Dynamic artificial wave facility for surfing practice

Abstract

The facility includes an artificial wave generator having a water driving member movable along a predetermined path, including a body delimiting a water flow chamber open by an inlet opening located at the front and facing forward and by an outlet opening located rearward of the inlet opening and facing the wave progression zone, the body including peripheral walls which entirely close the chamber from the inlet opening to the outlet opening except optionally at the side that faces upward.

1 . Artificial wave facility suitable for the practice of surfing, comprising:
 a support having an upper surface comprising an edge zone, a wave progression zone and a culminating zone, the wave progression zone extending, in an upward slope, from the edge zone to the culminating zone;   water situated over said edge zone and said wave progression zone;   an artificial wave generator, comprising at least one water driving member movable over the edge zone along a predetermined path, said wave generator and said upper surface of the support being configured such that when the wave generator is in use, the movable member is laterally followed by a wave moving in the water towards the wave progression zone in contact with which the generated wave breaks towards the culminating zone;   wherein said movable member of the wave generator comprises a body delimiting a water flow chamber open by an inlet opening located at the front and facing forward and by an outlet opening located rearward of the inlet opening and facing the wave progression zone, said body comprising peripheral walls which entirely close said chamber from said inlet opening to said outlet opening.   
     
     
         2 . The facility according to  claim 1 , wherein said peripheral walls of said body delimit, in said water flow chamber, an inlet section extending rearward from said inlet opening and an outlet section extending rearward to said outlet opening, the outlet section being rearward of the inlet section. 
     
     
         3 . The facility according to  claim 2 , wherein the inlet section is delimited on the side towards the wave progression zone and on the opposite side to the wave progression zone by portions of said peripheral walls which are oriented in the direction of said path, said outlet section being delimited on the opposite side to the wave progression zone by portions of said peripheral walls which are oriented in an outlet direction forming a predetermined angle of change of direction with said path. 
     
     
         4 . The facility according to  claim 2 , wherein the inlet section is delimited on the side towards the wave progression zone and on the opposite side to the wave progression zone by portions of said peripheral walls which are oriented in an inclined direction forming an angle of incidence, with said path, said inclined direction being oriented rearward and away from the wave progression zone, said outlet section being delimited on the opposite side to the wave progression zone by portions of said peripheral walls that are oriented in an outlet direction forming a predetermined angle of change of direction with said path. 
     
     
         5 . The facility according to  claim 4 , wherein said angle of incidence is comprised between 5° and 30°. 
     
     
         6 . The facility according to  claim 3 , wherein said predetermined change of direction angle is comprised between 20° and 60°. 
     
     
         7 . The facility according to  claim 1 , wherein the velocity with which said movable member is driven relative to said support is comprised between √{square root over (gH)} and 2√{square root over (gH)}, g being the acceleration due to gravity and H being the height of the water over the edge zone. 
     
     
         8 . The facility according to  claim 1 , wherein said outlet section is only delimited on the opposite side to said wave progression zone, said outlet opening extending in line with said portion of peripheral wall that delimits the inlet section on the side towards the wave progression zone. 
     
     
         9 . The facility according to  claim 1 , wherein said water flow chamber has a rectangular shape in cross-section. 
     
     
         10 . The facility according to  claim 1 , wherein said movable member comprises deflection fins disposed in said water flow chamber, each said fin having, in a change of orientation section in which the flow in said water flow chamber passes from the orientation along said path to the orientation in said outlet direction, a general orientation in a direction angularly mid-way between said path and said outlet direction. 
     
     
         11 . The facility according to  claim 10 , wherein said fins extend for the most part in said change of orientation section. 
     
     
         12 . The facility according to  claim 10 , wherein said fins extend over a major part of said inlet section, or instead over a major part of said outlet section, or instead over a major part of said inlet section and over a major part of said outlet section. 
     
     
         13 . The facility according to  claim 1 , further comprising an annular drive structure of the movable members that floats. 
     
     
         14 . The facility of  claim 13 , further comprising thrusters fastened to the annular structure to drive the annular structure and/or a fixed driver which turns a roller in contact with the outside surface of the annular structure to drive the annular structure. 
     
     
         15 . The facility according to  claim 13 , wherein at least one said movable member, said annular structure and the fastening between said annular structure and said at least one movable member are configured such that said at least one movable member is retractable into said annular structure. 
     
     
         16 . The facility of  claim 3 , wherein the outlet section is delimited also on the side towards the wave progression zone by the portions of said peripheral walls which are oriented in an outlet direction. 
     
     
         17 . The facility of  claim 4 , wherein the outlet section is delimited also on the side towards the wave progression zone by the portions of said peripheral walls which are oriented in an outlet direction. 
     
     
         18 . The facility of  claim 5 , wherein the angle of incidence is between 8° and 20°. 
     
     
         19 . The facility of  claim 5 , wherein the angle of incidence is between 10° and 16°. 
     
     
         20 . The facility of  claim 6 , wherein the predetermined change of direction angle is between 25° and 40°.