Submerged power generating apparatus
AssigneeSoil Machine Dynamics Limited
InventorJonathan Ralph Manchester
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An undersea power generation apparatus (1) includes two turbines (3) mounted side by side at either side of a support strut of hydrofoil-shaped cross section, each turbine (3) having a set of turbine blades which counter rotate so as to cancel out the respective torque produced by each turbine. The apparatus (1) is pivotally interconnected at point (9) to a pair of mooring cables (7), which are releasably moored to the seabed (6). The turbines (3) are positively buoyant such that in zero current they point vertically upwards as denoted by (8). When the current flows in the direction shown by arrow A, the drag forces on turbines (3) and support strut cause the apparatus (1) to pivot about point (9) and pitch over into condition denoted by (10) and shown in broken lines.
Claims19
An apparatus for generating electrical power from water flow, the apparatus comprising:
- at least one positively buoyant turbine comprising a respective first part and a respective second part adapted to be rotated about a respective axis by means of water flow relative to said first part, wherein the centre of mass and the centre of buoyancy of the or each said turbine are spaced apart from each other such that the axis of the or each said turbine adopts a substantially vertical orientation in non-flowing water;
- and at least one mooring cable for mooring the or each said turbine in a submerged condition to the floor of a body of water, at least one said mooring cable adapted to be releasably secured to said floor at an anchor point to retain said turbine below the surface of the water, at least one said mooring cable further comprising an extended portion connected to a buoy arranged to float on the surface of the body of water, the extended portion arranged to extend between the anchor point and the buoy to enable the at least one said mooring cable to be released from said floor to allow the turbine to float to said surface.
An apparatus for generating electrical power from water flow, the apparatus comprising:
- at least one positively buoyant turbine comprising a respective first part and a respective second part adapted to be rotated about a respective axis by means of water flow relative to said first part, wherein the centre of mass and the centre of buoyancy of the or each said turbine are spaced apart from each other such that the axis of the or each said turbine adopts a substantially vertical orientation in non-flowing water;
- at least one mooring cable for mooring the or each said turbine in a submerged condition to the floor of a body of water;
- and
- at least one anchor point comprising release means to enable at least one said mooring cable to be releasably secured to said floor to retain the or each said turbine below the surface of the water, and to be released from said floor to allow the or each said turbine to float to said surface.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.