US 12,018,636 B1Granted

Bucket assembly with containment flap for gravity-type hydropower apparatus

OwnerAnthony F. Krobothinventor

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Abstract

The invention relates to a water wheel having a plurality of circumferentially mounted buckets adapted to receive fluid, each of the buckets having a pivotable containment flap for maintaining the fluid in the buckets for a longer period during downward rotation of the wheel. The containment flaps comprise a buoyant material such that the flaps will float on top of the fluid housed in the buckets. In an embodiment, the buckets are mounted on tracks such that when filled with fluid and rotated on the wheel to a downward angle the buckets will slide radially outwardly, producing added force and power to the wheel and increasing the mechanical energy which is generated. A means for moving the buckets to a retracted position when empty such as heavy spring or elastic cord members or strut is also provided. In combination, the slide and flap increase the power of the wheel.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A hydropower device comprising:

a wheel assembly including a framework mounted on a horizontal axle and having radial arms and a circumferential rim;
and
a series of buckets adapted to receive a fluid into an interior of the buckets coupled to the radial arms and circumferentially spaced around an outer periphery of the wheel assembly;
the buckets having an outwardly angled front wall, opposite side walls, a bottom wall, a rear wall, a top wall, a fluid receiving opening adjacent the top wall, a hinged containment flap coupled to an outer edge of the front wall and configured to pivotably extend over the fluid receiving opening, said containment flap being inwardly openable and comprising a buoyant material such that the containment flap will float on the fluid placed in the buckets, and open slots formed on opposite sides of the containment flap between outer side edges of the containment flap and opposite side walls of the buckets, the slots dimensioned to allow drainage of the fluid from the buckets during a descending movement of the buckets on the wheel assembly.

1 more element

A bucket assembly for a hydropower device comprising:

a series of buckets configured to be coupled to and circumferentially spaced around an outer periphery of a wheel assembly, each bucket of the series of buckets having a forward section and a rearward section defining an interior, a fluid receiving opening in the forward section for allowing a fluid flow into the interior, and a hinged containment flap secured to an outer end of the forward section;
said containment flap being comprised of a buoyant material to enable floating on fluid in the interior of the bucket and being pivotable in the interior between a position restricting the fluid flow from entering the bucket and fluid in the interior from exiting the bucket through the fluid receiving opening and another position which does not restrict the fluid flow from entering the bucket through the fluid receiving opening;
and
one or more spaces formed between the containment flap and opposite edges of the fluid receiving opening, said one or more spaces being positioned and dimensioned to allow the fluid contained in the bucket to empty from the bucket through the one or more spaces during a descending movement of the bucket on the wheel assembly with the containment flap in a position restricting fluid from exiting the bucket through the fluid receiving opening.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.