Simultaneous plural-directional flow motor

Abstract

A motor having an upright shaft with vanes driven by different, simultaneous, multidirectional, generally horizontal currents, for ocean offshore or beach installation, the vertical height, measured by the operative vertical span of the vanes, being significantly much greater than any known prior art wave operated motors and representing the novel concept of simultaneous driving of the motor by wave or inflow currents as well as undertow or outflow currents impinging simultaneously on separate, vertically spaced groups of vanes. The very considerable vertical height of the motor required in the practice of this invention reflects the necessity to accomodate to tidal variation and varying shoreward and backflow conditions, any undriven submerged portion tending to windmill harmlessly and any portion extending above the water, as at low tide, acting as a reasonably efficient wind motor complementing the water current-driven portions to increase the total power output which will ordinarily be electric power from overhead or base mounted generators driven from the shaft of the motor, and in the latter case the base is made accessible through a relatively large vertical fixed access shaft which may house the motor drive shaft. Horizontal plates between the tiers of vanes provide a bucketing function greatly increasing efficiency as well as providing structural rigidity.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.