The ocean wave

[allcanadian]

I made this post in another forum and thought you may have some use for this info

Im not sure this inventor (wavereaper)like many others understands the true power inherent in the wave, If we consider the wave motion in the picture below we can see that waves off shore displace themselves upward then downward. We see this apparent motion of the wave moving forward but this is only an illusion.A wave rising above the calm sea has displaced itself above a neutral line we will call the calm sea, and in doing so it must fall due to the force of gravity. But the wave does not fall to the calm sea, it must fall "into" it as the wave has mass thus momentum and this mass of water falling downward must assert its momentum. So the wave will fall into the sea below the neutral line-- the calm sea level and here it finds itself out of balance yet again and the pressure in the calm sea will push upward and the wave cylce continues---upward and downward. The illusion of motion in the wave is the same illusion we see in blinking christmas lights, lights alternately turning on then off give the illusion of motion in one direction when there is no motion only opposite conditions which apply themselves alternately. So in the picture below we should see the true power in the wave is not its alternating motion nor its displacement but in its momentum. As well in the off shore waves we have little displacement above or below the calm sea but as the wave approaches a boundary such as the shoreline it is forced to assert its momentum in an upward direction as it has been confined in its range of motion. Here the wave will show its true power as it is displaced upward it seperates itself from the calm sea and can be considered to truely have a motion of its own. If even a small wave hits a resistance to its motion it then applies its momentum which can easily amount to thousands of pounds of concentrated force. Imagine a bathtub full of water hitting you at 20mph and you will start to understand the forces involved, momentum can apply what amounts to an explosion of concentrated energy. In the picture below a small wall is attached to hinges so it may move back and forth, this wall would move a piston in a cylinder to pressurize a fluid and drive a turbine or other type of apparatus. A person could also attach a cable to this wall and utilize a one way bearing as the inventor of the wavereaper has.The most important point to be made is that energy should always be extracted where the energy is the most concentrated in this way work can be done more efficiently and at a lower cost, It is not necessarily the wave motion that should be utilized it is the waves energy which is in its inertia. Also I have always believed the best invention is the simplest one having a minimum of moving parts which must be easily accessible for maintenance meaning the device components should not be "in" the ocean but out of it.
Best Regards

[ramset]

All canadian   As you out lined above the biggest bang for the buck is at the Beach. Lots of things come together to do More work Nice idea!!   Chet

[noonespecial]

I remember a different wave idea from the last energy crunch in the 70's. The inventor envisioned large floating platforms teathered out in the ocean that hinged in the center and would ride the undulations of the waves going from a "\/" shape to an inverted "/\" as each wave passed. Inside were large flywheels that were turned by the motion and drove enclosed generators that sent power back to the mainland.
Regards,
Charlie

[allcanadian]

@noonespecial

I remember a different wave idea from the last energy crunch in the 70's. The inventor envisioned large floating platforms teathered out in the ocean that hinged in the center and would ride the undulations of the waves going from a "\/" shape to an inverted "/\" as each wave passed. Inside were large flywheels that were turned by the motion and drove enclosed generators that sent power back to the mainland.
Regards,

I think we should consider why the "\/" --- "/\" would work better, the technology you refer to will harness the power in both the trough and crest of the wave in the same instance, that is the difference in height between the top of the crest relative to the bottom of the trough. This is twice the distance relative to only the upward moving wave portion or the downward moving wave portions which a common float bobbing in the water might experience. But again we would be harnessing energy through displacement or boyancy only, the greater energy is found in the kinetic energy of the wave as a whole when it has seperated inself from the ocean. Consider a single wave hitting a wall on the beach, the wave is 1m high and 10m(30 feet) long, it is moving quite slow at 2m/s and comes to a stop at the wall in 2m. The wave 1m x10m (10cubic meters)has a mass of 10,000 Kg it's kinetic energy is 20,000joules(KE=1/2mVsquared), if it comes to rest in 1 second it has applied 20,000 joules in 1 second, 1 watt is equal to 1 joule/second thus the energy applied is 20,000 watts from a single wave 30 feet long and 3 feet high---a small wave. If the wall (10m long x 1m high)moved 2m while de-accellerating the wave to a complete stop then the walls braking force which could be applied to a generator must equal 20,000watts or 20KW from a single portion of a small wave which could stretch miles. All large masses in motion have a great deal of energy but in order to get this energy the mass must come to a complete stop.This "wall" can also be a closed chamber (a tube)in which the wave must expend it's momentum in compressing a mass of air, the compressed air then runs an air turbine. This technology is already out but has a large capital cost, I was thinking of something smaller like a simple wall on wheels or rails which captures the wave energy and transfers this energy through an anchorage and stainless cable to a generator anchored to the beach.