HINGE SYSTEM FOR AN ARTICULATED WAVE ENERGY CONVERSION SYSTEM

摘要

A hinge system and method for an Articulated Wave Energy Conversion System (AWECS) that provides for hinge and piston pump displacements due to multi-axis forces in allowing adjacent barges of the AWECS to pivot with respect to one another due to wave motion. The hinge system uses a plurality of parallel hinges, and axle segments, coupled between adjacent barges wherein the hinges are coupled to upright trusses positioned transversely along facing edges of each barge. Hinge bracing includes lower V-shaped struts that act as lower stops when the barges pitch up and also include upper struts that act as upper stops when the barges pitch down. The pumps are positioned in parallel. The pumps have special couplings such as ball joint couplings that permit motions other than longitudinal pump/ram motions due to multi-axis forces generated by the wave motion and thus provide omni-directional stress relief to the pumps.

主权项

1. A hinge system that provides omni-directional stress relief to at least one piston pump positioned across a gap between at least two floating members that are hinged together, the at least two floating members pivoting about an axis perpendicular to a common longitudinal axis of said at least two floating members and said piston pump positioned across the gap, aligned with the longitudinal axis, said hinge system comprising:
a bracing structure having a first portion that is fixedly coupled to a first floating member and a second portion that is fixedly coupled to a second floating member, and wherein said first portion and said second portion are hingedly coupled to each other using a plurality of non-connected axle segments to permit the first floating member to pivot with respect to the second floating member due to wave motion; and a first truss positioned transversely along a first end of said first floating member and to which said first portion is fixedly coupled and a second truss positioned transversely along a first end of said second floating member, opposite to said first end of said first floating member, and to which said second portion is fixedly coupled, said first and second trusses comprising at least one set of corresponding universal couplings between which the piston pump is coupled, thereby providing omni-directional stress relief to the piston pump by allowing movement of the piston pump in directions other than the longitudinal axis due to multi-axis forces imposed by the wave motion on said first and second floating members.