Geographically reconfigurable wave-powered computing network
A system for deploying, stationing, and translocating buoyant wind- and wave-energy converters, as well as farms of same. A plurality of buoyant wave energy converters are positioned in a body of water with an automated system for controlling their location, where the converters are self-propelled. Propulsion units move the wave energy converters in response to commands from an automated system. The converters house a plurality of computers powered by a portion of electrical energy generated by the wave energy converters. The geographically reconfigurable wave-powered computing network transfers data among the wave energy converters during migration of the wave energy converters across the body of water.
1 . A geographically reconfigurable wave-powered computing network, comprising:
a plurality of buoyant wave energy converters;
an automated system for controlling a location of the wave energy converters, at least a subset of the wave energy converters configured for generating electrical power from wave motion, said at least a subset of wave energy converters being self-propelled;
propulsion units in communication with the automated system, said propulsion units configured to move the network of wave energy converters in response to commands from the automated system; and a plurality of computers on the wave energy converters, the plurality of computers powered by a portion of electrical energy generated by the wave energy converters;
wherein the geographically reconfigurable wave-powered computing network transfers data among the wave energy converters during migration of the wave energy converters across a body of water; and
wherein electrical energy generated by the wave energy converters is pooled among the network of wave energy converters.
2 . The geographically reconfigurable wave-powered computing network of claim 1 , wherein the propulsion units include a propeller situated below a surface of the body of water.
3 . The geographically reconfigurable wave-powered computing network of claim 1 , wherein the propulsion units include wave-driven propulsive flaps.
4 . The geographically reconfigurable wave-powered computing network of claim 1 , wherein the automated system relies on GPS satellite data to identify a current location of the wave energy converters.
5 . The geographically reconfigurable wave-powered computing network of claim 1 , further comprising a submergible bypass linkage configured to allow ships to pass over said bypass linkage and across the network of wave energy converters.
6 . The geographically reconfigurable wave-powered computing network of claim 1 , wherein the wave energy converters are connected by flexible connectors such that a distance between any two connected wave energy converters is not constant.
7 . The geographically reconfigurable wave-powered computing network of claim 6 , wherein each pair of connected wave energy converters has a connector with an unbiased tensile force acting on the pair of connected wave energy converters when they are separated by a distance that is less than a critical separation distance, said connector applying a tensile force on the wave energy converters upon the pair of connected wave energy converters achieving a distance greater than the critical separation distance.