Recirculating hydro-pneumatic impulse turbine

A recirculating hydro-pneumatic impulse turbine, the recirculating hydro-pneumatic impulse turbine including:

• a collector assembly including a central draft tube extending therebelow, the collector assembly including a collector plate having a generally horizontal upper surface and being configured such that the central draft tube is in fluid communication with the generally horizontal upper surface, there also being a series of peripherally arranged drive cups about the generally horizontal upper surface;
• a drive assembly about the central draft tube, the drive assembly including a fluid inlet at its lower end in fluid communication with the lower end of the central draft tube, and a plurality of tangentially arranged outlet nozzles configured at its upper end;
• a central air tube with an upper air inlet and a lower air distribution manifold, the lower air distribution manifold including at least one venturi outlet;
• wherein, during use, fluid jets that form at the plurality of tangentially arranged outlet nozzles engage with the series of peripherally arranged drive cups to generate relative rotation between the plurality of tangentially arranged outlet nozzles and the series of peripherally arranged drive cups about a vertical axis, with fluid subsequently flowing from the series of peripherally arranged drive cups across the generally horizontal upper surface of the collector plate to the central draft tube, down the central draft tube where the fluid enters the fluid inlet of the drive assembly for recirculation to the plurality of tangentially arranged outlet nozzles.