Spent flow discharge apparatus for an instream fluid power-extraction machine

An instream fluid power-extraction machine adapted to be immersed in an ambient flow of a surrounding fluid and to extract energy from a captured portion of the fluid, comprising:

• a front end featuring a fluid intake inlet with a central axis thereof extending in an axial direction, and featuring an ambient flow deflector that extends laterally or radially outwardly, relative to said central axis, from said fluid intake inlet to an outer edge of said ambient flow deflector;
• a rear end featuring a closed fluid-impervious surface extending continuously across a widest part of said rear end;
• a radially or laterally outer side featuring a discharge outlet located forwardly from said widest part, and a mixing surface extending rearwardly as well as radially or laterally outwardly from said discharge outlet to said widest part;
• an internal fluid flow channel communicating from said fluid intake inlet to said discharge outlet;
• and
• a power-extraction device arranged in said fluid flow channel;
• wherein said widest part is located laterally or radially outwardly, relative to said central axis, farther than said outer edge of said ambient flow deflector and farther than said discharge outlet.

An instream fluid power-extraction machine to be immersed in an ambient flow of a surrounding fluid so as to capture a portion of the fluid, extract energy from the captured fluid thereby producing spent fluid, and then discharge the spent fluid as discharged fluid back into the ambient flow, wherein said machine comprises:

• a housing that bounds a fluid intake inlet and that includes an ambient flow deflector, wherein said fluid intake inlet is oriented facing in an axial direction to be arranged facing axially forwardly upstream in the ambient flow, said ambient flow deflector extends laterally or radially outwardly to an outer edge of said ambient flow deflector located laterally or radially outwardly from said fluid intake inlet, and said ambient flow deflector is configured and arranged to intercept and deflect laterally or radially outwardly a portion of the ambient flow to form thereof an accelerated flow of the surrounding fluid at said outer edge of said ambient flow deflector;
• a downstream body arranged axially rearwardly from said ambient flow deflector, with a discharge outlet formed between said outer edge of said ambient flow deflector and a forward portion of said downstream body, wherein said downstream body comprises a mixing surface that extends laterally or radially outwardly from said forward portion to a widest part of said downstream body located axially rearwardly from said discharge outlet, and said downstream body further comprises a backflow preventer having a continuous closed imperforate backflow prevention surface that extends from said widest part of said downstream body laterally or radially inwardly to a closed center;
• a fluid flow channel within said machine communicating from said fluid intake inlet to said discharge outlet, wherein said fluid intake inlet is configured and adapted to capture the captured fluid, and said discharge outlet is configured and adapted to discharge the spent fluid as the discharged fluid back into the surrounding fluid;
• and
• a power extraction device arranged in said fluid flow channel, and configured to extract power from the captured fluid flowing in said fluid flow channel thereby producing the spent fluid;
• wherein said discharge outlet is located and configured to discharge the discharged fluid into the accelerated flow of the surrounding fluid, and wherein said outer edge of said ambient flow deflector, said discharge outlet, said mixing surface and said widest part of said downstream body are located and configured to cause turbulent mixing of the discharged fluid, the accelerated flow and the ambient flow of the surrounding fluid along said mixing surface, without any wake vortices flowing back into said discharge outlet.

An instream fluid power-extraction machine adapted to be immersed in an ambient flow of a surrounding fluid so as to capture a portion of the fluid, and to extract energy from and then discharge the captured fluid as discharged fluid, comprising:

• a front end featuring a fluid intake inlet and an ambient flow deflector that extends outwardly from said fluid intake inlet to an outer edge of said ambient flow deflector, wherein the ambient flow deflector is configured to intercept and deflect a portion of the surrounding fluid to form thereof an accelerated flow of fluid at said outer edge of said ambient flow deflector;
• a rear end featuring a closed fluid-impervious surface extending continuously across a widest part of said rear end;
• a radially or laterally outer side featuring a discharge outlet located forwardly from said widest part, and a mixing surface extending rearwardly as well as radially or laterally outwardly from said discharge outlet to said widest part;
• an internal fluid flow channel communicating from said fluid intake inlet to said discharge outlet;
• and
• a power-extraction device arranged in said fluid flow channel;
• wherein said discharge outlet is located and configured to discharge the discharged fluid into the accelerated flow of fluid;
• and
• wherein said outer edge of said ambient flow deflector, said discharge outlet, said mixing surface and said widest part are located and configured to cause turbulent mixing of the discharged fluid, the accelerated flow and the ambient flow of the surrounding fluid along said mixing surface, without any wake vortices flowing back into said discharge outlet.

A fluid discharge apparatus adapted to be immersed in an ambient flow of a surrounding fluid to discharge an effluent fluid into the surrounding fluid, wherein said apparatus is configured relative to a reference axis of the apparatus that is to be arranged extending axially forwardly upstream into the ambient flow of the surrounding fluid, and wherein said apparatus comprises:

• an ambient flow deflector that extends rearwardly as well as laterally or radially outwardly, relative to said reference axis, to an outer edge of said ambient flow deflector;
• a discharge outlet that is adapted to discharge the effluent fluid and that is bounded by and extends rearwardly from said outer edge of said ambient flow deflector;
• a mixing surface that extends rearwardly as well as laterally or radially outwardly, relative to said reference axis, from said discharge outlet to a widest part of said mixing surface;
• and
• a closed fluid-impervious surface that extends continuously laterally or radially inwardly, relative to said reference axis, from said widest part to said reference axis, and thereby forms a closed rear end of said apparatus;
• wherein said widest part is located laterally or radially outwardly, relative to said reference axis, farther than said outer edge of said ambient flow deflector and farther than said discharge outlet.