Patent · US Active

Mooring of arrays of buoy-like WECs

US7886680B2 · kind B2 · utility

13Cited by
5References
7Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventor

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 26, 2007
Grant dateFeb 15, 2011
Priority date
Expiry dateFeb 26, 2027

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY02E10/30
  • WIPO fieldEngines, pumps, turbines
  • WIPO sectorMechanical engineering

Abstract

For reducing the number of components required for mooring (by means of three, 120° spaced apart mooring lines) multiple floating wave energy converters (WECs), a group of six WECs is disposed in a hexagonal pattern with each WEC being disposed at a corner of the hexagon. The WECs are connected to one another by mooring lines extending along sides of the hexagon, each WEC thereby being connected by two, 120° spaced apart mooring lines and with each WEC serving as a mooring point for each of its two adjacent neighbors. A third mooring line for each WEC, spaced 120° from the other two mooring lines, is connected to an auxiliary surface buoy and thence to an anchor.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.