WAVEBOB LTD.

Wavebob Limited

Wavebob Ltd.

Introduction

Wavebob Ltd. (Wavebob) is a wave energy development company. The company engages in developing a unique wave energy convertor Wavebob to produce clean and renewable energy by harnessing the immense power of the ocean. In addition, the company is also engaged in the development of commercial solutions for both electricity and desalinated water generation. Wavebob is mainly providing services to offshore oil and gas industry, utility companies and renewable energy developers. The company operates in Ireland, the United Kingdom and the United States. The company headquarter is at Maynooth, Ireland.

A Wave Energy Conversion System

The system comprises a wave energy absorber for absorbing wave energy. At least one switched reluctance machine is driven by the wave energy absorber for converting mechanical energy to electrical energy. The switched reluctance machine has a generating mode and a motoring mode. A sensing means is provided for sensing an operating parameter generated by the wave energy absorber. A control means is co-operable with the sensing means for controlling the mode of the switched reluctance machine in response to the sensed operating parameter. Wavebob is a device that floats in the sea and converts the waves' movement into electricity. A single unit can produce an average of 500 Kilowatts of electricity. This energy is sufficient enough to provide power to around 300-400 houses daily. A small city like 2Galway, having around 25,000 households, would only require between eighty and a hundred Wavebobs to provide it with enough electricity for its needs (Winebrake, p. 55-74).

Wavebob was founded Irish physicist William Dick in 1999. By 2007, it became apparent that the company needed to scale to be able to bring the product to a commercial reality. It was at this point that Andrew Parish, an environmental chemist who had worked in the public and private sectors and who at the time was running his own management consultancy joined Wavebob to help create and lead the management team.

Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a wave energy conversion system. In particular, the present invention relates to a wave energy conversion system which includes a mechanical energy converter which has a generating mode for providing power and a motoring mode for extracting power.

Background

Wave energy conversion systems are known in the art. Examples of such systems include those described in patents EP1439306, EP1295031 and EP1036274 of which the present applicant is the proprietor. Such systems are usefully deployed in a maritime environment and generate productive power from wave motion. Such wave energy conversion systems employ a wave energy absorber, a hydraulic/pneumatic circuit and a power generator. Wave energy is absorbed by the wave energy absorber which pumps oil through the hydraulic/pneumatic circuit. The pump action causes a rotary element of the power generator to rotate thereby translating rotational energy into electrical energy. The hydraulic/pneumatic circuit couples between the wave energy absorber and the power generator and acts as an intermediary control means. The hydraulic/pneumatic circuit is complex (Gibilisco, p. 127-135). The absorbed mechanical energy is first converted ...