Dedekind cone valve and air infiltration system and method for hydroelectric plants
AssigneeCube Hydro Partners, LLC
InventorsWalter Neal Simmons, Connor Tinen
Life of this patent
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Abstract
An air infiltration system for a hydroelectric plant includes a spillway gate and a linearized cone valve coupled to the spillway gate, the linearized cone valve having a pivotable plate assembly. The spillway gate may be a tainter or Stoney gate and the pivotable plate assembly may have a deflection plate. A method of infiltrating air in water released from an impoundment may include: lifting a spillway gate from a resting position proximate a bottom of a spillway; and pivoting a deflection plate coupled to the gate proximate the bottom of the spillway; wherein water flows through an opening disposed between the deflection plate and the gate and is sprayed into an atmosphere to be oxygenated.
Claims20
An air infiltration system disposed proximate a spillway surface of a hydroelectric plant, the system comprising:
- a spillway gate;
- and
- a linearized cone valve coupled to the spillway gate, the linearized cone valve comprising a pivotable plate assembly disposed to partially obstruct flow of water and facilitate aeration of the water when the spillway gate is in an open position;
- wherein in the open position, a gap is formed between a free edge of the spillway gate and a spillway surface while the pivotable plate assembly abuts the spillway surface.
A method of infiltrating air in water released from an impoundment, the method comprising:
- lifting a spillway gate from a resting position proximate a bottom surface of a spillway;
- and
- pivoting an assembly comprising a deflection plate, the assembly coupled to the spillway gate proximate the bottom surface of the spillway, to form a gap between a free edge of the spillway gate and the bottom surface of the spillway while the deflection plate abuts the bottom surface of the spillway;
- wherein water flows through the gap and is sprayed into an atmosphere to be oxygenated.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.