# US 2018/0023540 A1 · Low-head and high flow water turbine machine

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- Number: US 2018/0023540 A1
- Document ID: US20180023540A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 15/654,561
- Filed: 2017-07-19
- Published: 2018-01-25
- Earliest claimed: 2016-07-21
- Inventors: Jung-Yi Lai
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180023540A1

## CPC

- F03B 17/063: {the flow engaging parts having no movement relative to the rotor during its rotation}
- F03B 13/10: Submerged units incorporating electric generators or motors
- F03B 13/264: {using the horizontal flow of water resulting from tide movement}
- F03B 15/04: of turbines (rotors having adjustable blades F03B3/06, F03B3/14; adjustable guide vanes F03B3/18; specially adapted for turbines with jets of high-velocity liquid impinging on bladed or like rotors F03B15/20)
- F03B 13/08: Machine or engine aggregates in dams or the like; Conduits therefor {, e.g. diffusors (bulb groups F03B13/105)}
- F05B 2210/11: liquid, i.e. incompressible
- F05B 2240/13: to collect or cause flow towards or away from turbines
- F05B 2240/301: Cross-section characteristics
- F05B 2250/231: cylindrical
- Y02E 10/20: Hydro energy
- Y02E 10/30: Energy from the sea, e.g. using wave energy or salinity gradient
- Y02E 10/72: Wind turbines with rotation axis in wind direction
- F03B: MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS (positive-displacement engines for liquid F03C; machines for liquids and gases F01; positive-displacement machines for liquids F04, rotary fluid gearing of the hydrokinetic type F16H41/00)
- F05B: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO WIND, SPRING, WEIGHT, INERTIA OR LIKE MOTORS, TO MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS COVERED BY SUBCLASSES F03B, F03D AND F03G
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION

## Abstract

A low-head and high flow water turbine machine comprises a water-guiding base having a top plate, a bottom plate, an accommodating space defined therein, an inlet and an outlet respectively arranged at upstream side and downstream side, and a first and a second lateral plates respectively having a first and a second water-guiding walls that are respectively extending inward toward circumference of the accommodating space, a water turbine arranged in the accommodating space and having multiple blades, and a cylindrical-shaped gate shell passing through the top plate and slidably coupled to circumference of water turbine around upstream side wherein an opening degree is adjusted through sliding the gate shell for adjusting cross-sectional area of stream thereby controlling stream discharge entering to the water turbine, switching off rotation of the water turbine, and adjusting water level at high water level state at upstream side according to the stream discharge requirement.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A low-head and high flow water turbine machine, comprising:
a water-guiding base, configured to have a hollow cylindrical-shaped accommodating space formed therein, wherein the hollow cylindrical-shaped accommodating space has an upstream segment with an inlet at a upstream side and a downstream segment with an outlet at a downstream side, the water-guiding base further comprising a bottom plate, a first and a second lateral plates respectively coupled to two opposite sides of the bottom plate, and a top plate arranged on the first and second lateral plates, the first and the second lateral plates respectively having a first and a second water-guiding walls, each of which has a tapered tower shape, respectively protruded from the first and the second lateral plates to a circumference of the hollow cylindrical-shaped accommodating space, wherein a first and a second guiding slots are respectively arranged at an end of the first and the second water-guiding walls, and the first and the second water-guiding walls are respectively misaligned and arranged anti-symmetrically to a central axis of the hollow cylindrical-shaped accommodating space such that the upstream segment is formed as a smoothly converged flow channel while the downstream segment is formed as a smoothly diverged flow channel;
a water turbine, arranged in the hollow cylindrical-shaped accommodating space of the water-guiding base, the water turbine further comprising a rotating shaft and a plurality of blades, wherein two ends of the rotating shaft respectively pass through an axle hole formed on the bottom plate and top plate and are respectively connected to the bottom plate and the top plate corresponding to the hollow cylindrical-shaped accommodating space through a bearing; and
a cylindrical-shaped gate shell, configured to pass through the top plate and slidably coupled to a circumference of the water turbine around the upstream side, wherein the two lateral sides of the cylindrical-shaped gate shell respectively slidably coupled to the first and the second guiding slots whereby an opening degree of the cylindrical-shaped gate shell can be adjusted through sliding the cylindrical-shaped gate shell for adjusting a cross-sectional area of a stream flow so as to control a stream discharge of the water turbine, switching off operation of the water turbine, and adjusting a water level at the upstream side to be at a high water level state.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The water turbine machine of claim 1, wherein the upstream segment of the water-guiding base further comprises at least one upstream flow-dividing plate having an discharging arc plate extending toward the hollow cylindrical-shaped accommodating space such that the upstream segment is divided into a plurality of smoothly converged sub-channels respectively having an discharging opening toward to one side of the hollow cylindrical-shaped accommodating space through which the stream flow from the upstream side stably and smoothly impacts the water turbine with small tangential angel and high flow speed.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The water turbine machine of claim 1, wherein the downstream segment further comprises at least one downstream flow-dividing plate having a connecting arc plate extending toward the hollow cylindrical-shaped accommodating space such that stream flow exhausted from the water turbine is expanded and flows to the outlet stably and smoothly.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The water turbine machine of claim 1, wherein the top plate is separable or partially separable from the first and the second lateral plates so as to facilitate installing the water turbine, and an arc slot is formed on the top plate for allowing the cylindrical-shaped gate shell sliding and passing therethrough.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The water turbine machine of claim 1, wherein a reinforcing bar is arranged on a surface of the cylindrical-shaped gate shell whereby the gate cylindrical-shaped shell is positioned and supported such that an acting force that an end of the discharging arc plate of the upstream flow-dividing plate acts on the gate shell is reinforced.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The water turbine machine of claim 1, wherein the cylindrical-shaped gate shell is further coupled to a driving mechanism that is utilized to drive the cylindrical-shaped gate shell to generate a reciprocating movement.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The water turbine machine of claim 1, wherein the water turbine is further coupled to an accelerator, a power generator, or a transmission mechanism so that the accelerator, the power generator, or the transmission mechanism receives energy from the water turbine.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The water turbine machine of claim 1, where at least one separating plate is arranged between the top plate and the bottom plate of the water-guiding base, and each separating plate further comprises a circular hole corresponding to the hollow cylindrical-shaped accommodating space for allowing the water turbine and cylindrical-shaped gate shell passing therethrough.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The water turbine machine of claim 1, wherein a water-blocking plate or a lifting plate is arranged at the upstream side of the water-guiding base for blocking a cross-sectional area of the stream flow and, in response to control of the cylindrical-shaped gate shell, the stream flow from the upstream side is impounded so as to form high water level state thereby increasing energy of the stream flow from the upstream side.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The water turbine machine of claim 1, wherein the water turbine further comprises a first plate, and a second plate, and the plurality of blades are circumferentially arranged between the first plate and the second plate, wherein at least one dividing plate is arranged between the first plate and the second plate.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The water turbine machine of claim 10, wherein a through hole is formed on the dividing plate for allowing the stream flow to pass through the dividing plate and flowing in dividing space defined by the first plate, the second plate and the at least one dividing plate.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The water turbine machine of claim 10, wherein the second plate further comprises at least one drain opening, and a discharging room is arranged under a bottom side of the water-guiding base so that the stream flow entering the water turbine flows downward to the discharging room through the at least one drain opening, and is exhausted from the outlet.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

The water turbine machine of claim 1, wherein the water turbine is a vertical-axis type water turbine.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The water turbine machine of the claim 1, wherein a rotation direction of the water turbine is clockwise rotation or counterclockwise rotation.