# US 10,371,120 B2 · Water turbine assembly > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,371,120 B2 - Document ID: US10371120B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/522,560 - Filed: 2015-11-02 - Published: 2017-11-02 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2014-10-31 - Assignees: Gkinetic Energy Limited - Applicants: Gkinetic Energy Limited - Inventors: Vincent McCormack - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10371120B2 ## CPC - F03B 17/067: {the cyclic relative movement being positively coupled to the movement of rotation} - F03B 13/264: {using the horizontal flow of water resulting from tide movement} - F05B 2220/32: in water turbines - F05B 2260/506: using cams or eccentrics - F05B 2260/72: by turning around an axis parallel to the rotor centre line - Y02E 10/20: Hydro energy - Y02E 10/30: Energy from the sea, e.g. using wave energy or salinity gradient - Y02E 10/74: Wind turbines with rotation axis perpendicular to the wind direction - F03B: MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS (positive-displacement engines for liquid F03C; machines for liquids and gases F01; positive-displacement machines for liquids F04, rotary fluid gearing of the hydrokinetic type F16H41/00) - F05B: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO WIND, SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS, TO MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS COVERED BY SUBCLASSES F03B, F03D AND F03G - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION ## 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. ## Claims ### Claim 1 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. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A vertical axis water turbine assembly according to claim 1, in which each vertical blade is controlled to flip about its vertical blade axis through the tidal stream. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A vertical axis water turbine assembly according to claim 1, in which each vertical blade is controlled to provide minimum drag through the tidal stream. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A vertical axis water turbine assembly according to claim 1, in which the water turbine assembly further comprises a lower support, each of the plurality of vertical blades being mounted on the lower support for pivoting motion with respect to the lower support. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A vertical axis water turbine assembly according to claim 1, in which the guide means controls the movement of each of the plurality of vertical blades cooperating with the upper support, each of the plurality of vertical blades being mounted for pivoting motion with respect to the upper support. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A vertical axis water turbine assembly according to claim 1, in which the guide means for each vertical blade is mounted to an upper region of the vertical blade. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A vertical axis water turbine assembly according to claim 1, in which in the first region the guide means cause the vertical blade to pivot to develop maximum lift. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) A vertical water turbine assembly according to claim 1, in which one or more of the plurality of vertical blades is provided with a NACA profile. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) A vertical axis water turbine assembly according to claim 1, wherein the cam is fixed in relation to said vertical blade axis. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) A vertical axis water turbine assembly according to claim 9, wherein the first cam follower is spaced a first distance from said vertical blade axis. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A vertical axis water turbine assembly according to claim 10, wherein the second cam follower is spaced a second distance from said vertical blade axis. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) A vertical axis water turbine assembly according to claim 11, wherein the first distance is greater than the second distance. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A vertical axis water turbine assembly according to claim 12, wherein the first distance is twice the second distance. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) A vertical axis water turbine assembly according to claim 11, wherein the first cam follower is disposed at 90° to the second cam follower. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) A vertical axis water turbine assembly according to claim 11, wherein the first cam follower is provided with an upwardly extending protrusion. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) A vertical axis water turbine assembly according to claim 15, wherein the second cam follower is provided with an upwardly extending protrusion. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) A vertical axis water turbine assembly according to claim 16, wherein the upwardly extending protrusion of the first cam follower extends further upward than the upwardly extending protrusion of the second cam follower. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) A vertical axis water turbine assembly according to claim 16, wherein the upwardly extending protrusion of the second cam follower extends upwardly parallel to the associated vertical blade. ### Claim 19 (depends on 9) A vertical axis water turbine assembly according to claim 9, wherein the second cam follower is spaced a second distance from said vertical blade axis. ### Claim 20 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.