Linear faraday induction generator including a symmetrical spring suspension assembly for the generation of electrical power from ocean wave kinetic energy and arrangements thereof
A spring suspension system includes a top spring assembly connected to a top end of a stator and a top end of a cable and a bottom spring assembly connected to a bottom end of the stator and a bottom end of the cable. The top spring assembly includes a central spring connected to the top end of the cable at a bottom end of the central spring and a set of symmetrically arranged springs, each connected to the top end of the stator and to a top end of the central spring, configured to accommodate torsional and rotational components of an input force.
1. An energy converter system, comprising:
a stator configured to be relatively stationary with respect to an environment; and
a mobile subunit comprising a cable and a spring suspension assembly, the spring suspension assembly comprising:
a top spring assembly connected to both a top end of the mobile subunit and to a top end of the cable, comprising:
a central spring connected to the top end of the cable at a bottom end of the central spring; and
a plurality of symmetrically arranged springs, each connected at a first end to the top end of the mobile subunit and each connected at a second end to both a top end of the central spring and to each other, the plurality of symmetrically arranged springs configured to accommodate torsional and rotational components of an input force; and
a bottom spring assembly connected to the stator and a bottom end of the cable,
wherein one of said mobile subunit and said stator includes a field coil array and the other of said mobile subunit and said stator includes a permanent magnet array that is configured to induce an electrical current in said field coil array in response to relative motion of the mobile subunit and the stator.
2. The energy converter system of claim 1 , wherein magnets in said permanent magnet array are oriented such that like poles of the magnets are disposed adjacently to concentrate a magnetic field through said field coil array.
3. The energy converter system of claim 1 , further comprising a cable tension assembly connected to the central spring, configured to set a tension of the spring suspension assembly such that a natural resonant frequency of the spring suspension assembly approximates a frequency of the input force.
4. The energy converter system of claim 3 , wherein the cable tension assembly is adjustable.
5. The energy converter system of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of symmetrically arranged springs comprises four symmetrically arranged springs.
6. The energy converter system of claim 1 , further comprising end braking magnets on the one of said mobile subunit and said stator that does not include the permanent magnet array, said end braking magnets being oriented such that poles of the end braking magnets are disposed facing like poles of terminal magnets on the permanent magnet array.
7. The energy converter system of claim 6 , wherein a force generated by the end braking magnets adds with a restorative force of the spring suspension assembly.
8. The energy converter system of claim 1 , wherein the top spring assembly has a first spring constant, which is a combination of spring constants of the central spring and the plurality of symmetrically arranged springs, wherein the bottom spring assembly has a second spring constant, and wherein the second spring constant is different from the first spring constant.