Dedekind cone valve and air infiltration system and method for hydroelectric plants
AssigneeCube Hydro Partners, LLC
InventorsWalter Neal Simmons, Connor Tinen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An air infiltration system for a hydroelectric plant includes a spillway gate and a linearized cone valve coupled to the spillway gate, the linearized cone valve having a pivotable plate assembly. The spillway gate may be a tainter or Stoney gate and the pivotable plate assembly may have a deflection plate. A method of infiltrating air in water released from an impoundment may include: lifting a spillway gate from a resting position proximate a bottom of a spillway; and pivoting a deflection plate coupled to the gate proximate the bottom of the spillway; wherein water flows through an opening disposed between the deflection plate and the gate and is sprayed into an atmosphere to be oxygenated.
Claims57
An air infiltration system for a hydroelectric plant comprising:
- a spillway gate;
- and
- a linearized cone valve coupled to the spillway gate, the linearized cone valve comprising a pivotable plate assembly disposed to partially obstruct flow and facilitate aeration when the spillway gate is in an open position.
An air infiltration system for a hydroelectric plant comprising:
- a spillway gate;
- and
- a linearized cone valve coupled to the spillway gate, the linearized cone valve comprising a pivotable plate assembly;
- wherein the linearized cone valve is bolted to at least one rib of the spillway gate.
A method of infiltrating air in water released from an impoundment, the method comprising:
- lifting a spillway gate from a resting position proximate a bottom of a spillway;
- and
- pivoting a deflection plate coupled to the gate proximate the bottom of the spillway;
- wherein water flows through an opening disposed between the deflection plate and the gate and is sprayed into an atmosphere to be oxygenated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.