US1489624A

US1489624A - Turbine wheel

Info

Publication number: US1489624A
Application number: US519753A
Authority: US
Inventors: Frank M Zottoli
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1921-12-03
Filing date: 1921-12-03
Publication date: 1924-04-08
Anticipated expiration: 1941-04-08

Description

April 8 1924.

F. M. ZOTTOLI TURBINE WHEEL (1921 l 2 sheets-sheet 1 l Filed Dec IJ llllli 'L r l l l Il M EY MW'WWX/mys- Patented Apr. 8, 1924.

UNITED STATES FRANK n; zo'r'roLr, or Bos'ron, MASSACHUSETTS.'

TURBINE WHEEL.

Application led December To /JZZ w71 om t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK M. Zo'rToLI, a citi-zen of the United States, residing at Boston, county of Suffolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented a certain newand useful Improvement in Turbine Vheels, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

The invention relates to new and useful improvements in turbine wheels. It is especially intended for application to turbine wheels which are mounted to turn on a vertical axis and are set in the midst of the current so that the current flows on bothV sides of the wheel. The special object of the invention is to provide an improvement in turbine wheels in which, although in the latter partoic each revolution of the wheel, that is in the return movement that portion of the wheel is'rotating counter to the direction of flow of the current which drives the wheel, yet the resistance of the current to the return movement shall be much less than the pressure on the forward movement, and in fact reduced to almost nothing. Another object of the invention is to construct the wheel in such manner that it is adapted for use both where the current is always running in the same direction, as in the case of a river, and also where the direction of the current reverses, flowing sometimes in one direction and sometimes inthe reverse direction, as in the case of tides. Another object of the invention is to provide means for increasing the power and velocity of the wheel.

One feature of the invention relates to the blades andconsists in forming them of the floating character so-called; that is, having them pivoted to a central body so that the blades may yield to the resistance on the backward movement in the rotation and offer. less resistance to the back pressure. Another feature of the invention consists in providing a floating core or body to which the blades are attached. rinotherfeature of the invention consists in providing deflecting walls on the exterior by which a current of water is deliected from a broader channel to a graduallyvdecreasing width lof channel until it vstrikes the blades Vthereby increasing the velocity and the force of the water until it reaches its maximum when it 3, 1921. serial no. 519,753.

strikes the blades. Another feature of the invention consists in providing the sluices between the defiecting walls with transverse ribs. tion is to so construct the blades and con.- nect them with the body of the wheel in such manner that if a portion of the wheel projects above the surface of the water, the portion of the blades above the surface will be folded during the entire revolution of the .wheel so as to still further reduce the resistance. rOther features of the invention will be more fully set forth hereinafter in the specification and claims. The invention will be fully understood from the following descriptionwhen taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the novel features thereof will be pointed out and clearly defined in the claims at the close of this specication.

inthe drawings, Fig. l is a horizontal sectional view of a turbine wheel and apparatus embodying the invention in the Another feature of the inven form intended for use at tide water, and

operative when the tide is either ebbing or liowing, the wheel being shown in a position of rest.

F ig. Q. is a vertical section on line 2 2 of F ig. l.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic View illustrating the application to a device set in tide Water when the current is ilowing.- v

F ig. d is a diagrammatic view of a modiied form of construction of walls which is intented for use when the current is always flowing in the same direction. F ig. 5 is a plan view showing the adaptation of the invention as embodied in a wheel connected with a float. Y

, Fig. 6 is a diagram illustrating the application to a boat ofa wheel embodying the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, there is provided a cylindrical drum l to which the blades 2 are connected, as will be hereinafter described, said drum being intended to be mounted on a. vertical axis and being preferably provided with a head 3 at its upper end and a head 4 at its lower end, so that it will be water-tight. The drum may, however, be open at the top, if not submerged.V

At its lower end it is provided with a downwardly extending vertical shaft or stud 5 which is journalled in a base or bed member 6, preferably also being provided with a washer 7. The drum is adapted to rotate on its vertical axis. y

At its upper end itis provided with an upwardly extending vertical shalt 8 journalled in an overhead bearing ineinber 9. Said shaft 8 carries suitable mechanism for transmitting the power to the machinery which is to be driven.

The blades 2 which are curved as usual in turbine wheels, are each pivotally connected at 10 with the outer periphery or the drum l. There is also provided on the outer periphery of the drum a series of shoulders 'il equal in number to the blades of the turbine so that there is a shoulder 1l provided against the back or each blade to serve as a stop to lirnit the swing of the blade on its pivot in the direction of the current pressure. As will be noted, however, the blade is i'ree to turn on its pivot in the reverse direction. Preferably the pivoted end of the blade is rounded on an arc or' a circle, as shown at l2, and lits into an arc-shaped seat Vformed in front of the shoulder il so as to allow the blade to turn on its pivot with the least friction possible.

lreferably each blade is niade in sections, one above the other, as shown in Figure 2, the lines i3 indicating the divisions between the vertical sections of a single blade. The purpose oi this is so that il the turbine is only partially submerged in the water the several sections o' the blade which are entirely above the surface or the water may be retained folded against the druin in the manner hereafter described during the entire revolution of the wheel, thereby reducing the ainount of resistance which the blades otter to theJ rotation of the wheel, while the submerged blades are spread oA en again when in the course or the rotation o the it. A

wheel the blades are travelling in the direction of the current. I

T he shai't 8 the upper end or the druin is, as already stated, connected with suitable mea-ns for transmitting the power. ln the forni shown in the drawings, the shalt en tends up through the bearing` niernber 2 and its upper end is journalled in a second bearing member Preferably washers 'l' 'are provided where the shaft r sses through the bearings 9 and la. Intermedi ate the two bearing niernbers 9 and 11i there are providedtransinission gears, lllonntc l on the shaft F9 is a gear l5 having teeth which engagewith a 16 mounted on a horizontal driven shalt l?, which in turn may be connected with any apparatus which it is iiitended to drive, There is also mounted on said shaft 8 a bevel gear 1.71 which engages with the b rel gear niounted on a driven shaft 20, vso that ne set of apparatus niay be driven through the shalt 17 and another set of apparatus may be driven through the shaft- 20. lt is obvious that only one driven shaft inay be employed, if desired.

Rising from the bed 6 on two opposite sides oll the wheel and at soine distance theretroni are the walls 21 and 22. The wall 21 has a branch portion 26 which sweeps around toward the wheel at the left hand side of the wheel as viewed in Fig. 1, terminating at the periphery of the circle described by the outer edges oli the blades Vin the rotation of the wheel. The wall 22 has a portion fl-l which sweeps around toward the wheel on the oppositie. side 'from the portion 26, said portion Sill terminating at the periphery oic the circle described by the blades oi? the. wneel. A wall 29 which merges with the wall Sli-l i ruis, together with the wall 2l. a converging channel for the water as the wheel from the right hand terinediate wall 23 between the walls 21 and 29 divides the channel into two portions. rlhe walls 23 and 29 forni a converging passage 'for a portion of the water from the right hand side and direct the water at an angle against the blades on the front side of the wheel. The walls 21 and 23 torni a sluiccway which directs the vater against the blades at the side of the wheel alniost all oli' the way around 'from the end ot the wall at the inlet side to the outlet side between the walls 25 and 28.

intermediate the walls 23 and 21 with its branch portion 2".y there are provided a. plurality of walls 2? which efr'end inwardly to the circumference of the circle described by the outer edges or" the blades and extend outwardly into the space between the walls'2?) and 21. Said walls 2'? are arranged in converging relation to each other and torni a series of short and narrow converging pas sages from the slniceway between the walls 23 and 2l through which the water will be deliveredagainst the blades in succession and at an angle thereto.

A wall 25 which is connected with the wall 26 iporins, together with the wall 22, an outlet passage for the water, assume,ingy that the current Corning from the right hand side as viewed in the drawings. n, wall 28 intermediate the walls 25 and 22 and corresponding with the wall 23 divides the inain channel between the walls 25 and so as to torni two outlet. passages. the main outlet being between the walls 25 and 28 which diverge from each other toward the l l and lele, if any of thc water is carried past the wall arged through the passage 28 it will be discl Y between the walls 22 and 28.

lf the apparatus is located in tide water where the current reverses, then when the tide turns that the current will be from left toward the right, as TJiewed in Fig. l, the inlet will be betweenthe w s 25 and 28 and between the walls 22 and 2S while the sluiceways between the walls 29 and 23 will form the main outlet. A series of walls similar to the walls 27 are provided between the wall 28 and the wall 22 and its branch 341 to aid in directing the water against the blades of the wheel when the current is from the left toward the right, as viewed in Fig. 1. Preferably there is a bend in the wall 21 at the point a and in the wall 22 at the point Z) so as to deflect the water running through the passages both on the left and right sides of the wheel toward the wheel.

It will thus be seen that there are a series of successive points in an arc of about 180, that is, from the inlet around to the outlet side of the wheel, at which different currents of water will be directed against eachV blade.

The converging passages will increase the velocity and force of the water.

The wall-25 is provided with a dog v31 pivoted to its inner end at 32, and the wall 29 has a similar dog 33 pivoted thereto ai' said dogs each really forming a part of their respective walls 25, 29, the inner ends of the dogs coinciding with an arc of the circle described by the outer edges of the rotating blades 2.

mien the current is flowing in the direction shown in Figure 3, that is, from right to left, as indicated by the arrows, assoon as a blade begins to travel in a backward direction, it will be moving against the for? ward pressure of the current which, it will be understood, flows on both sides of the wheel, and the forward pressure on the back side of the blade will turn the blade on its pivot causing it to be turned down toward the drum, thus offering less resistance to the forward'pressure of the water than if the blade were rigidly connected with the drum.

The forward pressure of the water when moving in this direction will swing the dog 33 on its pivot into Vthe position shown in Figure 3. The dog should be of the right spread so that when thus turned it will extend just about far enough radially inward for the bladesin their folded position to sweep past it. The purpose of the dog is to shut out to some extent at least the flow o-f the water through the passage traversed by the blades on the return movement, and thus diminish the back pressure on the blades. The other dog 31 will remain closed as long as the current continues to flow. When the current reverses in direction from that shown in Figure 3, the dog 33 will be closed and the dog 31 will be opened.

The modified form shown in Figure 4 is intended for use when the ow is always in one direction', as in the case of a. river. The construction of the wheel itself is just the same as shown in Figure 1, the only difference being in o-mitting the duplicate set of walls previously described for use when the current flows in the opposite direction, and preferably bring the curved deflecting wall 26 somewhat further around, say about two-thirds, so as to be eective part way of the return pathof the blades, as shown in Figure 4.

In the forms already described, itl is assumed that the apparatus will be set on the ground which forms the bed of the river or tide water wherever it is employed, the bed plate and the walls in such case being heavy enough to remain in positionV by theirown weight; yfor instance, the preferred method is to make them of concrete. As the water is of varying depth at different times, as by the rising and falling of the t-ide in -tide water, or by varying heights in a river owing to natural causes, the blades are preferably previously referred to, so that the sections which are entirely unsubmerged and therefore not exposed to the direct current may be allowed to lie idly folded against theV drum so as to reduce the resistance which they offer to the rotation of the wheel.

Instead of having thel apparatussta tionary on the bed of the stream ort-he sea, it may be mounted on afloat so that it can rise or fall and thereby always be maintained in the same, position with relation to the surface of the water. In the form shown in Figure 5, there are provided fioat- Y ing side walls 134-134 which serve as a mount for the remaining portions of the apparatus. V i

The device is also adapted for use asa' motor for a boat, as shown diagrammati-V cally in Figure 6. In said figure, represents a boat, having the turbineand its walls constructed as already described and as indicated at 36, secured to the bottom of the boat. The shaft 20 which is connected by suitable gearing with the vertical shaft 8 constitutes a propeller shaft carrying the propeller blades 37. The apparatus thus forms a motor to drive the boat which may be steered in any direction after the ordinary method of steering a boat.

A turbine constructed and used as I have described would preferably bemade larger, both axially and radially, than a wheel which is driven by a fall of water, as the current in a river or tide usually moves slower than falling water.

Whatl I cla-im is:

1. Incombination with a turbine wheel mounted on a vertical axis, a sluiceway in which said wheel. is set, said sluiceway having two walls which form ank entrance passage for the water, one of the walls of the made in sections, as Y inlet extending along side of the wheel'at y some distance away from the sweep'of the 'blades and then turning and extending to the periphery of the circle described by the sweep of theY blades at a point just before' the outlet passage begins, whereby the full force of the free current will be directed against each blade in succession just before it reaches the point where the water passes into the outlet channel.

2. ln combination with a turbine wheel mounted on a Vertical axis, a sluiceway in which said wheel is set open to tide water at each end, said sluiceway having walls which forni an entrance passage and an outlet passage for the tide water in whichever direction the current flows, one of the walls which form the entrance passage during the rising of the tide extending along one side of the wheel at sonie distance away from the sweep of the blades and then 'turning and extending to the periphery of the circle described by t-he sweep of the blades at a point just before the outlet passage begins, and one of the walls which form the entrance passage during the fall of the tide extending along side of the wheel at sonne distance therefrom on the opposite side of the wheel from the outer wall of the entrance passage for the water on the rising tide, and` then turning and extending to the periphery of the sweep of the blades at a point just before the outlet passage on the ebb tide begins, whereby the full force of the free current will be directed against each blade in succession just before it reaches the point where the water passes into the outlet channel, in whichever direction the tide is flowing.

3. ln combination with a turbine wheel mounted on a vertical axis, a plurality of walls arranged with their inner ends extending to the periphery of the wheel7 two of the walls being so disposed as to formv an inlet and two of the walls forming an outlet, one of the pair of walls which form the entrance channel extending along one side of the wheel at some distance therefrom and then turning and extending to the periphery of the circle described by the outer edges of the blades, thereby directing the current of water against each blade in succession just before it reaches the outlet, said inlet channel extending substantially half way around the periphery of the wheel at one side thereof until it nearly reaches the outlet channel, the inlet and the outlet channel walls being so disposed that the two channels are offset in their direction with relation to each other.

4. ln combination with a turbine wheel, a plurality of walls arranged in a series out side of said wheel, said walls being arranged with their inner ends extending to the periphery of the circle described by the outer edges of the blades of the wheel thereby forming a plurality of converging passages to the wheel, two of the walls on each of two opposite sides being so disposed as to form the side walls of a channel to converge the flow of the water toward the wheel on one side and to diverge the liow after it has passed through the wheel on the 0pposite side and other converging walls in said series forming intermediate auxiliary sluiceways. y

5. ln combination with a turbine wheel, a plurality of walls arranged in a series outside of said wheel, said walls being arranged wilh their inner ends extending to the periphery of the circle described by the outer edges of the blades of the wheel thereby forming a plurality of converging pasi to thc wheel, two of the walls on each of the two opposite sides being so disposed as to lform side walls of a channel to converge the flow of the current toward the wheels on'one side and to diverge the current after it has passed through the wheel on the opposite side and other converging walls in said series forming intermediate auxiliary sluiceways, the blades of said wheel being pivotally connected therewith yin such manner that they are folded against the hub of the wheel in the return part of the rotation of the wheel counter to the current, one of the main sluiceway walls having a piyoted portion adjacent the periphery of the circle described by the blades which is adapted to be turned-back `with its face against the stationary wall andwith one surface adjacent the periphery of the circle described by the rotation of the blades when the blades are in their normal, outer position and which is adapted to be turned lon its pivot soy as to swing said pivoted portion transversely of the passage. Y

G, ln combination with a turbine wheel mounted on a vertical axis, two Vertical walls in vconverging rela-tion to each other which direct the flow of the water to the blades of the wheel at an angle thereto and whose inner ends extend to the periphery of the circle described by the blades in the rotation of the wheel, a third wall which extends along one side. of the wheel Yat seine distance therefrom and then turns and-extends to the periphery of the circle described by the outer edges of the blades in the rotation of the wheel and forms together with one of said first two walls another water passage, a plurality of short walls in said second passage arranged in a series in an arc of a circle, their inner ends extending to the periphery of the path of mor/ement described by the blades .in their rotation, their outer ends extending only part way'toward said outside wall, said short walls forming a plurality of passages to the blades of the wheel at an angle thereto and walls onthe outlet side of the wheel forming an outlet. passage for the water.

7. ln combination with a turbine wheel mounted on a vertical axis, two vertical walls in converging relation to each other which direct the flow of the water to the blades of the wheel at an angle. thereto and whose inner ends extend to the periphery of the circle described by the blades in the rotation of the wheel, a third wall which extends along one side. of the wheel at some distance therefrom and then turns and extends to the. Aperiphery of the circle described by the outer edges of the blades in the rtation of the wheel and forms together with one of said first two walls another pas sage for the water, a. plurality of short walls in said second passage arranged in a series in an arc of a. circle, their inner ends extending to the periphery of the circle described by the outer edges of the blades in their rotation, their outer ends. extending only part way toward saidV outside wall, said short walls forming a plurality of passages to the blades of theV wheel and'walls on the outlet side. of the wheel forming an outlet passage for the water` said outlet passage being offset in its direction with I relation to the direction of the inlet channel.

S. In combination with a lturbine wheel mounted On a vertical axis, two walls which form a slui-ceway extending along one side of the wheel, the outer of said walls extending farther forward than the inner one of said walls and having at its forward end a bent port-ion which extends around to the periphery of the circle described by the outer edges of the blades, the inner of said walls extending to the periphery of the circle described by said blades but at a point nearer the approach end of the channel than the said other wall and a plurality of short walls intermediate the ends of said two first walls spaced apart from each other7 whose inner ends extend to the periphery of the circle described by said blades at 'points between the inner ends: of said two first walls, the outer ends of said second series of walls extending only partially across the space between said two first walls.

9. In combination with a turbine wheel mounted on a vertical axis, two walls which forni a sluiceway extending along One side of the wheel, the outer one of said Vwalls extending farther forward than the inner one of said walls and having at its forward end a bent portion which extends around to the periphery of the. circle described by the outer edges of the blades, the inner of said walls extending to the periphery of the circle described by said blades but at a point nearer the approach end of the channel than the. other wall, and a plurality of short walls intermediate the ends of said two Erst walls spaced apart from each other, whose inner ends extend to the periphery of the circle described by said blades at point-s between the inner ends of said two first walls,v the outer ends of said second series of walls extending only partially across the space between said two rst walls, said set of short walls being arranged in converging relation to each other so as to form a. plurality of converging passages to the. blades of the wheel at an angle to said blades.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature. Y

FRANK M. ZOTTOLT.