WAVE ENERGY CONVERTER UTILIZING INTERNAL REACTION MASS AND SPRING

摘要

A wave energy converter (WEC) includes a shell suitable for being placed within a body of water. The shell contains an internal oscillator comprising a "reaction mass" and a spring mechanism coupled between the reaction mass and the shell. The shell and internal oscillator are constructed such that, when placed in a body of water and in response to waves in the body of water, there is relative motion between the shell and the internal oscillator's mass. A power take-off (PTO) device is coupled between the internal oscillator and the shell to convert their relative motion into electric energy. In systems embodying the invention, the spring mechanism is designed such that its displacement or movement is less than the displacement or movement of the reaction mass. The spring mechanism may be any device which enables the reaction mass to undergo a given replacement while its displacement or movement is less than that of the reaction mass. This property enables the size of the WEC to be more readily controlled (e.g., made smaller).