Air piston approach to wave power generation

Scientists have calculated that, by tapping just 0.2% of the energy produced by the world\u27s oceans we can provide for all the worlds current energy needs. It is generally accepted that a combination of traditional energy production methods, (oil, coal, gas, nuclear) mixed with a combination of renewable energy production approaches is the future in providing for an increasingly energy hungry world. Wind, solar and biomass have moved into the public arena only in the last few years. The proposed patented device (US Patent No.: 7,468,563) Ocean Wave Energy Converter harnesses the energy of ocean waves by continually raising and lowering a float, which in turn raises or lowers one side of a lever arm about a stationary pivot point. This, thereby, raises or lowers a piston, which is attached to the opposite side of the lever through a cylinder, which causes large volumes of air to move. This air is funneled through drive turbines, which produce electric power. This thesis focuses on analyzing the piston and the lever arm mechanism in order to determine the overall output of the system. A 2-D, 3-D model of the piston and lever arm mechanism along with the simulation of the air flow through the piston was done using ANSYS 11.0, the results and the source codes are discussed in the following chapters. Also discussed are the mathematical equations, which help us determine the ratio of the lever arm and hence the output force transferred to the piston