US 7,525,213 B2
Wave activated power generation device and wave activated power generation plant
Yoshihiro Nagata, Yokohama (Japan); and Toshio Konno, Yokohama (Japan)
Assigned to Toyo Technology Inc., Yokohama-shi (Japan)
Appl. No. 11/576,293
PCT Filed Sep. 22, 2005, PCT No. PCT/JP2005/017459
§ 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Mar. 29, 2007,
PCT Pub. No. WO2006/035660, PCT Pub. Date Apr. 06, 2006.
Claims priority of application No. 2004-286741 (JP), filed on Sep. 30, 2004.
Prior Publication US 2008/0088133 A1, Apr. 17, 2008
Int. Cl. F03B 13/12 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 290—53 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A wave activated power generation device comprising:
a cylindrical floating body anchored on water and extending in a vertical direction relative to a surface of the water;
a ballast provided at a lower end portion of the floating body; and
a power generating equipment provided at an upper end portion of the floating body, wherein
the floating body includes a buoyancy control chamber that allows the floating body to vertically float in the water and that adjusts a position of the floating body relative to the surface of the water to a predetermined height in accordance with a relation between buoyancy of the floating body and weight of the ballast, and an air chamber that is formed between the buoyancy control chamber and the power generating equipment,
the power generating equipment includes an air turbine provided above the air chamber and driven by an air flow generated between an inside and outside of the air chamber by vertical motion of the surface of the water, and a generator rotationally driven by the air turbine, and
the air turbine always rotates in one direction independently from a direction of a reciprocating air flow generated between the inside and outside of the air chamber, and wherein the air turbine includes a floating nozzle movable by a predetermined distance in a direction of a rotary shaft thereof in accordance with a direction of the air flow.