This a a wave powered pump for converting ocean waves into electricity.
There is a race by the Department of Energy for using the power of the ocean (Powering the Blue Economy) to produce clean electricity and this patent solves that problem. There is also a working prototype.
The way it works is it uses a float that goes up and down to power a pump instead of a handle. Once you lift water to a higher elevation then traditional hydro turbines produce the electricity when the water is released back into the ocean. It is hydro power without the expense of the dam.
As a rule of thumb for every cubic foot of water pumped per second that equals powering 3 average homes. A small single pump can power 1,000's of homes.
There is no current solution that can compete with this technology and it would put a major dent in solar and wind..
It can also be used to convert ocean water to drinking water.
