Ocean Energy Converters

See a video of  new invented pontoon river stream power plant with submerged JET hydrokinetic turbines here  

See an animation of two P-shaped JET blade hydrokinetic turbines fitted on common axis here

The final aim of the presented here new developments of wave and tidal power farms are to decrease both initial investments and operation costs by environment friendly technical solutions. There are multiple ways to tap the energy of the ocean, including its tides, thermal features, and salinity. But wave energy appears to be the most promising and closest to commercial production.

Wave energy is the capacity of the waves for doing work. Ocean waves are generated by the influence of the wind on the ocean surface first causing ripples. As the wind continues to blow, the ripples become chop, fully developed seas and finally swells. In deep water, the energy in waves can travel for thousands of miles until that energy is finally dissipated on distant shores. Deep water wave power resources are truly enormous, between 1 TW and 10 TW, but it is not practical to capture all of this. The useful world-wide resource has been estimated to be greater than 2 TW. Locations with the most potential for wave power include; the western seaboard of Europe, the northern coast of the UK, Northwestern coast of Ireland and the Pacific coastlines of North and South America, Southern Africa, Australia and New Zealand.

Wave energy is varying seasonally, but tidal power varies in very broad range hourly. That is why for every economical feasible wave power farm is important the EFFICIENCY of the wave power extractors. The best EFFICIENCY means maximal possible rate of power generated per a kilogram of the wave power extractors.

For every economical feasible tidal power farm is important the CAPACITY FACTOR of the tidal power turbines. The best CAPACITY FACTOR means maximal possible yearly energy yield per a tidal power turbine.

Basic types of wave power extractors
We are using here a classification by the degree of the wave power convertions of different types of wave converters. The top position of the classification shows both maximal energy efficiency and the best economical feasible solution. Wave power is the transport of energy by ocean surface waves, and the capture of that energy to do useful work. The wave power extractors are a technology and devices that use the motion of ocean surface waves to create useful power. The wave power is presented by 3 dimensional motion of the sea / ocean surface forced by wind typically. That is why three general types divided wave power extractors:

• Wave power extractors that basically use the vertical component of wave motion can call one dimensional (1 D) wave motion extractors, e.g. PowerBuoy (point absorber) technology. The rising and falling of the waves moves the buoy-like structure creating mechanical energy which is converted into electricity as example.

• 
  Wave power extractors that basically use the vertical and horizontal components of wave motion can call two dimensional (2 D) wave motion extractors, e.g. Pelamis technology. The Pelamis Wave Energy Converter is a technology that uses 2 D motion of ocean surface waves to create electricity. The machine is made up of connected sections which flex and bend as waves pass; it is this motion which is used to generate electricity.
   

• Wave power extractors that use the vertical, horizontal and longitudinal components of wave motion can call three dimensional (3 D) FULL dimensional wave motion extractors, e.g. NEW invented 3 D power TM technology.

The best EFFICIENCY means maximal rate of power generated per a kilogram of the wave power extractors. Several advanced patent pending solutions based on NEW invented 3 D power TM extractor have  been developed to obtain the maximal possible EFFICIENCY by 3 D direct wave power converters.

Basic types of hydrokinetic / tidal turbines
Tidal in stream energy occurs due to the moving mass of water with speed and direction as caused by the gravitational forces of the sun and the moon, and centrifugal and inertial forces on the earth's waters. Due to its proximity to the earth, the moon exerts roughly twice the tide raising force of the sun. The gravitational forces of the sun and moon and the centrifugal/inertial forces caused by the rotation of the earth around the center of mass of the earth-moon system create two "bulges" in the earth's oceans: one closest to the moon, and the other on the opposite side of the globe.

River in stream energy occurs to the hydrokinetic energy of the moving river water. A tidal signature can be seen in rivers up to a hundred miles or so from where the river empties into the ocean. In these cases, it is not important whether the site is called a tidal site or a river site. The velocity of the river current is a function of the slope of the reach and the effect of gravity and the roughness of the riverbed and the effect of frictional forces slowing the current.

Hydrokinetic turbines are similar to wind machines but for under water operation in free water streams. A wide variety of types and sizes of wind machines exist today. We are using here a classification by the overall degree of load of the different types of tidal power turbines during an yearly cycle. The top position of the classification shows both maximal annual energy yield and the best economical feasible solution.
Usually, wind turbines are classified by mode of operation (drag and lift mode of operation):
On a drag device the water / wind pushes the blade forcing the rotor to turn about its axis; the most common example of a drag device is the farm windmill. Drag devices characteristically produce high starting torque and are well suited to pumping water in low volumes, however they are limited in the amount of energy they can extract from the wind. Drag devices both horizontal and vertical axis of rotation of tidal application operate at low velocity flow and high speed flow, as well.

Wind / hydrokinetic turbines that use lift have only a few (two, three or four) blades in contrast to the multiple blades of a drag device. One blade rotating very fast can extract as much energy as many blades rotating slower. Lift devices use slender airfoils for blades, whose shape is the same as an airplane wing. Lift devices are more efficient than the drag devices, thus the blade area can be reduced considerably. But lift devices not operate in low velocity stream even they are not self starting machines. Lift devices are further classified by axis type: horizontal (HAWT) and vertical (VAWT).

The third mode of wind / hydro turbine operation is the JET mode of operation. It is a radical new solution. All my inventions relate to the hydro and wind JET turbine applications take advantages of an additional JET force augmented blade rotation. Thanks to it the turbine efficiency is increased up to 2 times for both lift and drag devices on the vertical, inclined and horizontal axis hydro / wind rotors of axial and cross flow rotors. All JET augmented turbines are self starting machines at very low flow stream.

The best CAPACITY FACTOR means maximal yearly energy yield per a tidal power turbine. The NEW invented JET augmented  axial and cross flow water current turbines we call ROTOJET machines, as well. Several advanced patent pending ROTOJET hybrid turbines have been developed to realize the maximal possible CAPACITY FACTOR by omni-directional lift / jet / drag turbines.

Thanks to the additional JET mode of blade rotations new designed turbines can increase the turbine efficiency many times (see  videos at www.b2b.bg/new.html )

All my JET turbine developments depend on site conditions and planned goals of the turbine implementations.

See a comparison in operation of JET turbine vs. conventional turbine at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghp-7MqUyhs

For official carbon dioxide reducing patent publications see here

Megawatt Class of Tidal Turbines

Our Ocean Power Team have developed two basic project of the tidal turbine:

• First type is applicable in relative low water speed currents or for bottom fixed stream energy converter units. It is a basically non-ducted JET-drag axial flow bidirectional turbine with fixed blades variable speed operated.

• The second type is applicable in medium to high water speed currents or for near water surface variable vertical position. It is a non-ducted propeller bidirectional turbine with full pitch regulating  JET-lift blades variable speed operated.

Both developed (patent pending) tidal turbines JET/Drag and JET/Lift are relatively low cost solutions  operating with high capacity factor and generating low cost power.

Every axial rotating machine (e.g. turbine) in water creates vortex that forces water tangentially. Tip blade JET channel/s redirect/s the forced water to tip JET stream/s. As a result of the JET stream/s in opposite direction is creating tip JET force/torque.

Megawatt class tidal turbine is about 13 meters in diameter. It is possible to develop 2 MW tidal power system by 2x1MW axial (or cross flow) spaced turbines operating in counter rotating mode using a common gearing and electric alternator, electric transformer, power electronics etc..

Megawatt class tidal turbine is about 13 meters in diameter. Is possible to develop 2 MW tidal power system by 2x1MW axial (or cross flow) spaced turbines operating in counter rotating mode using a common drive/gearing and electric alternator, electric transformer, power electronics etc..

The non-ducted hydrokinetic power generation relies simply on the extraction of energy from the natural tidal velocity of water, these power systems can be placed  with minimal infrastructure or environmental impacts.

The JET rotors on the above described turbines turn slowly: about 8 to 25 revolutions per minute. A ship's propellers, by comparison, typically run 10 times as fast. The risk of impact from JET rotor blades is small, because the marine creatures that swim in strong currents tend to be agile, and can avoid slow-moving underwater obstructions..

More see at www.b2b.bg/hydrobook.html  

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