GB2435908A

GB2435908A - Vertical axis turbine for low speed flows with stall prevention

Info

Publication number: GB2435908A
Application number: GB0604625A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Paul Hales
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 2006-03-08
Filing date: 2006-03-08
Publication date: 2007-09-12
Anticipated expiration: 2026-03-08
Also published as: GB2435908B; GB0604625D0

Abstract

A vertical axis turbine for producing power from low speed fluid flows has upper 2 and lower 3 circular discs with vanes 5 mounted on shafts 4 arranged around the discs. The vanes are free to move around the shafts, but fixed pegs 7 provide an end stop to prevent full rotation. Fluid flow from any direction acts on the vanes to turn the turbine in a single direction, with any vanes that do not contribute to this torque free to align with the fluid flow. The turbine also has 'exciter' blades 8 which each have two stops 7 so that they can not be moved to a 'stalled' position in which fluid flow could produce no torque. It is thus impossible for the turbine to stall. The main vanes also have diagonal cuts 11 so that excessive fluid pressure is relieved and does not overload the turbine or associated machinery.

Description

I

BACKGROUND

THE FIELD OF THE PRESENT INVENTION COMPRISES POWER

GENERATION, AND MORE SPECIFICALLY, POWER GENERATION BY RENEWABLE RESOURCES THAT HAVE NOT YET BEEN EXPLOITED.

THE WORLD S REQUIREMENT FOR ENERGY IS WELL UNDERSTOOD

AND THE SEARCH FOR ALTERNATIVE AND RENEWABLE HAS BECOME

URGENT AND WIDE SPREAD.

ONE OF THE LARGEST AREAS OF KNOWN RENEWABLE POWER

RESOURCE IS THE LARGE MOVEMENTS OF WATER.

THERE ARE MANY LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD WHERE

LARGE MASSES OF WATER FLOW IN A CONSTANT AND RELIABLE

MANNER, ALTHOUGH THE FLOWS ARE AT LOW VELOCITY.

SUCH LOCATIONS, WHICH PROVIDE GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPLOITATION OF POTENTIAL ENERGY, INCLUDE TIDAL FLOWS, RIVER FLOWS, AND DEEP OCEAN CURRENTS.

FOR EXAMPLE, THE KUROSHIO CURRENT FLOWING PAST THE COAST OF JAPAN AT SHIKOKU MOVES AT A RATE UP TO 5.5 KNOTS, WITHOUT THE VARIATIONS COMMON TO WIND AND SOLAR POWER.

LIKEWISE, THE GULF CURRENTS FLOW ALONG THE ATLANTIC COAST OF THE UNITED STATES AT A SIMILAR VELOCITY, THESE ARE VAST

AREAS OF WATER MOVING AT STRONG FLOW RATES AND THERE ARE

EVEN GREATER AREAS SUCH AS THE COASTAL AREAS AROUND THE

BRITISH ISLES THAT HAVE STEADY TIDAL FLOW RATES ABOVE 3 KNOTS.

MOST PRESENT DAY DESIGNS OF GENERATORS ETC, TO EXTRACT

POWER FROM THIS SOURCE REQUIRE FLUID FLOW RATES WHICH

ARE IN THE UPPER LIMITS OF THESE TIDAL FLOWS SO CAN ONLY

PROVIDE PRODUCTIVE POWER OUTPUT FOR SHORT PERIODS AT

THE HEIGHT OF TIDAL FLOW AND OFTEN IN VERY LIMITED

LOCATIONS FAR FROM POINT OF CONSUMPTION INCURRING LARGE

AND EXPENSIVE TRANSMISSION COSTS.

THE PRESENT INVENTION IS DESIGNED TO COLLECT LARGE

AMOUNTS OF ENERGY FROM MUCH SLOWER FLUID FLOWS WHICH

WILL ALLOW VAST AREAS OF COASTAL TIDAL WATERS TO BE

CONSIDERED THAT HAVE THESE SLOWER TIDAL FLOWS, ALSO THIS

TYPE OF TURBINE WILL ALSO OPERATE FOR MUCH LONGER PERIODS

DURING EACH TIDAL CYCLE, NOT ONLY PEAK FLOW TIMES.

AD VAN TAG ES

BEING ABLE TO GENERATE USEFUL ENERGY FROM LOW SPEED

FLUID FLOWS FOUND AT A MUCH WIDER RANGE OF LOCATIONS THAN

AT PRESENT BEING CONSIDERED WILL BRING THE POSSIBILITY OF

LOCALIZED ENERGY GENERATION TO MANY AREAS.

AGAIN, AS THE FLUID FLOWS REQUIRED TO OPERATE THIS TURBINE

ARE AVAILABLE FOR MUCH LONGER PERIODS DURING A TIDAL

FLOOD OR EBB CYCLE, MUCH LONGER POWER GENERATION

PERIODS AND ALSO MUCH LESS INTERMITTENCY OF SUPPLY WILL

HAVE TO BE OVERCOME.

WITH THE EXCITER BLADES INSTALLED, THIS TURBINE WILL OPERATE IN REVERSING FLUID FLOWS SUCH AS TIDAL STREAMS.

WITHOUT THE EXCITER BLADES AND ASSOCIATED FITMENTS, THE

TURBINE WILL OPERATE SUCCESSFULLY IN SINGLE DIRECTIONAL

FLUID FLOWS SUCH AS OCEAN CURRENTS AND RIVERS.

BY USING THE PRESSURE CONTROL POWER BLADES ON THIS

DESIGN, THE TURBINE WILL SELF REGULATE ITS ROTATIONAL SPEED IN FLUTUATING FLUID FLOWS.

BECAUSE THE DEVICE IS OF SIMPLE CONSTRUCTION WITHOUT

CLOSE ENGINEERING TOLERANCES OR COMPLICATED ANGULAR

PARTS IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE FOR SMALL UNITS TO BE

MANUFACTURED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD TO ASSIST IRRIGATION

OR ANY OTHER TASK REQUIRED.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG I A PERSPECTIVE VIEW OF THE PREFERED EMBODIMENT OF

THE INVENTION (WITH REDUCED NUMBER OF BLADES SHOWN FOR CLARITY) FIG 2 A PERSPECTIVE VIEW OF THE SIMPLEST EMBODIMENT FOR SINGLE DIRECTIONAL FLUID FLOW (WITH REDUCED NUMBER OF BLADES SHOWN FOR CLARITY) FIG 3 A SIDE VIEW OF THE PREFERED EMBODIMENT.

FIG 4 A TOP VIEW OF THE LOWER CIRCULAR DISC OF THE PREFERED EMBODIMENT SHOWING BLADE AND FIXED PEG LAYOUT.

FIG 5 EXPLODED VIEW OF ONE EMBODIMENT SHOWING BLADE HINGING MECHANISM.

FIG 6 EXPLODED VIEW OF ONE EMBODIMENT SHOWING FIXED PEG.

FIG 7 EXPLODED VIEW OF ONE EMBODIMENT SHOWING POWER BLADE PRESSURE RELEASE.

FIG 8 -13 ARE A SEQUENCE OF SCHEMATIC VIEWS DEPICTING THE OPERATION OF THE EMBODIMENT DEPICTED IN FIG 2.

FIG 14-19 ARE A SEQUENCE OF SCHEMATIC VIEWS DEPICTING THE OPERATION OF TH EMBODIMENT DEPICTED IN FIG 1.

FIG 20-21 ARE A SEQUENCE OF SCHEMATIC VIEWS DEPICTING THE

ACTIONS OF THE EXCITER BLADES TO ROTATE THE TURBINE FROM

STALL POSTION DURING REVERSAL OF FLUID FLOW.

** COMPASS HEADINGS WITH N AT PAGE TOP HAVE BEEN ADDED FOR REFERENCE ON THE SEQUENCE OF SCHEMATIC VIEWS. **

LIST OF EMBODIMENT PARTS FOR EASIER REFERENCE

32 -THE APPARATUS

I -VERTICALDRIVESHAFT

2 -UPPPER CIRCULAR DISC 3 -LOWER CIRCULAR DISC 4 -OUTER SUPPORT SHAFT

-POWER BLADE

6 -HINGE MECHANISM 7 -FIXED PEG 8 -EXCITER BLADE 9 -INNER SUPPORT SHAFT

-FLUID FLOW

11 -POWER BLADE PRESSURE RELEASE 12 -INNER FLOW RESTRICTOR

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

THE PRESENT INVENTION GENERALLY COMPRISES A POWER

GENERATING APPARATUS ADAPTED TO CONVERT POTENTIAL

ENERGY IN THE FORM OF LOW VELOCITY, HIGH KINETIC ENERGY FLUID FLOW INTO ELECTRICAL POWER, COMPRESSED FLUID OR THE LIKE.

WITH REGARD TO FIG 1, THE APPARATUS 32 INCLUDES A VERTICAL

DRIVE SHAFT I HAVING AN UPPER END CONNECTED TO A SUPPORT

STRUCTURE AND POWER GENERATING MACHINE. THE MACHINE MAY COMPRISE A GEARBOX, KNOWN IN PRIOR ART, COUPLED TO AN ELECTRICAL GENERATOR, COMPRESSOR PUMP OR THE LIKE.

A CIRCULAR DISC 3 JOINED AT THE LOWER END OF THE VERTICAL DRIVE SHAFT I AT ITS CENTRE. A SECOND CIRCULAR DISC 2 JOINED TO THE VERTICAL DRIVE SHAFT I THROUGH ITS CENTRE, AT A

DISTANCE DETERMINED BY THE LENGTH OF THE INNER SUPPORT

SHAFTS 9 AND THE OUTER SUPPORT SHAFTS 4. THE INNER SUPPORT SHAFTS 9 AND OUTER SUPPORT SHAFTS 4 ARE EVENLY SPACED ABOUT THE CIRCULAR DISCS 2 &3. THREE SETS OF FIXED PEGS 7ARE FITTED TO THE UPPER CIRCULAR DISC 2ANDATTHE LOWER CIRCULAR DISC 3 CORRESPONDINGLY.

THE PRESENT INVENTION HAS FOUR POWER BLADES 5 CONNECTED BY ONE EDGE TO EACH OUTER SUPPORT SHAFT 4 BY A HINGE MECHANISM 6, THIS HINGING ALLOWS THE POWER BLADES 5 TO FREELY ROTATE AROUND THE OUTER SUPPORT SHAFTS 4 IN ANY DIRECTION UNLESS CONTACT IS MADE BY THE POWER BLADE 5 AGAINST AFIXED PEG 7.

THE PRESENT INVENTION HAS FOUR EXCITER BLADES 8 CONNECTED BY ONE EDGE TO EACH INNER SUPPORT SHAFT 9 BY A HINGING MECHANISM 6. THIS HINGING ALLOWS THE EXCITER BLADES 8 TO FREELY ROTATE AROUND THE INNER SUPPORT SHAFTS 9 IN ANY DIRECTION UNLESS CONTACT IS MADE BY THE EXCITER BLADES 8 AGAINST A FIXED PEG 7.

THE OPERATION OF THE EMBODIMENT OF THE POWER GENERATING

APPARATUS 32 DESCRIBED ABOVE IS DEPICTED IN THE SEQUAL DRAWINGS FIG 14-19.

THE APPARATUS 32 IS IMMERSED IN A REVERSING FLUID FLOW SUCH AS A TIDAL STREAM, THE APPARATUS 32 HAS BEEN DESIGNED TO OPERATE IN A CLOCKWISE ROTATION VIEWED FROM ABOVE.

IN FIG 14, THE FLUID FLOW 10 MOTION IS FROM THE N DIRECTION, THE POWER BLADE 5 LOCATED AT THE E COMPASS HEADING WILL RECEIVE LATERAL FORCE AS THE POWER BLADE 5 IS PREVENTED FROM SWINGING TO A NEUTRAL POSITION BY A FIXED PEG 7 BEHIND IT. THE LATERAL FORCE EXCERTED ON THIS POWER BLADE 5 WILL BE TRANSMITTED TO THE FIXED PEG 7 AND THE HINGED MECHANISM 6 THUS CAUSING THE CIRCULAR DISCS 2 & 3 TO ROTATE IN A CLOCKWISE DIRECTION.

THE POWER BLADES 5 IN THE N AND W LOCATIONS ARE IN THE NEUTRAL, UNPOWERED POSITION IN RELATION TO THE FLUID FLOW 10. THE POWER BLADE 5 IN THE S POSITION HAS COMPLETED ITS

POWER CYCLE AND IS ABOUT TO RECEIVE LATERAL THRUST ON ITS

LEFT SIDE, COMBINE WITH THE APPARATUS 32 CLOCKWISE ROTATION, WILL CAUSE THIS POWER BLADE 5 TO START ROTATING CLOCKWISE.

DURING THIS SAME PERIOD OF ROTATION SHOWN IN FIG 14, FLUID FLOW 10 FROM THE N DIRECTION WILL ACT UPON THE EXCITER BLADES 8 IN A SIMILAR MANNER. FLUID FLOW 10 WILL KEEP THE EXCITER BLADES 8 IN THE N AND W POSITIONS CLOSED AGAINST FIXED PEGS 7. THE EXCITER BLADE 8 LOCATED AT THE E POSITION

WILL START TO RECEIVE FLUID FLOW LATERAL PRESSURE BEHIND

THE BLADE AND BETWEEN THE VERTICAL DRIVE SHAFT I AND THIS

EXCITER BLADE 8. THIS LATERAL PRESSURE IS PREVENTED FROM ESCAPING THIS AREA BY THE INNER FLOW RESTRICTOR 12, AND

WHEN THIS LATERAL PRESSURE BECOMES GREATER THAN THE

FLUID FLOW 10 PRESSURE ON THE OUTER FACE OF THE EXCITER BLADE 8 DURING ROTATION OF THE APPARATUS 32, THIS EXCITER BLADE 8 WILL OPEN.

THE EXCITER BLADE 8 TO THE S POSITION WILL BE IN THE OPEN POSITION UNTIL RESTRICTED IN MOVEMENT BY A FIXED PEG 7.

IN FIG 15, THE APPARATUS 32 HAS ROTATED 20 DEGREES IN A CLOCKWISE DIRECTION AROUND ITS VERTICAL DRIVE SHAFT 1, THE POWER BLADE 5 IN THE E POSITION IS STILL RECEIVING LATERAL THRUST FROM THE FLUID FLOW 10, POWER BLADE 5 IN THE W POSITION IS STILL IN THE NEUTRAL POSITION. POWER BLADE 5 IN THE POSITION IS NOW RECEIVING FLUID FLOW 10 TO THE FIXED PEG 7 SIDE, ALLOWING THIS POWER BLADE 5 TO START ROTATING TO A

NEUTRAL POSITION ASSISTED BY THE CLOCKWISE DIRECTIONAL

MOVEMENT OF THE APPARATUS 32. THE POWER BLADE 5 IN THE N

POSITION IS NOW STARTING TO FEEL THE LATERAL PRESSURE FROM

THE FLUID FLOW 10 AND THIS POWER BLADE 5 IS ALSO TRANSMITTING LATERAL PRESSURE TO APPARATUS 32.

IN FIG 15, THE EXCITER BLADES 8 IN THE N AND W POSITIONS WILL STILL REMAIN CLOSED AGAINST THE INSIDE FIXED PEGS 7.

THE EXCITER BLADE 8 IN THE E POSITION WILL BE STARTING TO OPEN. THE EXCITER BLADE 8 IN THE S POSITION WILL BE IN THE NEUTRAL POSITION.

THE EXCITER BLADES 8 ARE NOT DESIGNED TO POWER THE TURBINE IN NORMAL OPERATION BUT TO ROTATE THE APPARATUS 32 FROM A STALLED POSITION MORE THAN 90 DEGRESS SO A POWER BLADE 5

WILL RECEIVE LATERAL THRUST WHEN A CHANGED OF FLUID FLOW

DIRECTION HAS OCCURRED.

IN FIG 16, THE APPARATUS 32 HAS ROTATED 40 DEGREES IN A CLOCKWISE DIRECTION. THE POWER BLADE 5 IN THE E POSITION IS STILL RECEIVING LATERAL THRUST FROM THE FLUID FLOW 10 BUT AT A REDUCED POWER WHILE THE POWER BLADE 5 IN THE N

POSITION IS RECEIVING GREATER LATERAL THRUST FROM THE

FLUID FLOW 10.

POWER BLADE 5 IN THE W POSITION IS STILL IN A NEUTRAL POSITION. POWER BLADE 5 IN THE S POSITION IS CONTINUING ITS ROTATION TO THE NEUTRAL POSITION. AT THE SAME TIME THE EXCITER BLADES 8 FROM THE ORIGINAL S,W, AND N POSTIONS WILL BE IN THE CLOSED POSITION AGAINST FIXED PEGS 7. WHILE THE EXCITER BLADE 8 ORIGINALLY IN THE E POSTION WILL BE OPEN.

IN FIG 17, THE APPARATUS 32 HAS ROTATED 60 DEGREES IN A CLOCKWISE DIRECTION, THE POWER BLADE 5 FROM THE ORIGINAL E

POSITION IS STILL RECEIVING LATERAL THRUST FROM THE FLUID

FLOW 10 BUTATA MUCH REDUCED LEVEL. THE POWER BLADE 5

FROM THE ORIGINAL N POSITION IS NOW RECEIVING LATERAL

THRUST TO A GREATER AMOUNT FROM THE FLUID FLOW 10.

POWER BLADE 5 ORIGINALLY IN THE W POSITION REMAINS IN THE NEUTRAL POSITION, THE POWER BLADE 5 ORIGINALLY IN THE S POSITION HAS NOW ROTATED TO A NEUTRAL POSITION.

IN FIG 18 THE APPARATUS 32 HAS ROTATED 90 DEGREES IN A

CLOCKWISE DIRECTION UPON ITS VERTICAL DRIVE SHAFT I AND

NOW ALL POWER BLADES 5 AND EXCITER BLADES 8 MATCH THE POSITIONS SHOWN IN FIG 14.

IN FIG 19 THE APPARATUS HAS 110 DEGREES IN A CLOCKWISE

DIRECTION AND ALL BLADES WILL BE IN THE POSITIONS SHOWN AS

IN FIG 15.

SHOULD THE APPARATUS 32 BE OPERATED IN A FLUID FLOW 10 THAT REMAINS IN A SINGLE DIRECTION THEN THE APPARATUS 32 WILL

OPERATE SUCCESSFULLY AND CONTINUOUSLY WITHOUT THE

EXCITER BLADES 8, INNER SUPPORT SHAFTS 9, INNER FLOW RESTRICTORS 12 AND ASSOCIATED FIXED PEGS 7 BEING FITTED.

FIG 8-13 SHOW A SEQUENCE OF SCHEMATIC VIEWS OF A SIMPLE EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION WITHOUT EXCITER BLADES 8 AND ASSOCIATED FITMENTS FOR SINGLE DIRECTIONAL FLUID FLOW 10 OPERATION.

FIG 20-21, IF THE APPARATUS 32 Is USED IN A TIDAL STREAM SITUATION WHERE THE FLUID FLOWS 10 REDUCE TO ZERO AND THEN REVERSE DIRECTION, THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT THE APPARATUS 32 MAY BECOME STALLED WITH ALL POWER BLADES 5 BEING POSITIONED BEHIND THE HINGED MECHANISMS 6 IN RELATION TO THE NEW FLUID FLOW 10 DIRECTION, THEREFORE NOT ABLE TO ABSORB THRUST AND ROTATE THE APPARATUS 32 CLOCKWISE.

IN THIS SITUATION, THE EXCITER BLADE 8 WILL RECEIVE FLUID FLOW

BETWEEN THE INSIDE FACE OF THE BLADE AND THE VERTICAL

DRIVE SHAFT I AND OPEN FULLY INTO THE FLUID FLOW 10 UNTIL RSTRICTED BY A FIXED PEG 7. LATERAL THRUST UPON THIS AND THE NEXT EXCITER BLADE 8 WILL ROTATE THE APPARATUS 32 MORE THAN 90 DEGREES WHICH WILL ALLOW THE NEXT POWER BLADE 5 MOVING PAST THE CLOSEST POINT TO THE FLUID FLOW DIRECTION TO ENGAGE A FIXED PEG 7 AND PRODUCE THRUST.

FIG 7, SHOULD THE APPARATUS 32 DURING NORMAL OPERATING

PERIODS AND SPEEDS SUDDENLY RECEIVE EXCESSIVE FLUID FLOW

PRESSURE FROM AN UNEXPECTED SOURCE, THE EXCESS

PRESSURE WILL BE RELEASED THROUGH THE DIAGONAL POWER

BLADE PRESSURE RELEASE CUTS 11 INSTALLED IN ALL POWER BLADES 5. THE GREATER THE FLUID FLOW PRESSURE ABOVE THE MAXIMUM REQUIRED PRESSURE, THE MORE THE POWER BLADE 5 MATERIAL WILL BEND, OPENING FROM THE CENTRE AND RELEASING

THE EXCESS FLUID FLOW PRESSURE AND ALLOW THE APPARATUS

32 TO MAINTAIN A STEADY POWER OUTPUT.

STATEMENT OF INVENTION

THE PRESENT INVENTION GENERALLy COMPRISES A POWER

GENERATING APPARATUS ADAPTED TO CONVERT POTENTIAL

ENERGY IN THE FORM OF LOW VELOCITY, HIGH KINETIC ENERGY FLUID FLOW INTO ELECTRICAL POWER, COMPRESSED FLUID, OR THE LIKE.

THE APPARATUS INCLUDES A VERTICAL DRIVE SHAFT, AND A PAIR OF CIRCULAR DISCS FIXED TO THE VERTICAL DRIVE SHAFT. THESE

CIRCULAR DISCS ARE SPACED APART BY SUPPORT SHAFTS CLOSE

TO THE OUTER EDGE OF THE CIRCULAR DISCS AND AGAIN CLOSE TO

THE DRIVE SHAFT.

FLAT POWER BLADES ARE CONNECTED TO THE OUTER SUPPORT

SHAFTS BY HINGE MECHANISMS AND THE POWER BLADES SWING

FREELY ABOUT THE SUPPORT SHAFT.

CURVED EXCITER BLADES ARE CONNECTED TO THE INNER SUPPORT

SHAFTS BY HINGED MECHANISMS AND THE EXCITER BLADES ALSO

SWING FREELY ABOUT THE SUPPORT SHAFTS.

PAIRS OF SOLID FIXED PEGS PROTRUDING FROM THE UPPER AND

LOWER CIRCULAR DISCS LIMIT THE MOVEMENT OF THE BLADES.

IN THE SIMPLEST FORM OF THE INVENTION THE POWER BLADES

ARE FIXED TO THE OUTER SUPPORT SHAFTS AND CONTAINED

WITHIN A DEFINED OPERATING RANGE BY THE FIXED

CORRESPONDING PEGS ONLY THE POWER BLADE WITH THE FIXED

PEG LOCATED BEHIND THE POWER BLADE WHEN DISPOSED TO

INTERCEPT THE FLUID FLOW WILL RECEIVE A LATERAL FORCE AND

CAUSE ROTATION OF THE CIRCULAR DISC AROUND THE CENTRAL

VERTICAL POWER SHAFT.

POWER BLADES RECEIVING FLUID FLOW WITH THE FIXED PEG TO

THE FORE WILL SWING IN ALIGNMENT OF THE FLUID FLOW TO

REDUCE DRAG.

IN A FURTHER EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION, CURVED EXCITER

BLADES FIXED TO THE INNER SUPPORT SHAFTS BY HINGED

MECHANISMS AND CONTAINED IN A DEFINED OPERATING RANGE BY

FIXED CORRESPONDING PEGS.

TO OVERCOME THE POTENTIAL PROBLEM THAT ALL POWER BLADES

COULD BE IN THE UNLOADED POSITION WHEN FLUID FLOW IS

REVERSED, THE REVERSED FLUID FLOW WILL ACT ON ONE OR MORE

OF THE EXCITER BLADES WHICH WILL ROTATE THE TURBINE MORE

THAN THE 90 DEGREES REQUIRED TO ALIGN THE NEXT POWER BLADE TO RECEIVE A LATERAL FORCE FROM THE FLUID FLOW.

A FURTHER EMBODIMENT OF THIS INVENTION. EACH POWER BLADE

IS CUT THROUGH DIAGONALLY TO ALLOW EXCESS FLUID FLOW TO

ESCAPE IF THE FLUID FLOW PRESSURE BECOMES GREATER THAN

THE MATERIAL RIGIDITY WHICH ALLOWS THE DEVICE TO ROTATE AT

A STEADY SPEED.

Claims

CLAIMS

1. A DEVICE FOR PRODUCING USEFUL WORK FROM A

DIRECTIONAL FLUID FLOW BY MEANS OF A VERTICAL DRIVE

SHAFT SUPPORTING UPPER AND LOWER CORCULAR DISCS, SUPPORT SHAFTS, POWER BLADES AND CONTROLLED BY FIXED PEGS.

2. A DEVICE FOR PRODUCING USEFUL WORK ACCORDING TO CLAIM 1, IN WHICH THE USE OF ATTACHED EXCITER BLADES

CONTROLLED BY FIXED PEGS WHICH ALLOW THE DEVICE TO

UNSTALL AND OPERATE IN REVERSING DIRECTIONAL FLUID

FLOWS.

3. A DEVICE FOR PRODUCING USEFUL WORK ACCORDING TO CLAIMI, IN WHICH THE EXCITER BLADES ARE CURVED AND

FREE HINGED TO ALLOW LEAST DRAG POSITION TO BE

OBTAINED WHILE ROTATING.

4. A DEVICE FOR PRODUCING USEFUL WORK ACCORDING TO CLAIM 1, WHICH THE NONE POWERING POWER BLADES

ROTATE FREELY TO THE LEAST ANGLE OF RESISTANCE TO

RE-CYCLE.

5. A DEVOCE FOR PRODUCING USEFUL WORK ACCORDING TO CLAIMI, WHICH THE POWER BLADES HAVE DIAGONAL CUTS

THROUGH THE BLADE MATERIAL TO ALLOW BENDING FOR

RELEASE OF EXCESSIVE LATERAL THRUST FROM THE FLUID FLOW.