WAVE POWERED BUOYANCY CONTROL SYSTEM FOR FLOATING WAVE POWER PLANTS

摘要

A system for controlling the submersion of a floating body of a wave power plant comprises a pump (1) connected to a compressible fluid accumulator (7) and a ballast chamber (6). The pump is powered by the wave energy and is arranged to pump compressible fluid from the ballast chamber to the accumulator when the intensity of the waves exceeds a certain level. An opening (8) in the ballast chamber wall enables the ballast chamber to let in seawater. A method controlling the submersion of a floating body of a wave power plant comprises draining compressible fluid from the accumulator back into the ballast chamber through a by-pass flow passage (11), and seawater flowing into or out of the ballast chamber through an inlet/outlet (8), in line with the rate of which the pump pumps compressible fluid into the accumulator and the rate of which compressible fluid is drained from the accumulator back into the ballast chamber through the by-pass flow passage.