Accelerated and-or redirected flow-inducing and-or low pressure field or area-inducing arrangement, their use with turbine-like devices and method for using same

A combination comprising a hydro-kinetic turbine device in combination with an accelerated and/or redirected flow-inducing arrangement,

• the turbine device having a fluid inlet end and a fluid outlet end for fluid flowing therethrough, defining a direction of fluid flow through the device, an accelerator shroud section that has a longitudinal central axis and defines within its cross-section a fluid flow area and includes a rotor assembly that is mounted within the accelerator shroud for rotation around the longitudinal central axis, and includes a plurality of rotor blades extending radially outwardly within the accelerator shroud;
• the flow-inducing arrangement comprising (1) a forward deflector positioned in front of the fluid inlet end of the turbine device and (2) a rear deflector positioned downstream of the rotor assembly, the forward deflector being configured so as to produce at least one of the following effects on the fluid flowing through the turbine-device:
• (a) imparting a re-direction of the fluid as it passes through the forward deflector;
• and/or (b) accelerating the flow velocity of the fluid as it flows through the forward deflector,
• wherein the forward deflector comprises a conically shaped forward array of deflector rods that includes a plurality of deflector rod sub-arrays that are configured to provide at least one of said effects (a) and/or (b), wherein the forward deflector comprises a wildlife and/or debris deflector, and wherein the spacing of the deflector rods in the sub-arrays of the forward deflector that form the conically shaped forward deflector run parallel to one another in each respective sub-array, and have a spacing in each sub-array that is equal, thereby defining the minimum size of object that can pass through the wildlife and/or debris deflector,
• and wherein the rear deflector comprises a rear array of deflector rods that is configured to produce a radial redirection of the fluid with respect to the direction of fluid flow through the turbine device and a decrease in pressure in the fluid downstream of the rear deflector.

A method for enhancing the performance of a turbine device having a fluid inlet end and a fluid exit end defining a direction of fluid flow through the turbine device, the turbine device including (1) an accelerator shroud section that has a longitudinal central axis and defines within its cross-section a fluid flow area and includes a rotor assembly that is (a) mounted within the accelerator shroud for rotation around the longitudinal central axis, and (b) includes a plurality of rotor blades extending radially outwardly within the accelerator shroud, said rotor blades being configured to rotate the rotor assembly in a first direction of rotation in response to fluid flowing in the direction of fluid flow through the turbine device, and (2) a forward deflector in combination with the turbine device by being placed upstream at the fluid inlet end of the turbine device, comprising:

• causing a fluid to flow through the forward deflector which is configured to produce a re-directed fluid flow that includes at least some rotational re-direction of the fluid flow;
• and
• then causing the re-directed fluid that has flowed through the forward deflector and has been rotationally re-directed to flow into the fluid inlet end of the turbine device, wherein the amount of rotational re-direction of the fluid flow is sufficient to result in at least a decrease in loss of performance of the hydro-kinetic turbine device resulting from combination of the forward deflector.

A combination comprising a turbine device in combination with an accelerated and/or redirected flow-enhancing arrangement,

• the turbine device having a fluid inlet end and a fluid outlet end for fluid flowing therethrough, defining a direction of fluid flow through the device, an accelerator shroud section that has a longitudinal central axis and defines within its cross-section a fluid flow area and includes a rotor assembly that is mounted within the accelerator shroud for rotation around the longitudinal central axis, and includes a plurality of rotor blades extending radially outwardly within the accelerator shroud, said rotor blades being configured to rotate the rotor assembly in a first direction of rotation in response to fluid flowing in the direction of fluid flow through the turbine device;
• and
• the flow-inducing arrangement comprising a forward deflector positioned upstream of the fluid inlet end of the turbine device, the forward deflector being configured so as to produce the effect, on the fluid flowing through it, of imparting a re-direction of the fluid as it passes through the forward deflector;
• wherein the forward deflector comprises a conically-shaped array of deflector rods that comprises a wildlife and/or debris deflector for the turbine device, wherein the forward deflector includes a plurality of deflector rod sub-arrays oriented with respect to one another so as to produce a re-direction of the fluid that includes at least some rotational re-direction, wherein the amount of rotational re-direction of the fluid flow is sufficient to result in at least a decrease in loss of performance of the hydro-kinetic turbine device resulting from combination of the forward deflector.