Anchoring apparatus for wave energy converters

Abstract

An anchoring enclosure embodying the invention includes a chamber whose buoyancy can be controlled by pumping a gas (e.g., air) or a liquid (e.g., sea water) into the chamber. The anchoring enclosure includes a bottom extension for embedding the anchoring enclosure into the seabed and an anti-scouring skirt extending about the perimeter of the lower portion of the structure and outward from the anchoring enclosure for resting along the seabed and preventing water movement from disturbing the embedded bottom extension. The anchoring enclosure may be rendered sufficiently buoyant to be easily towed to a selected site of a body of water without the need for large and expensive equipment and to then be rendered less buoyant so as to sink, in a controlled manner, to the seabed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An anchoring system comprising:
 an anchoring enclosure, having at least one chamber, whose buoyancy can be controlled;   piping apparatus connected to the chamber for enabling a gas or a liquid to be pumped into or out of the chamber; when a gas is pumped into the chamber the anchoring enclosure is made more buoyant, when a fluid is pumped into a chamber the anchoring enclosure is made less buoyant; said anchoring enclosure being rendered sufficiently buoyant to be towed to a selected site of a body of water and to be deployed at the selected site and said anchoring enclosure being selectively rendered less buoyant so as to sink or be lowered, in a controlled manner, to the bottom of the body of water;   said anchoring enclosure including a bottom extension extending around the underside of the anchoring enclosure for embedding the anchoring enclosure into the bottom of the body of water; and   an anti-scouring skirt extending about the perimeter of the lower portion of the anchoring enclosure and extending about the anchoring enclosure for resting along the bottom of the body of water and preventing water movement from disturbing the embedded bottom extension.   
     
     
         2 . An anchoring system as claimed in  claim 1  further including mooring attachment points formed along the anchoring enclosure for enabling the connecting of the anchoring enclosure to a wave energy converter (WEC). 
     
     
         3 . An anchoring system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said anchoring enclosure is designed to be positioned on and to hug the ocean floor and the WEC is designed to be lie generally about the surface of the ocean to respond to the ocean waves and the anchoring enclosure prevents the WEC from drifting from a selected site. 
     
     
         4 . An anchoring system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said anchoring enclosure includes more than one chamber. 
     
     
         5 . An anchoring system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the anchoring enclosure has sufficient mass, when submerged, to be connected to a multiplicity of WECs and hold the WECs in their designated space. 
     
     
         6 . An anchoring system as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein each WEC has at least one mooring buoy and wherein the anchoring enclosure is connected to the WEC's mooring buoy. 
     
     
         7 . An anchoring system as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the WEC is connected to its mooring buoy via a bridle line. 
     
     
         8 . An anchoring system as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the anchoring enclosure is connected to a WEC having a float and a spar which move relative to each other in response to the waves. 
     
     
         9 . An anchoring system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said anchoring enclosure is of cylindrical shape, having a diameter D and a height H, and wherein each of D and H may range from less than 1 meter to more than 10 meters. 
     
     
         10 . An anchoring system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said anchoring enclosure is of a generally rectangular shape, having a length “L”, a width “W” and a height “H”, and wherein each of L, W and H may range from less than 1 meter to more than 10 meters. 
     
     
         11 . An anchoring system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said anti-scouring skirt extends from less than 1 meter to more than 5 meters from the side of the anchoring enclosure. 
     
     
         12 . An anchoring system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said anti-scouring skirt is formed of metal, or concrete. 
     
     
         13 . An anchoring system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said anti-scouring skirt is formed of pre-fabricated mats consisting of reinforced loosely woven heavy duty fabric with concrete blocks pre-attached to the anchor and arranged so they can be cut away or rolled up or pulled out from the anchor. 
     
     
         14 . An anchoring system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said anti-scouring skirt is formed of articulated concrete slabs attached to the anchor, the concrete slabs being held together with ropes or wire that can be cut away or rolled or pulled out away from the anchor. 
     
     
         15 . An anchoring system as claimed in  claim 1  wherein said anti-scouring skirt is formed of a concrete form that can unfold from the anchor sides and fold down like ramps extending from the anchor's external walls.