228 



Mr. Studds. Very good. 



Thank you very much for your testimony. We look forward to 

 staying in touch with you. 



Dr. Katz. Thank you. 



Mr. Studds. Our next witness, Mr. Thomas P. Higgins, manager, 

 Ocean Energy Systems of the Lockheed Corp. 



Mr. Higgins, nice to have you back, sir. 



STATEMENT OF THOMAS P. HIGGINS, MANAGER, OCEAN 

 ENERGY SYSTEMS, LOCKHEED MISSILES & SPACE CO., INC. 



Mr. Higgins. Thank you, sir. 



Mr. Chairman, my name is Thomas P. Higgins and I am man- 

 ager of Ocean Energy Systems at Lockheed. 



It is an honor to be invited again by the subcommittee to discuss 

 and present some of our activities in the ocean energy field. Today 

 I will present a review of our activities to harness the energy in 

 ocean waves. 



The energy in ocean waves is truly awesome, as we have been 

 discussing here this morning. Significant evidence is provided by 

 coastal destruction during storms. Even normal seas can exhibit 

 large energy content by the manner in which the waves break on 

 the shore and the surf explodes onto the beach. Scientists have 

 calculated the amount of energy in worldwide ocean waves to be 

 greater than the world's oil supply. 



Now, how do we efficiently obtain this renewable, free energy? 



Man has observed the rise and fall of the ocean wave surfaces for 

 many, many years and recognized that there is a source of energy 

 to be utilized. While there have been many ingenious attempts to 

 have various types of mechanisms ride the waves and convert the 

 motion into usable energy, a cost competitive system has not yet 

 been developed. 



I would like to describe a new concept mentioned by Dr. Katz, 

 developed by a brilliant Lockheed scientist and recently patented, 

 which utilizes a new approach to extract ocean wave energy and 

 has a valid theoretical base. 



The inventor named his invention DAM-ATOLL. It can provide a 

 source of electrical energy as do our large hydroelectric "dams" 

 and it has a shape somewhat analogous to island "atolls" in the 

 Pacific Ocean. 



DAM-ATOLL does not respond to the up-and-down wave motion, 

 but utilizes wave refraction theory to alter the wave direction and 

 thus concentrates the diffuse ocean energy, thereby offering the 

 potential for a new cost competitive source of energy. 



While we have built a model and have verified the concept, I 

 wish to make it clear that further development work remains to be 

 done. Nevertheless, the concept is very exciting and intriguing and 

 fortunately mechanically simple. 



The essence of the concept is embodied in these four statements: 



First, the DAM-ATOLL shell which is like a very large inverted 

 bowl, or the roof of one of our modern football stadiums, is special- 

 ly contoured so that it concentrates the ocean wave in two direc- 

 tions — in the vertical direction much as the ocean beach concen- 

 trates the energy, and in the horizontal direction by causing the 

 wave to refract or bend toward the center of the dome. 



