Apparatus and method to convert marine current into electrical power

Abstract

The invention concerns a marine current power installation. This involves not just a known tidal power installation which makes use of the energy of tidal ebb and flow, but a power installation which takes energy from marine currents which constantly occur over all oceans. The invention proposes designing a marine current power installation which takes kinetic energy of flow from the marine current and converts the taken energy into electrical energy. In that case the marine current water power installation according to the invention is used below the water level, for example more than 50 m below the water level, and can make a relatively large amount of power available even when the flow speed of the marine current is relatively low, for example in the region of 1.5 m/sec or less. That is achieved in that the water power installation has a water wheel or a rotor (turbine or propeller) which is of a diameter of for example 10 m or more, preferably between 30 m and 120 m.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.