Floating Fields
Imagine a floating field that can be used for saltwater agriculture (halophytes, seaweed, kelp, fish, and shellfish), while it is also able to produce its own electrical energy from the waves underneath it.
The design consists of interconnected equilateral triangular pyramids (also known as regular tetrahedrons) that float on water and are moved by waves. The triangular design, by the way, provided the name for AVA tech!
Wave energy conversion
The top of each pyramid has 3 out of 6 possible degrees of mechanical freedom: it can move up and down (elevating/heaving), tilt forward and backward (pitching); and pivot side to side (rolling). Being fixed to other pyramids, however, each pyramid top is prohibited from moving left and right (strafing/swaying); moving forward and backward (walking/surging); and from swiveling left and right (yawing)
Every pyramid top is connected to all (maximum 6) neighbouring pyramid tops with two linear gear racks and a circular gear pinion between them. When waves move the pyramids, the gear racks are either pushed or pulled, turning the circular gear back and forth. Thereby, linear motion is translated into rotational motion.
A shaft on each circular gear connects it to a 3-phase AC generator. The back-and-forth spin of the 3-phase AC generator creates unpredictable levels of alternating current (AC) with changing polarity. Therefore, the AC from different generators cannot be synchronized and combined. Instead, the AC is converted into direct-current (DC), as this can be equalized and then put into a series with other power sources to increase the total voltage. To do this, the AC travels through a three phase bridge rectifier diode, which converts the 3-phase AC input into a direct-current (DC) output, rusultin in a small voltage loss.
The DC travels through a DC voltage regulator and is adjusted to a similar level. It then enters a series circuit with power from the other generators, whereby the total voltage increases.
The power is then transmitted into either batteries or a subsea cable to be used elsewhere/on land.
