Turbine

A water turbine comprising a generally conical central body portion having a leading nose with associated means for mounting the water turbine substantially immersed in a flowing stream, means upstream of said nose for aligning the turbine with the flowing stream and deflecting any entrained solid matter, a base portion for the body portion extending generally transverse to the axis of the cone enabling the formation of a relatively low pressure water zone adjacent to the base portion downstream of the base portion, and an array of approximately 9 blades spaced around the periphery of the central body portion and connected thereto thereby providing channels between respective blades, each blade having a leading end located at a shallow angle to the flow of water to avoid imparting severe directional change to the water and each blade also extending smoothly from the profile of the central body portion at an intermediate region on the periphery of the central body portion to a trailing end portion of each blade located adjacent to a peripheral region of said base portion, and each blade generally increasing in radial dimension and decreasing in pitch from the leading end thereof to the trailing end portion, each channel between adjacent blades diverging in the direction along the body portion and towards the base portion, each blade extending from its leading end at an acute angle to an axial plane passing through the leading end and extending at a greater angle of approximately 45.degree. to an axial plane passing through the mid-point of the blade and to thereby provide a predominately axial flow turbine.

A power generator comprising:

• (a) a buoyant support adapted to float in a flowing water stream and to be anchored,
• (b) a turbine apparatus adapted to be secured to the buoyant support and to rotate when substantially immersed in the water stream, said rotation being about a substantially horizontal axis,
• (c) means connected to the turbine apparatus for transmitting power generated by the turbine,
• (d) rigid deflector means mounted on the buoyant support upstream of the turbine apparatus for deflecting away from the turbine apparatus solid material entrained in the water flow, the turbine apparatus comprising a generally conical body portion increasing in radial dimension in the downstream direction to a base portion and having blades mounted on the periphery thereof and connected to the buoyant support through the leading end thereof,
• (e) the apparatus being configured and dimensioned for permitting the water stream to flow freely over and around the turbine apparatus,
• (f) the turbine apparatus having approximately 5-12 blades spaced around the periphery of the conical body portion and connected thereto thereby providing channels between respective blades,
• (g) each blade extending smoothly from the profile of the conical body portion from a leading end of the blade located at an intermediate region on the periphery of the conical body portion to a trailing end portion of the blade located adjacent a peripheral region of said base portion,
• (h) each blade generally increasing in radial dimension and decreasing in pitch from the leading end thereof to the trailing end portion,
• (i) each blade also having a leading end located at a shallow angle to the flow of the water stream to avoid imparting a severe directional change to water entering at the leading end,
• (j) each channel between adjacent blades diverging in the direction along the body portion and towards the base portion and,
• (k) the base portion extending transversely to the axis of the conical body portion for establishing a low pressure zone in the water stream immediately downstream of the base portion to thereby provide a predominately axial flow turbine.

A water turbine comprising:

• (a) a conically shaped central body portion extending along an axis and having an annular surface which increases in radial dimension from an inlet portion along an axial direction towards a base portion,
• (b) a plurality of blades spaced around the periphery of the central body portion and connected thereto, thereby providing channels between the respective blades, each blade having a leading end located at a shallow angle to the flow of water to avoid imparting severe directional change to the water, and each blade extending from the leading end thereof located at an intermediate region on the periphery on the central body portion, a trailing end portion of each blade being located adjacent a peripheral region of said base portion, and each blade generally increasing in radial dimension and decreasing in pitch from the leading and thereof the trailing end portion,
• (c) each channel between adjacent blades diverging in the downstream direction,
• (d) said base portion having a transverse wall structure which provides a relatively low pressure zone in the water adjacent to and downstream of the base portion in its region near the axis when the turbine is in use, and
• (e) the angle between (1) a line on the annular surface coplanar with the axial direction and (2) the transverse wall structure being approximately 65 degrees to thereby enable substantial axial flow along the body portion and to thereby provide a predominately axial flow turbine.

A water turbine comprising:

• (a) a conically shaped central body portion extending along an axis and having an annular surface which increases in radial dimension from an inlet portion along an axial direction towards a base portion,
• (b) a plurality of blades spaced around the periphery of the central body portion and connected thereto, thereby providing channels between the respective blades, each blade having a leading end located at a shallow angle to the flow of water to avoid imparting severe directional change to the water, and each blade extending from a leading end thereof located at an intermediate region on the periphery on the central body portion, a trailing end portion of each blade being located adjacent a peripheral region of said base portion, and each blade generally increasing in radial dimension and decreasing in pitch from the leading end thereof to the trailing end portion,
• (c) each channel between adjacent blades diverging in the downstream direction,
• (d) said base portion having a transverse wall structure which provides a relatively low pressure zone in the water adjacent to and downstream of the base portion in its region near the axis when the turbine is in use, and
• (e) the elongate blades extending along and partially around the conical body portion and being attached to the body portion along a line of attachment, the angle of the blade at a midpoint of the line of attachment to an axial plane passing through the midpoint of the blade being about 45.degree. and the angle of the blade at an axial plane passing through its leading edge being no greater than about 45.degree. and to thereby provide a predominately axial flow turbine.

A water turbine comprising:

• (a) a conically shaped central body portion extending along an axis and having an inlet leading nose portion and annular surface which increases in radial dimension from the inlet portion along an axial direction towards a base portion,
• (b) means for mounting the water turbine substantially immersed in a flowing stream of water,
• (c) an array of approximately five to twelve blades spaced around the periphery of the central body portion and connected thereto, thereby providing channels between the respective blades, each blade having a leading end located at a shallow angle to the flow of water to avoid imparting severe directional change to the water, and each blade extending from the leading and thereof located at an intermediate region on the periphery on the central body portion, each blade further extending from its leading end at an acute angle to an axial plane passing through the leading end and extending at a greater angle of approximately 45.degree. to an axial plane passing through the midpoint of the blade, a trailing end portion of each blade being located adjacent a peripheral region of said base portion, and each blade generally increasing in radial dimension and decreasing in pitch from the leading end thereof to the trailing end portion,
• (d) each channel between adjacent blades diverging in the downstream direction,
• (e) said base portion having a transverse wall structure which provides a relatively low pressure zone in the water adjacent to and downstream of the base portion in its region near the axis when the turbine is in use, and
• (f) the angle between (1) a line on the annular surface coplanar with the axial direction and (2) the transverse wall structure being approximately 65.degree. to thereby enable substantial axial flow along the body portion and to thereby produce a predominately axial flow turbine.

A water turbine comprising:

• (a) a conically shaped central body portion extending along an axis and having an inlet leading nose portion and annular surface which increases in radial dimension from the inlet portion along an axial direction towards a base portion,
• (b) plurality of blades spaced around the periphery of the central body portion and connected thereto, thereby providing channels between the respective blades, each blade having a leading end located at substantially halfway along the periphery of the central body portion, a trailing end portion of each blade being located adjacent a peripheral region of said base portion and which trailing end portion is in the same axial plane of the next but one adjacent blade, and each blade generally increasing in radial dimension and decreasing in pitch from the leading end thereof to the trailing end portion,
• (c) each channel between adjacent blades diverging in the downstream direction,
• (d) said base portion having a transverse wall structure extending substantially perpendicular to the axis and which provides a relatively low pressure zone in the water adjacent to and downstream of the base portion in its region near the axis when the turbine is in use, and
• (e) the angle between (1) a line on the annular surface coplanar with the axial direction and (2) the transverse wall structure being approximately 65.degree. to thereby enable substantial axial flow along the body portion and to thereby produce a predominately axial flow turbine.

A water turbine comprising:

• (a) a conically shaped central body portion extending along an axis and having an annular surface which increases in radial dimension from an inlet portion along an axial direction towards a base portion,
• (b) a plurality of blades spaced around the periphery of the central body portion and connected thereto, thereby providing channels between the respective blades, each blade extending from a leading and thereof located at an intermediate region on the periphery on the central body portion, a trailing end portion of each blade being located adjacent a peripheral region of said base portion, and each blade generally increasing in radial dimension and decreasing in pitch from the leading end thereof to the trailing end portion,
• (c) each channel between adjacent blades diverging in the downstream direction,
• (d) said base portion having a transverse wall structure which provides a relatively low pressure zone in the water adjacent to and downstream of the base portion in its region near the axis when the turbine is in use, and
• (e) the elongate blades extending along and partially around the conical body portion and being attached to the body portion along a line of attachment, the angle of the blade at a midpoint of the line of attachment to an axial plane passing through the midpoint of the blade being about 45.degree. and the angle of the blade at an axial plane passing though its leading edge being no greater than about 45.degree., the angle between (1) a line on the annual surface co-planar with the axial direction and (2) the transverse wall structure being approximately 65.degree. to thereby enable substantial axial flow along the body portion and the trailing end of each blade being located adjacent to the base portion and in substantially the same axial plane as the leading end of the next but one adjacent blade.