A device for converting energy associated with fluid flow into electrical energy comprising:
- A) a bridge having a front end, a rear end, two sides, a top and a bottom, said bridge top being located above water when said bridge is located in a body of moving water, such as a stream;
- B) float means attached to said bridge for maintaining said bridge afloat in the water;
- C) anchor means attached to said bridge for holding said bridge stationary with respect to water flowing therepast in a selected location in the water whereby water flows past said bridge;
- D) power generating means on said bridge for converting rotary movement into electrical power;
- and
- E) translating means mounted on said bridge for translating movement of water past said bridge into rotary movement including
- (1) a central arm means rotatably mounted on said bridge and connected to said power generating means and extending from said bottom into the water for applying rotary movement to said power generating means, and
- (2) means mounted on said central arm for converting water movement past said bridge into rotary movement of said central arm including
- (a) a plurality of radial arms, each radial arm attached at a proximal end thereof to said central arm and having a distal end spaced radially outward from said central arm, and
- (b) a hydrowing movably attached to the distal end of each radial arm, each hydrowing including
- (i) a body oriented to be parallel to a tangent to said central arm at the proximal end of the radial arm to which said body is attached when the hydrowing is in a neutral orientation,
- (ii) a first water impact section on one end of said body and having a front surface and a rear surface,
- (iii) a second water impact section on a second end of said body and having a first surface and a second surface,
- (iv) each of said first water impact sections being oriented at a first angle with respect to the body to which it is attached and having a front water impact area on said front surface and a rear water impact area on said rear surface,
- (v) each of said second water impact sections being oriented at a second angle with respect to the body to which it is attached and having a first water impact area on said first surface and a second water impact area on said second surface,
- (vi) said first and second angles having equal absolute values,
- (vii) said first water impact section being larger than said second water impact section, and
- (viii) attaching means on each radial arm movably connecting the hydrowing on that arm to that radial arm for orienting each hydrowing with respect to the flow direction of the water flowing past said bridge to present a greater total impact area on one side of said central arm than on the diametrically opposite side of said central arm whereby a net force is generated by the water flowing past said bridge on said central arm tending to rotate said central arm, said attaching means being located between said first water impact section and said second water impact section.