Patents by Inventor Alison S. Greenlee

Alison S. Greenlee has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Offshore energy harvesting, storage, and power generation system
    Patent number: 8698338
    Abstract: A system for harvesting, storing, and generating energy, that includes floating structure supporting machinery to extract energy from wind, waves, surface generators, or currents. At least one energy storage and power generating unit is anchored to the seafloor and adapted to tether the floating structure to the unit. The unit includes an internal chamber into which water flows through a hydroelectric turbine to generate electrical energy. A pump is provided, powered by energy from the floating structure machinery, to evacuate water from the unit and a control system directs power from the machinery to pump water out of the unit during periods of excess energy extraction by the machinery and to allow water to flow into the chamber through the hydroelectric turbine to generate electrical energy during periods of lower energy extraction by the machinery.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2011
    Date of Patent: April 15, 2014
    Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Alexander H. Slocum, Gregory E. Fennell, Alison S. Greenlee
  • OFFSHORE ENERGY HARVESTING, STORAGE, AND POWER GENERATION SYSTEM
    Publication number: 20110215650
    Abstract: A system for harvesting, storing, and generating energy, that includes floating structure supporting machinery to extract energy from wind, waves, surface generators, or currents. At least one energy storage and power generating unit is anchored to the seafloor and adapted to tether the floating structure to the unit. The unit includes an internal chamber into which water flows through a hydroelectric turbine to generate electrical energy. A pump is provided, powered by energy from the floating structure machinery, to evacuate water from the unit and a control system directs power from the machinery to pump water out of the unit during periods of excess energy extraction by the machinery and to allow water to flow into the chamber through the hydroelectric turbine to generate electrical energy during periods of lower energy extraction by the machinery.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 3, 2011
    Publication date: September 8, 2011
    Applicant: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
    Inventors: Alexander H. Slocum, Gregory E. Fennell, Alison S. Greenlee