Wave Power Apparatus Eliminates Friction and Barnacles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing wave power generating installations face energy loss due to friction from seawater flowing through openings and accumulation of barnacles and scales, which obstruct the movement of float bodies, reducing efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A sea wave power generating apparatus with a floating panel that oscillates within a frame, utilizing a level controlling device to maintain submersion under varying water levels and a power generating device with a rack and pinion mechanism to convert kinetic energy into electricity, eliminating friction losses and barnacle accumulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If seawater flows through openings and walls of the chamber, then the wave energy can enter the chamber, but friction loss occurs reducing the output energy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the chamber structure with openings and walls that cause friction loss. Instead of using a chamber, the invention employs a float body that moves reciprocally within the chamber, allowing wave energy to be captured without the harmful friction effects of water flowing through openings and along walls.
Solution Approach 2:
The float body acts as an intermediary element between the incoming waves and the power generation mechanism. It transfers the wave energy through reciprocative motion without requiring water to flow through restrictive openings, thereby eliminating friction loss while maintaining energy transfer efficiency.
2Reliability
If barnacles and organisms accumulate in the aperture, then the float body movement is obstructed, but the aperture is necessary for wave energy entry
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the aperture structure that is susceptible to barnacle accumulation. By removing the traditional chamber opening and instead using a float body that moves within the chamber, the design eliminates the narrow passages where barnacles and organisms would accumulate and obstruct movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The float body design allows for easy maintenance and cleaning. The reciprocative movement mechanism can be accessed and maintained without disassembling complex aperture structures, and the smooth surfaces of the float body are less prone to barnacle attachment compared to the previous aperture design.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enhances power generation efficiency by minimizing friction and preventing barnacle accumulation, ensuring consistent energy capture across tides.
Implementation Method 1
a floating panel pivotally secured to a rear portion of the frame and flapping upwardly or downwardly by the oscillation of the sea waves
Implementation Method 2
a power generating device mounted on the platform and having a rack pivotally secured to a rear portion of the floating panel and reciprocatively passing through the platform to be engaged with a pinion of the power generating device for converting the kinetic energy due to the upward or downward flapping movements of the floating panel into electrical energy
Implementation Method 3
a level controlling device slidably held on the platform for raising or lowering the floating panel to be normally submerged under a sea water level
Data Source
AI summary
A sea wave power generating apparatus comprises a frame, a platform secured on an upper portion of the frame, a floating panel pivotally secured to the frame and flapping upwardly or downwardly by the oscillation of the sea waves, a level controlling device slidably held on the platform for raising or lowering the floating panel to be normally submerged under a sea water level, and a power generating device mounted on the platform and having a rack pivotally secured to a rear portion of the floating panel and engaged with a pinion of the power generating device for converting the kinetic energy due to the upward or downward flapping movements of the floating panel into electrical energy.