Ship propulsion and power generation, aided by gyroscope and energized by sea waves

Abstract

The invention accesses an inexhaustible energy source of the ocean to produce ship propulsion and to generate electrical energy. A first embodiment provides wave-powered ship propulsion. A wave-induced pitching motion of the ship is transformed into an amplified oscillating motion of an oscillating propulsor arm attached to the ship. A rear platform is rotatably mounted aft of the ship hull. The platform is isolated from wave-induced pitching motion of the ship and stabilized with an aid of a gyroscope. A propulsor arm is pivotally supported at one end below the gyroscopically stabilized platform for a rotation about a first horizontal axis. The propulsor arm is also pivotally attached to the ship hull for a rotation about a second horizontal axis, with the second axis acting as a fulcrum. When a pitching motion of the ship produces a relative movement between the first axis and the second axis, it causes a leveraged rotation of the propulsor arm about the second axis. This leveraged rotation produces an amplified oscillating motion of the propulsor arm in a vertical plane to provide propulsion to the ship. A second embodiment teaches conversion of wave-induced motion to electrical energy using a gyroscope. The wave motion creates alternating force moment, which is transmitted to gyroscope via oscillating floating bodies. The gyroscope resists tilting by the wave-induced moment due to gyro precession, or gyrostatic moment. A relative movement is produced between the stabilized gyroscope and oscillating floating bodies, which is used to generate power. For this here are developed methods, schemes and devices converting said movement to customized power.

What I claim as my invention is:  
     
         1 . A gyro power plant consuming sea waves energy from a carrying floating mean and assembled of: 
 a power generator,    a gyroscope keeping its gimbal ring still while a carrying float oscillates,    a mechanical converter of input angle oscillations to fast uniform output shaft revolution;    the mechanical converter (pitched by the floating mean) holds the gyroscope gimbal ring by own input shaft and accepts from the ring apparent relative angle oscillations, gears them up, rectifies with a differential gearing and overrunning clutches to one way jerk revolution, then smoothes it by a spring and gears up to fast uniform output shaft revolution used finally to drive the electrical power generator.    
     
     
         2 . A gyro power plant according the  claim 1 , where the mechanical converter accepts the relative angle oscillations by its input gear from a toothed quadrant of great diameter mounted on the gyroscopically stabilized gimbal ring rotatably connected to the floating mean by the outer gimbal axle; this scheme significantly amplifies input angle oscillations simplifying the converter.  
     
     
         3 . A gyro power plant according the  claim 1 , where the mechanical converter accepts the relative angle oscillations with its input gear from the toothed quadrant of great diameter mounted on the gyroscopically stabilized detachable floating platform rotatably connected to the basic floating mean via the outer gimbal axle; this scheme significantly amplifies input angle oscillations simplifying the converter and also makes easier maintenance of the gyro power plant.  
     
     
         4 . A gyro power plant according to the  claim 1  where a hydraulic converter is used to transform float rocking to energy of a hydraulic pressure power system; the converter consists of two pairs of hydraulic cylinders; the internal pair of cylinders is driven by gyroscope apparent oscillations relatively the gimbal frame while the external pair of the cylinders is driven by the gimbal frame apparent oscillations relatively the float hull; both head ends of each hydraulic cylinder are connected with the hydraulic lines of the pressure power system through a similar hydraulic valves connecting the current suck and the current pumping head ends respectively with low and high pressure hydraulic lines.  
     
     
         5 . A wave power plant according to the  claim 4 , where a current pumping head ends of hydro cylinders are connected to low, high or extra high pressure hydraulic system line via valves controlled by the gyro precession automated control system; the system differentiates the load of each hydro cylinder in each directions of stock reciprocating motion that provides reactive extra force moments applied to the gyroscope and rushing the main gyro axis mean-line to the plumb as required.  
     
     
         6 . Method of electric power generation converting mutual angle oscillations between a pitching float caused by sea waves and a gyroscopically stabilized support to electrical power using the mechanical converter of said angle oscillations to fast uniform output shaft revolution which finally drives an electrical power generator.  
     
     
         7 . Method of hydro pressure power generation converting mutual angle oscillations between a rocking float caused by sea waves and the gyroscope to hydraulic power using orthogonal hydraulic cylinders, which connect the gyroscope with the gimbal frame hindering its relative oscillations about inner gimbal axis and also connect gimbal frame with the float hull hindering its relative oscillations about the outer gimbal axis; the rocking hull aided by the gyroscope surmounts resistance of the hydro cylinders enforcing them to pump oil into high pressure lines generating hydro pressure power.  
     
     
         8 . Method stabilizing the main gyro axis mean line about the plumb by permanent returning the drifting main gyro axis back to plumb through additional gyro precession induced by torque applied to the gyroscope in direction enforcing the main gyro axis to precess to the plumb, the torque is generated by one of these: 
 a single hydraulic pressure cylinder, which directs the torque in polar coordinates;    orthogonal hydraulic cylinders creating components of the required torque in rectangular coordinates;    altering the work load for orthogonal hydraulic cylinders generating power so as extra pressure in its head ends creates components of the required extra load torque precessing the gyroscope main axis to the plumb.    
     
     
         9 . Method of power generation where a high dampening submerged body is used as a stabilized support which interacts with the rocking float through assemble of a rope wounded on a winch and connecting the submerged body and the float utilizing a spring; as a result the winch rotatably oscillates the input shaft of the mechanical converter of these oscillations to the fast uniform output shaft revolution which finally drives the electrical power generator.