Water turbine assembly
AssigneeGkinetic Energy Limited
InventorVincent McCormack
Life of this patent
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Abstract
This invention relates to an improved vertical axis water turbine assembly (2) for generating rotary power from fluid flow, the water turbine assembly (2) having active blade pitch control. The water turbine assembly (2) comprises a plurality of vertical blades (20) disposed about a vertical assembly axis, each vertical blade (20) having a vertical blade axis and being adapted for movement about said vertical blade axis. The water turbine assembly (2) further includes guide means to control the movement of each of the plurality of vertical blades (20) as the water turbine assembly (2) rotates.
Claims20
A vertical axis water turbine assembly for use in a tidal stream, the vertical axis water turbine assembly being adapted for rotation about a vertical axis and comprising:
- a plurality of vertical blades disposed about said assembly axis, each of the vertical blades having a vertical blade axis and being adapted for movement about said vertical blade axis;
- and
- guide means actively to control the movement of each of the plurality of vertical blades as the water turbine assembly rotates,
- wherein:
- the guide means are adapted in a first region to control the movement of each vertical blade as it passes through a first area of the tidal stream in which the vertical blade develops maximum lift;
- the guide means are also adapted in a second region to control the movement of each vertical blade as it passes through a second area of the tidal stream in which the vertical blade develops no lift;
- the guide means comprises a cam translating the rotational movement of the turbine assembly into pivoting movement of the vertical blade;
- and
- the cam comprises a first cam follower spaced from the axis of rotation of the vertical blade with the first cam follower being adapted to run in a first continuous track provided in or as part of an upper support and a second cam follower spaced from the axis of rotation of the vertical blade and being adapted to run in a first discontinuous track provided in or as part of the upper support in the first area of the tidal stream and in a second discontinuous track provided in or as part of the upper support in the second area of the tidal stream.
A vertical axis water turbine assembly for use in a tidal stream, the vertical axis water turbine assembly being adapted for rotation about a vertical axis and comprising:
- a plurality of vertical blades disposed about said assembly axis, each of the vertical blades having a vertical blade axis and being adapted for movement about said vertical blade axis;
- and
- a plurality of pivots mounting each of the plurality of vertical blades to the assembly, the pivots configured to control the movement of each of the plurality of vertical blades as the water turbine assembly rotates,
- wherein:
- the pivots are adapted in a first region to control the movement of each vertical blade as it passes through a first area of the tidal stream in which the vertical blade develops maximum lift;
- the pivots are also configured in a second region to control the movement of each vertical blade as each vertical blade passes through a second area of the tidal stream in which the vertical blade develops no lift;
- each of the pivots includes a cam translating the rotational movement of the turbine assembly into pivoting movement of the vertical blade;
- and
- each of the cams includes:
- a first cam follower spaced from one of the vertical blade axis, the first cam follower being configured to run in a first continuous track that is part of an upper support;
- and a second cam follower spaced from one of the vertical blade axis, the second cam follower being adapted to run in a first discontinuous track that is part of the upper support in the first area of the tidal stream and in a second discontinuous track provided in or as part of the upper support in the second area of the tidal stream.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.