A system for the generation of energy from the flow of water in a body of water is provided, the system comprising a support assembly extending across at least a portion of the body of water; a generator assembly mounted in the support assembly, the generator assembly comprising a first rotor assembly and a second rotor assembly, each rotor assembly comprising a vertical hub rotatable about a vertical axis and a plurality of vertical blades extending radially from the hub, the first and second rotor assemblies being arranged such that the volume swept by the blades of the first rotor assembly overlaps the volume swept by the blades of the second rotor assembly. The system may be used to generate energy, for example electricity. In addition, the system may be used to control the level of water on the upstream side of the installation, for example in the cases of flooding.

There is provided a seal assembly comprising: a first component and a second component spaced apart from the first component so as to define a passage for the transfer of fluid from an inlet of the seal assembly to an outlet of the seal assembly, wherein the first component comprises a concavity at least partially defining the passage, and wherein no part of the second component extends into the portion of the passage bounded by the concavity.

Provided is a shaft seal device provided with a seal member which possesses excellent liquid tightness, small friction resistance and high wear resistance. In a shaft seal device which is arranged around the periphery of a shaft which is supported in a rotatable manner or in a reciprocating manner, and is provided with a seal member for securing liquid tightness around the shaft, the seal member is formed of a porous body formed by using a hydrophilic polymer resin in which chains are cross-linked. The shaft seal device is also characterized in that: the shaft is a shaft which extends between a liquid phase region and a gas phase region; the seal member is a seal member which suppresses a leakage of a liquid to the gas phase region from the liquid phase region; and an aqueous lubricant which is prepared by adding a water soluble thickening agent is impregnated into the seal member.

An underwater current turbine of an underwater tidal-/ocean-/river-flow power plant includes a generator nacelle configured to contain a generator for current generation, a drive unit having at least one rotor blade configured to be driven by moving water and including a shaft connected to the rotor blade for rotation therewith, the shaft extending from the drive unit into the generator nacelle and being configured to drive the generator, and an exchangeable bearing-assembly-and-seal module disposed between the generator nacelle and the drive unit, the bearing-assembly-and-seal module being configured to be removed from the drive unit and from the nacelle as a unit.

A turbine with rotary blades includes a stator, a rotor rotational about an axis of the turbine and rotational blades evenly spaced around a circumference of the rotor. The turbine includes a pressure chamber circumscribed by a slot and a sealing chamber between which an inlet channel for a medium supply leads into the pressure chamber. The slot, the sealing chamber and the blades are adapted to permanently seal both the slot and the sealing chamber with at least one blade. The rotation of the blades can be ensured by a toothed gear, wherein angular speed of the blades is an integer multiple of the angular speed of the rotor. The blades may have a front wall and a rear wall of approximately conical or cylindrical shape.

A power generator may generate power using buoyancy having a fluid column contained by a tank having a sealable drain and a piston having a substantially hollow interior capable of being filled with a fluid. The piston has a sealable outlet, a vent, an inlet, and a lateral cross-section that is smaller than a lateral cross-section of the tank. A rod is connected to the piston and a power generator is connected to the rod. The piston operates from a first position near the top of the fluid column to a second position near the bottom of the fluid column. The piston moves from the first position to the second position as fluid is added to the inlet. The piston moves from the second position to the first position as the fluid is drained from the outlet.

A cryogenic liquid turbine is provided, wherein, impeller end of the rotor and nozzle assembly are received into cavity of volute, and main part of the volute is put into perlite cold box; insulation pad is used between the volute and machine housing to insulate heat; impeller outlet is connected to diffuser pipe. A nozzle assembly is connected to the machine housing by a nozzle compression flange; a nozzle compression plate adjusts a compactness of nozzle vanes by a disc spring; a nozzle turntable is connected on a nozzle chassis, and adjusts the nozzle vane stagger angle by adjusting mechanism passing through the volute; impeller shroud side seal is axially fixed on the nozzle compression flange, and a shaft seal is axially fixed to a seal gas part; the seal gas part and an oil seal are axially fixed to the machine housing by a bolt.

A labyrinth seal for sealing between a rotating portion and a non-rotating portion of rotating machinery, the labyrinth seal having a first portion and a second portion. The first portion has a series of projections and recessions that are concentric about an axis of rotation of the rotating portion of the rotating machinery. The second portion has a series of projections and recessions that are concentric about the axis of rotation. The projections of the series of projections and recessions of the second portion are configured to mate with the recessions of the series of projections and recessions of the first portion. The projections of the series of projections and recessions of the first portion are configured to mate with the recessions of the series of projections and recessions of the second portion. The second portion includes a mount having a substantially rigid layer sandwiched between substantially compliant layers.

The apparatus can be used for detecting a liquid contaminant in a rotating cavity of an electric machine. The apparatus can have a magnetic field source mounted to a non-rotary base and transmitting a magnetic field across a gap between the base a housing of the cavity, an interrogation circuit having a coil magnetically coupled to the magnetic field source across the gap via the magnetic field, and a distal circuit portion having electrical contacts separated by a spacing fluidly communicating with the cavity; and a detection circuit mounted to the base and having a coil magnetically coupled to the magnetic field and a detector detecting a variation occurring in the detection circuit upon change of a permittivity of the liquid across the spacing, the variation being indicative of the liquid contaminant.

A sealing system for a Gravity Power Plant having a shaft (104) with a shaft wall (105) and a piston (102) incorporates a seal assembly support base (202) anchored into the shaft wall and surrounding the piston. A seal mount has a radial flange (210) to anchor the seal mount to the support base (202) and a vertical flange (212) extending from an inner circumference of the radial flange. A seal assembly (206) circumferentially contacting the piston, has a plurality of circumferentially spaced clamp assemblies (227) to engage the seal assembly to the vertical flange, the clamp assemblies having an open position releasing the seal assembly from the vertical flange and a closed position constraining the seal assembly on the vertical flange. For seismic isolation of the seal assembly the radial flange is supported on a lower bearing (406) supported on a top surface of the seal assembly support base proximate an inner surface. The radial flange (410) extends inward from the inner surface with the vertical flange spaced from the inner surface by a radial relief (428) within a gap between the seal assembly support base and the piston. An upper bearing is supported in engagement with a top surface (411) of the radial flange (410) of the seal mount (404).