Oscillating foil turbine
AssigneeNational Research Council of Canada
InventorPengfei Liu
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An oscillating foil turbine has a foil having a first fluid dynamic surface for producing lift in a fluid flow, a support for the foil, and a second fluid dynamic surface, wherein the support allows for cyclic motion of the first and second surfaces with respect to each other. A driven member is provided to tap energy from flow throughout each cycle. Throughout at least part of the cyclic translation, the fluid dynamic surfaces are oriented sufficiently parallel, and separated by a distance that is sufficiently small, to achieve a substantial wing-in-ground effect.
Claims32
An oscillating foil turbine for tapping fluid kinetic energy from a reversible flow comprising:
- a first foil having a chord length and a first fluid dynamic surface designed to produce lift, mounted to a support for cyclic oscillation in the flow, with substantial motion in a first direction perpendicular to the flow, the first fluid dynamic surface having first and second sides, and the first foil is a reversible foil equally operable in flows in two opposite directions;
- a second fluid dynamic surface operating in the flow to produce an effective ground parallel to a direction of the flow and perpendicular to the first direction;
- and
- a member coupled directly or indirectly to the first foil, adapted to use the motion in the first direction to perform work,
- wherein throughout a portion of the cycle the first side of the first fluid dynamic surface is separated from the effective ground by less than about 20% of the chord length, and the effective ground has an extent such that at least 80% of the first foil is projected onto the effective ground in the first direction.
An oscillating foil turbine for tapping fluid kinetic energy from a flow comprising:
- a first foil having a chord length and a first fluid dynamic surface designed to produce lift, mounted to a support for cyclic oscillation in the flow, with substantial motion in a first direction perpendicular to the flow, the first fluid dynamic surface having first and second sides, wherein the support comprises a guideway through which rigid protrusions of the foil pass, providing a translational joint for coupling the foil to a frame, the guideway oriented substantially in the first direction;
- a second fluid dynamic surface operating in the flow to produce an effective ground parallel to a direction of the flow and perpendicular to the first direction;
- and
- a member coupled directly or indirectly to the first foil, adapted to use the motion in the first direction to perform work,
- wherein throughout a portion of the cycle the first side of the first fluid dynamic surface is separated from the effective ground by less than about 20% of the chord length, and the effective ground has an extent such that at least 80% of the first foil is projected onto the effective ground in the first direction.
An oscillating foil turbine for tapping fluid kinetic energy from a flow comprising:
- a first foil having a chord length and a first fluid dynamic surface designed to produce lift, mounted to a support for cyclic oscillation in the flow, with substantial motion in a first direction perpendicular to the flow, the first fluid dynamic surface having first and second sides;
- a second fluid dynamic surface operating in the flow to produce an effective ground parallel to a direction of the flow and perpendicular to the first direction;
- and
- a reciprocating pushrod extending from the first foil substantially in the first direction and adapted to use the motion in the first direction to perform work,
- wherein throughout a portion of the cycle the first side of the first fluid dynamic surface is separated from the effective ground by less than about 20% of the chord length, and the effective ground has an extent such that at least 80% of the first foil is projected onto the effective ground in the first direction.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.