Patents Assigned to WELLO OY
  • Publication number: 20180003146
    Abstract: The invention relates to a method and a system for adjusting the torque of a mass and spinning wheel rotator in a wave power plant. The torque of a rotator rotating around a vertical shaft is compensated partially or completely with a compensating moment which is produced by an electric machine. Acceleration components (ACCx and ACCy) are measured for a given point of the wave power plant's floating body (1) in directions perpendicular to each other. A vector (Vxy) with a magnitude formula (A) and a direction (aAcc) is established for said acceleration components, the direction or angular position (a) of a rotator (2) is monitored and its lag (?LAG) from the acceleration vector's direction (?Acc) is determined. The compensating moment is adjusted as dependent on a compensation factor (B) whose sub-factors are the magnitude of the body's acceleration vector (Vxy) and the sine of the angle of lag (sin ?LAG).
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2015
    Publication date: January 4, 2018
    Applicant: WELLO OY
    Inventor: Antti PAAKKINEN
  • Patent number: 9777700
    Abstract: A gyrating wave power plant, comprising a body (1) floating on water with a main plane which in calm water is substantially vertical. The body is moored in an orientation with the main plane transverse to the propagation direction of waves. The body has its upper and lower sections provided with arched fins (2, 3). The fins (2) in the body's upper section curve downward when proceeding towards side edges of the body, and the fins (3) in the body's lower section curve upward when proceeding towards side edges of the body. The arched shape of the fins (2, 3) is an oval-shaped spiral with respect to a lateral swaying axis (A) of the body, which is perpendicular to the main plane.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Date of Patent: October 3, 2017
    Assignee: WELLO OY
    Inventor: Heikki Paakkinen
  • Patent number: 9644602
    Abstract: A wave power plant (1), comprising a body (1) and a rotator (3) supported on the body. The body (1) is a rather flat, panel type element, which is moored with respect to the propagation direction of waves in such a way that the dimension of the body (1) in the propagation direction of waves is smaller than the draft of the body (1). The body (1) has its diagonally opposite corners provided with substantially horizontally protruding fins (4, 5), which bring about swaying of the body (1) in lateral direction, i.e. in the plane of the panel type element, in response to the vertical motion of water.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 19, 2013
    Date of Patent: May 9, 2017
    Assignee: WELLO OY
    Inventor: Heikki Paakkinen
  • Patent number: 9447770
    Abstract: A method for converting the energy of water waves into electricity by means of a wave power plant, which comprises a floating body (1), a rotator (3) which is supported on the body and rotates around a rotator shaft (2) which is on average vertical, a gyro (5) which rotates around a gyro shaft (4) which is on average horizontal, the gyro and the gyro shaft rotating with the rotator around the rotator shaft (2), and at least one generator (6), which is connected to rotate together with the gyro or the rotator. By means of the rotator's mass (M) is produced a moment rotating the rotator on the one hand by means of the inclination moment generated by the inclination of the body and gravitation, and on the other hand by means of the acceleration moment generated by the horizontal acceleration of the rotator shaft (2). The inclination and acceleration are caused by directing the internal flows of the wave at the submerged part of the body (1).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 12, 2013
    Date of Patent: September 20, 2016
    Assignee: WELLO OY
    Inventors: Heikki Paakkinen, Antti Paakkinen
  • Publication number: 20160201640
    Abstract: A gyrating wave power plant, comprising a body (1) floating on water with a main plane which in calm water is substantially vertical. The body is moored in an orientation with the main plane transverse to the propagation direction of waves. The body has its upper and lower sections provided with arched fins (2, 3). The fins (2) in the body's upper section curve downward when proceeding towards side edges of the body, and the fins (3) in the body's lower section curve upward when proceeding towards side edges of the body. The arched shape of the fins (2, 3) is an oval-shaped spiral with respect to a lateral swaying axis (A) of the body, which is perpendicular to the main plane.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 17, 2014
    Publication date: July 14, 2016
    Applicant: WELLO OY
    Inventor: Heikki Paakkinen
  • Patent number: 8915077
    Abstract: The invention relates to a wave power plant, comprising at least one floating power plant body and means for converting movement of the floating power plant body into a rotary motion for power take off. The floating power plant body (1) is adapted to perform a gyrating motion in response to waves.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: December 23, 2014
    Assignee: Wello Oy
    Inventor: Heikki Paakkinen
  • Patent number: 8887501
    Abstract: The invention relates to a wave power plant, comprising at least one float or pontoon (1) or a plurality of interconnected floats or pontoons (2). The float or pontoon (1) is shaped or the interconnected floats or pontoons (2) are disposed asymmetrically relative to the advancing direction of waves, such that the float or pontoon (1) or a member (3) linking the interconnected floats or pontoons is set in a gyrating motion in response to the buoyancy of a succession of waves advancing in said direction. The wave power plant includes elements (5, 6, 7; 9, 10) for converting the gyrating motion into a rotational motion for power take-off.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 28, 2008
    Date of Patent: November 18, 2014
    Assignee: Wello Oy
    Inventor: Heikki Paakkinen
  • Patent number: 8829703
    Abstract: A wave power plant, including a floating body and a rotator capable of rotating in response to the body's floating motion, characterized in that two or more bodies are elastically moored at a distance varying from each other according to wave conditions, said distance in the traveling direction of waves being unequal to a half of the wave length or a multiple thereof, and that rotation of the rotators present in various bodies is synchronized so as to provide a desired phase shift between the rotational angles of rotators present in various bodies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 4, 2011
    Date of Patent: September 9, 2014
    Assignee: Wello Oy
    Inventor: Heikki Paakkinen
  • Publication number: 20130181454
    Abstract: A wave power plant, comprising a floating body and a rotator capable of rotating in response to the body's floating motion, characterized in that two or more bodies are elastically moored at a distance varying from each other according to wave conditions, said distance in the traveling direction of waves being unequal to a half of the wave length or a multiple thereof, and that rotation of the rotators present in various bodies is synchronized so as to provide a desired phase shift between the rotational angles of rotators present in various bodies.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 4, 2011
    Publication date: July 18, 2013
    Applicant: WELLO OY
    Inventor: Heikki Paakkinen
  • Publication number: 20130125541
    Abstract: The invention relates to a wave power plant, comprising a floating body and means for converting the wave energy received by the body into electric power. The wave power plant comprises anchoring means arranged in the lower part of the body, the means including an anchoring mass suspended on a downwards extending elongated anchoring device. In connection with the anchoring mass are arranged transversely extending elongated anchoring devices which are connected to the bottom of the installation site of the wave power plant.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 6, 2012
    Publication date: May 23, 2013
    Applicant: WELLO OY
    Inventor: Heikki Paakkinen
  • Publication number: 20110265468
    Abstract: The invention relates to a wave power plant, comprising at least one floating power plant body and means for converting movement of the floating power plant body into a rotary motion for power take off. The floating power plant body (1) is adapted to perform a gyrating motion in response to waves.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 23, 2009
    Publication date: November 3, 2011
    Applicant: WELLO OY
    Inventor: Heikki Paakkinen
  • Publication number: 20100115939
    Abstract: The invention relates to a wave power plant, comprising at least one float or pontoon (1) or a plurality of interconnected floats or pontoons (2). The float or pontoon (1) is shaped or the interconnected floats or pontoons (2) are disposed asymmetrically relative to the advancing direction of waves, such that the float or pontoon (1) or a member (3) linking the interconnected floats or pontoons is set in a gyrating motion in response to the buoyancy of a succession of waves advancing in said direction. The wave power plant includes elements (5, 6, 7; 9, 10) for converting the gyrating motion into a rotational motion for power take-off.
    Type: Application
    Filed: March 28, 2008
    Publication date: May 13, 2010
    Applicant: WELLO OY
    Inventor: Heikki Paakkinen