The snake is tethered just below the waves and gets its energy from the pressure variation at the base of the waves. It consists of a number of flexible tubes mounted at a slight angle to the wavefront. This creates a pressure pulse which runs down the length of the snake, like squeezing a tube of toothpaste. A number of flap-type check (non-return) valves prevent back flow, while the snake skin material contains perforations which allow water in but not out.
Several snakes are mounted in parallel, all terminating in a rigid header which collects the outflow from each tube via another check valve. Water is discharged from the end of the header via a turbine which can be used to generate electricity, or in a larger installation to pump high-pressure water to a centralised generator.
