Fluid powered electrical generator

An axial flow fluid turbine generator apparatus comprising, in combination:

• a central support structure;
• a hollow outer support structure surrounding and connected to said central support structure and adapted to pass a stream of fluid between said support structures;
• an impellor-rotor rotatably mounted on said central support structure;
• said impellor-rotor having a plurality of circumferentially spaced non-magnetic fluid dynamic blade means for transferring energy from the stream of fluid;
• gimbal mounting means connected to and supporting said outer support structure;
• and
• stabilizer means for aligning said outer support structure and said impellor-rotor with a fluid flow stream.

An axial flow fluid turbine generator apparatus comprising, in combination:

• a central support structure;
• a hollow outer support structure surrounding and connected to said central support structure and adapted to pass a stream of fluid between said support structures;
• an impellor-rotor rotatably mounted on said central support structure;
• said impellor-rotor having a plurality of circumferentially spaced non-magnetic fluid dynamic blade means for transferring energy from the stream of fluid;
• and
• said outer support structure including a central stator portion, and upstream inlet fairing and a downstream diffuser shroud, said diffuser shroud being hollow and at least the inner surface of said shroud formed of a flexible material for flexure with fluid flow through said apparatus.

An axial flow turbine generator apparatus comprising, in combination:

• a central support structure;
• a hollow outer support structure surrounding and connected to said central support structure and adapted to pass a stream of fluid between said support structures;
• an impellor-rotor rotatably mounted on said central support structure, said impellor-rotor including a plurality of circumferentially spaced fluid dynamic blade means for transferring energy from the stream of fluid and further including a ring connecting the radial outward ends of said blade means;
• and
• peripheral generating means for generating electrical power, including a stator generating element including a plurality of magnets mounted on said outer support structure and a rotor generating element mounted on said impellor-rotor ring and including an armature coil carried on a planar substrate which lies in a plane generally normal to an axis of rotation of said impellor-rotor;
• said plurality of magnets being circumferentially spaced around said outer support structure adjacent said planar substrate and in two opposing rings, with said planar substrate being disposed between said two opposing rings.

An axial flow turbine generator apparatus comprising, in combination:

• a central support structure;
• a hollow outer support structure surrounding and connected to said central support structure and adapted to pass a stream of fluid between said support structures;
• an impellor-rotor rotatably mounted on said central support structure, said impellor-rotor including a plurality of circumferentially spaced fluid dynamic blade means for transferring energy from the stream of fluid and further including a ring connecting the radial outward ends of said blade means;
• and
• peripheral generating means for generating electrical power, including a stator generating element mounted on said outer support structure and a rotor generating element mounted on said impellor-rotor ring.
• said stator generating element including a plurality of magnets and said rotor generating element including a plurality of spaced apart planar substrates, each of said substrates carrying an armature coil, with said planar substrates being coaxially aligned with said impellor-rotor and lying in respective planes normal to an axis of rotation of said impellor-rotor.

An axial flow turbine generator apparatus comprising, in combination:

• a central support structure;
• a hollow outer support structure surrounding and connected to said central support structure and adapted to pass a stream of fluid between said support structures;
• an impellor-rotor rotatably mounted on said central support structure, said impellor-rotor including a plurality of circumferentially spaced fluid dynamic blade means for transferring energy from the stream of fluid and further including a ring connecting the radial outward ends of said blade means;
• and
• peripheral generating means for generating electrical power including a stator generating element including a plurality of magnetics mounted on said outer support structure and a rotor generating element including an armature coil mounted on said impellor-rotor ring;
• said rotor generating element further including a tubular substrate, coaxial with said impellor-rotor ring, which carries said armature coil.

An axial flow turbine generator apparatus comprising, in combination:

• a central support structure;
• a hollow outer support structure surrounding and connected to said central support structure and adapted to pass a stream of fluid between said support structures;
• an impellor-rotor rotatably mounted on said central support structure, said impellor-rotor including a plurality of circumferentially spaced fluid dynamic blade means for transferring energy from the stream of fluid and further including a ring connecting the radial outward ends of said blade means;
• and
• peripheral generating means for generating electrical power, including a stator generating element mounted on said outer support structure and a rotor generating element mounted on said impellor-rotor ring;
• said peripheral generating means further including energy transfer means for transferring electrical energy from said armature coil to a non-rotating structure of said turbine generator apparatus, said energy transfer means including an inductive coupler having a primary winding which rotates with said impellor-rotor and a secondary winding which is mounted on said non-rotating structure.

An axial flow turbine generator apparatus comprising, in combination:

• a central support structure;
• a hollow outer support structure surrounding and connected to said central support structure and adapted to pass a stream of fluid between said support structures;
• an impellor-rotor rotatably mounted on said central support structure, said impellor-rotor including a plurality of circumferentially spaced fluid dynamic blade means for transferring energy from the stream of fluid and further including a ring connecting the radial outward ends of said blade means;
• and
• peripheral generating means for genrating electrical power, including a stator generating element mounted on said outer support structure and a rotor generating element mounted on said impellor-rotor ring;
• said peripheral generating means comprising an armature which includes an armature substrate having a generally U-shaped cross-section, said armature substrate including first and second spaced-apart tubular substrates and a third planar substrate, normal to and interconnecting said tubular substrates, with said armature further including an armature coil mounted on each of said first second and third substrates.

An axial flow turbine generator apparatus comprising, in combination:

• a central support structure;
• a hollow outer support structure surrounding and connected to said central support structure and adapted to pass a stream of fluid between said support structures;
• an impellor-rotor rotatably mounted on said central support structure, said impellor-rotor including a plurality of circumferentially spaced fluid dynamic blade means for transferring energy from the stream of fluid and further including a ring connecting the radial outward ends of said blade means;
• peripheral generating means for generating electrical power, including a stator generating element mounted on said outer support structure and a rotor generating element mounted on said impellor-rotor;
• and
• centerbody generating means for generating electrical power, said centerbody generating means including a stator generating element and a rotor generating element both having a diameter substantially less than diameters of said peripheral generating means, stator generating element and rotor generating element.

An axial flow turbine generator apparatus comprising, in combination:

• a central support structure;
• a hollow outer support structure surrounding and connected to said central support structure and adapted to pass a stream of fluid between said support structures;
• an impellor-rotor rotatably mounted on said central support structure, said impellor-rotor including a plurality of circumferentially spaced fluid dynamic blade means for transferring energy from the stream of fluid and further including a ring connecting the radial outward ends of said blade means;
• peripheral generating means for generating electrical power, including a stator generating element mounted on said outer support structure and a rotor generating element mounted on said impellor-rotor ring;
• and
• a centerbody generating means for generating electrical power, said centerbody generating means including a stator generating element and a rotor generating element both having a diameter substantially less than diameters of said peripheral generating means, stator generating element and rotor generating element and mounted on, and proximity to, said center support structure;
• said turbine generator apparatus further including control means for activating and de-activating said centerbody generating means in response to electrical power output of said peripheral generating means.

An axial flow turbine generator apparatus comprising, in combination:

• a central support structure;
• a hollow outer support structure surrounding and connected to said central support structure and adapted to pass a stream of fluid between said support structures;
• an impellor-rotor rotatably mounted on said central support structure, said impellor-rotor including a plurality of circumferentially spaced fluid dynamic blade means for transferring energy from the stream of fluid and further including a ring connecting the radial outward ends of said blade means;
• peripheral generating means for generating electrical power, including a stator generating element mounted on said outer support structure and a rotor generating element mounted on said impellor-rotor ring;
• a centerbody generating means for generating electrical power, said centerbody generating means including a stator generating element and a rotor generating element both having a diameter substantially less than diameters of said peripheral generating means, stator generating element and rotor generating element and mounted on, and proximity to, said center support structure, and
• control means for activating and deactivating said centerbody generating means in response to changes in flow velocity of the stream of fluid.

An axial flow turbine generator apparatus comprising, in combination:

• a central support structure;
• a hollow outer support structure surrounding and connected to said central support structure and adapted to pass a stream of fluid between said support structures;
• an impellor-rotor rotatably mounted on said central support structure, said impellor-rotor including a plurality of circumferentially spaced fluid dynamic blade means for transferring energy from the stream of fluid and further including a ring connecting the radial outward ends of said blade means;
• and
• peripheral generating means for generating electrical power, including a stator generating element mounted on said outer support structure and a rotor generating element mounted on said impellor-rotor ring;
• said rotor generating element including a tubular substrate, coaxial with said impellor-rotor ring, which carries said armature coil.