary floating platform eliminates the need for direct high-pressure pipeline connections, thereby improving reliability while reducing the complexity of fixed infrastructure installations.
2Device complexity
If the wave energy conversion system is deployed offshore without shore connections, then pipeline costs and operational risks are eliminated, but the system requires self-contained pressurized fluid storage and handling capabilities
Solution Approach 1:
The invention merges multiple functions into the floating platform: wave energy conversion, pressurized fluid generation, fluid storage, and processing capabilities are all integrated into a single self-contained offshore unit. This consolidation eliminates the need for separate pipeline infrastructure while making the system manufacturable as a modular floating platform that can be assembled and deployed as an integrated unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The floating platform is designed with multi-functionality to handle various operations: converting wave energy to mechanical motion, driving pumps to generate pressurized fluid, storing the pressurized fluid in onboard tanks, and providing processing capabilities such as desalination. This universal design allows the single floating platform to perform all necessary functions without requiring external pipeline connections, thereby reducing infrastructure complexity while maintaining ease of manufacture through modular standardization.
3Use of energy by moving object
If the buoyant structure is made responsive to wave motion for energy conversion, then wave energy can be harnessed effectively, but the system requires complex tether and fixture mechanisms for controlled deployment and recovery
Solution Approach 1:
The invention employs dynamic tether mechanisms that can transition between deployed and retracted states. The tethers are designed to be payable out from the floating platform during deployment and can be retracted during recovery operations. This dynamic configuration allows the buoyant structure to respond freely to wave motion for efficient energy conversion while providing controlled deployment and recovery capabilities through the movable tether system, rather than requiring fixed complex mechanical fixtures.
Solution Approach 2:
The tether system parameters (length, tension, configuration) are changed dynamically during deployment and recovery operations. The tethers can be extended to allow the floating platform to move to optimal wave energy zones and retracted when recovery is needed. This parameter change approach simplifies the deployment mechanism compared to fixed fixture systems, as it relies on controlled payload-out of the tether rather than complex mechanical engagement structures.
Data Source
AI summary
A wave energy conversion system for harnessing wave energy in a body of water and converting the harnessed wave energy to pressurized fluid, and also a method of deploying such a wave energy conversion system. The wave energy conversion system comprises a unit including a buoyant structure responsive to wave motion, at least one pump and at least one tether adapted to be operably connected between the pump and a fixture below the unit, whereby movement of the buoyant structure relative to the fixture in response to wave motion converts harnessed energy to pressurized fluid. The unit is adapted to be deployed by moving the tether into coupling engagement with the fixture upon actuation of the pump in a manner causing movement of the tether into engagement with the fixture.