Hydrokinetic turbine and array performance optimization by dynamic tuning

Abstract

A hydrokinetic turbine system with dynamic tuning capabilities is disclosed. Individual hydrokinetic turbine units are dynamically tuned to accommodate changes in height and flow velocity corresponding to water in a waterway. Dynamically tuning the turbine units to accommodate waterway changes optimizes power generation output. Dynamically tuning a turbine system includes raising or lowering turbine blade height, extending or retracting turbine blade length, and narrowing or widening a turbine mouth, channel, and exit through which water flows. The hydrokinetic turbines may be arranged in an array along a waterway, and each hydrokinetic turbine in the array is connected over a controls system configured to adjust turbine characteristics at each turbine unit in the array for optimizing power generation output for the waterway in which the turbine array is installed.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.