Tidal Turbine System
OwnerChristopher Freeman, Christopher Williamsinventors
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Abstract
A tidal flow turbine system has a rotor and turbine blades attached at a fixed attitude with respect to the rotor and extending outwardly from the rotor. The stagger angle of the blades, tip speed ratio, or other blade parameters is such that over the in-service operational speed range of the turbine, over a lower range of rotational or tidal flow speeds, increased speed results in increased axial loading on the turbine, but at higher speed range above a predetermined threshold, axial loading on the turbine does not increase.
Claims20
A tidal flow turbine system comprising:
- a rotor and a plurality of turbine blades at a fixed attitude with respect to the rotor and extending outwardly from the rotor;
- wherein the blades are configured such that over the in-service operational speed range of the turbine, over a lower range of rotational and or tidal flow speeds, increased speed results in increased axial loading on the turbine, but at a higher speed range above a predetermined threshold, axial loading on the turbine does not increase.
A method of controlling the speed of a rotational tidal turbine comprising a rotor and a plurality of turbine blades at a fixed attitude with respect to the rotor and extending outwardly from the rotor;
- wherein at least one parameter of the blades is arranged such that over the in-service operational speed range of the turbine, over a lower range of rotational or tidal flow speeds, increased speed results in increased axial loading on the turbine, but at higher speed range above a predetermined threshold, axial loading on the turbine does not increase.
A control system for a tidal flow turbine generator comprising a rotor and a plurality of turbine blades at a fixed attitude with respect to the rotor and extending outwardly from the rotor, the control system comprising:
- means for configuring at least one parameter of the blades such that over the in-service operational speed range of the turbine, over a lower range of rotational or tidal flow speeds, increased speed results in increased axial loading on the turbine, but at higher speed range above a predetermined threshold, axial loading on the turbine does not increase.
A method of designing a tidal flow turbine system comprising a rotor and a plurality of turbine blades at a fixed attitude with respect to the rotor and extending outwardly from the rotor;
- wherein the stagger angle of the blades is selected such that over the in-service operational speed range of the turbine, over a lower range of rotational speeds, increased rotational speed results in increased axial loading on the turbine, but at higher speed range above a predetermined threshold, axial loading on the turbine does not increase.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.