The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Nov. 12, 2019
Filed:
Feb. 25, 2019
Teledyne Instruments, Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA (US);
Douglas C. Webb, Falmouth, MA (US);
Andrey K. Morozov, N. Falmouth, MA (US);
Teledyne Instruments, Inc., Thousand Oaks, CA (US);
Abstract
A hybrid energy harvesting system for powering underwater vehicles having at least one thermal engine, at least one of a solar or a wave energy harvester, and a battery which stores electric energy produced by the harvesters. The energy harvesters keep the battery charged and thereby expand an underwater vehicle's operational areas to high latitudes and shallow water. Multiple thermal engines employing different phase-change materials can be used to expand the vehicle's working temperature range and thus allow it to operate over a larger area. An electric motor powered by the battery and a pump driven by the motor can be used to pump hydraulic fluid between the accumulators and external bladders of the thermal engines to cause the vehicle to descend and ascend when the thermal gradient to which the vehicle is subjected is insufficient.