US 6,309,179 B1 · Hydro turbine

Abstract

A hydro turbine has a housing with a cylindrical chamber and opposed end walls with laterally spaced smaller rectangular inlets and laterally spaced larger rectangular outlets formed in upper and lower portions of the chamber side wall in horizontally opposed relation. Smaller rectangular inlet ducts adjoin the inlets, and larger rectangular outlet ducts adjoin the outlets. A cylindrical runner surrounding a power take-off shaft is rotatably enclosed in the chamber and has a central cylindrical hub divided into laterally spaced hub portions with a first and second plurality of circumferentially spaced peripheral blades extending angularly outward from each hub portion, the first plurality of blades being circumferentially offset from the second. Arcuate laterally spaced upper and lower flow passageways of rectangular cross section defined between the central hub portions and circumferential segments of the chamber side wall extend between the upper inlets and outlets and lower inlets and outlets, respectively. The runner and shaft are rotated by conducting an incompressible liquid through each or selected ones of the inlet ducts and discharging it through the respective outlet ducts. The offset blades divide the rectangular flow passageways into unequal volumes such that the volume and head pressure of the incoming liquid is alternately greater or less on one side of the runner than the other side to facilitate rotation and discharge of the liquid.

Claims9

Dependent claims

A hydro turbine for extracting energy from an incompressible liquid, comprising:

a housing having a cylindrical chamber with a circumferential side wall and opposed end walls, a smaller rectangular inlet and a larger rectangular outlet formed in said side wall in horizontally opposed relation;
an inlet duct of smaller rectangular cross section having an interior connected in fluid communication with said smaller rectangular inlet, and an outlet duct of larger rectangular cross section having an interior connected in fluid communication with said larger rectangular outlet;
a cylindrical runner rotatably enclosed in said chamber having an axis of rotation perpendicular to the flow of said incoming incompressible liquid and having a central cylindrical hub with a plurality of circumferentially spaced peripheral blades extending angularly outward therefrom in a direction opposite the direction of the incoming liquid;
a power take-off shaft connected with said runner to rotate therewith and having opposed outer ends extending rotatably and sealingly through said end walls for connection to power generating means;
and
a circumferential segment of said chamber side wall and said runner central hub defining an arcuate flow passageway of rectangular cross section extending between said inlet and said outlet;
said runner and said shaft being rotated by conducting said incompressible liquid through said inlet duct of smaller rectangular cross section and said smaller rectangular inlet to engage a plurality of said blades disposed in said flow passageway and discharging said liquid through said larger rectangular outlet and said outlet duct of larger cross section.

4 more elements

A method of generating power using an incompressible liquid comprising the steps of:

providing a hydro turbine having a power take-off shaft surrounded by a cylindrical runner rotatably enclosed in and surrounded by a cylindrical chamber having a circumferential side wall with a smaller rectangular inlet and a larger rectangular outlet formed in said side wall in horizontally opposed relation, an inlet duct of smaller rectangular cross section joined in fluid communication with said smaller rectangular inlet, and an outlet duct of larger rectangular cross section joined in fluid communication with said larger rectangular outlet;
said cylindrical runner having a central cylindrical hub with a plurality of circumferentially spaced peripheral blades extending angularly outward therefrom, a circumferential segment of said chamber side wall and said runner central hub defining an arcuate flow passageway of rectangular cross section extending between said inlet and said outlet, and a plurality of said blades disposed in said flow passageway;
connecting said power take-off shaft with a power generator;
conducting said incompressible liquid through said inlet duct of smaller rectangular cross section and said smaller rectangular inlet to engage a plurality of said blades disposed in said flow passageway and discharging said liquid through said larger rectangular outlet and said outlet duct of larger cross section to impart rotation on said runner and said power take-off shaft;
and
the rotation of said power take-off shaft operating said power generator to generate power.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Hydro turbine

Life of this patent

Hydro turbine

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims9