A turbine assembly for installation inside a pipe section in which a fluid flows. The turbine assembly includes a shaft and one or more blades. The shaft is couplable to a generator and has a portion positionable inside the pipe section. The blade(s) is/are attached to the portion of the shaft. The blade(s) is/are pushed upon by the fluid as the fluid flows within the pipe section causing the one or more blades to rotate the shaft. The shaft is operable to cause the generator to generate electricity as the shaft is rotated by the blade(s). A pressure of the fluid is reduced as the fluid pushes on the blade(s) and causes the blade(s) to rotate the shaft.

A hydroelectric energy system includes a stator including a first plurality of electricity-generating elements. The system also includes a rotor including a second plurality of electricity-generating elements. The rotor is disposed radially outward of an outer circumferential surface of the stator and is configured to rotate around the stator about an axis of rotation. The rotor is a flexible belt structure having a variable thickness and extending along a portion of an axial length of the stator. The system further includes at least one hydrodynamic bearing mechanism configured to support the rotor relative to the stator during rotation of the rotor around the stator. The at least one hydrodynamic bearing mechanism includes a bearing surface made of wood or a composite material.

A hydroelectric energy system includes a stator including a first plurality of electricity-generating elements. The system also includes a rotor including a second plurality of electricity-generating elements. The rotor is disposed radially outward of an outer circumferential surface of the stator and is configured to rotate around the stator about an axis of rotation. The rotor is a flexible belt structure having a variable thickness and extending along a portion of an axial length of the stator. The system further includes at least one hydrodynamic bearing mechanism configured to support the rotor relative to the stator during rotation of the rotor around the stator. The at least one hydrodynamic bearing mechanism includes a bearing surface made of wood or a composite material.

A sealed bearing module for a tidal turbine that has a rotor having rotor blades disposed on a rotor hub and a rotor shaft carrying the rotor for transmitting a drive torque from the rotor hub to a transmission or a generator in a nacelle which nacelle has a housing. The bearing module includes a first bearing ring and a second bearing ring, the first bearing ring is a split bearing ring having a first bearing ring part and a second bearing ring part, the second bearing ring has at least one axially extending bore for attaching the second bearing ring directly to the nacelle housing, the first bearing ring is configured to be connected to the rotor shaft and/or to the rotor hub, and the split bearing ring is preloaded by a preload element.

Disclosed herein are linear hydraulic turbines in which the linear machine converts the majority of available energy in the flowing water into useful torque directly in the runner, leaving the outflow with very little velocity.

A water-flow power generating apparatus includes a blade, a rotary part, a power generating unit, a nacelle, and a bearing unit. The blade rotates with power of a water flow. The rotary part is connected to the blade and rotates integrally with the blade. The power generating unit is connected to the rotary part and generates electricity with a rotation force of the rotary part. The nacelle covers the power generating unit, forms a boundary between an inner space in which the power generating unit is disposed and an underwater in which the blade is disposed. The bearing unit supports the rotary part. The bearing unit includes a thrust bearing disposed in the inner space and supporting the rotary part from an axial direction of the rotary part, and a journal bearing disposed between the nacelle and the blade and supporting the rotary part from a radial direction.

A guide vane bearing for a hydraulic machine is provided, which may be serviced from the side of the water flow path, and a method for installing and removing a bearing of this type. The guide vane bearing includes a bearing support and a layer of bearing material and at least three segments, which are separately connectable to the bottom ring of the hydraulic machine, each segment including one part of the bearing support and one part of the layer of bearing material, and a joint between the segments being obliquely formed with respect to the bearing axis, so that one segment has a wedge shape, and the bearing furthermore including a bearing seal, and the bearing seal being rotatably fixedly connected to the trunnion of the guide vane, and the bearing support including a surface, which is designed as a running surface for the lip of the bearing seal.

A pumped-storage hydropower generation tower employing conduit turbines installed in multiple stages, according to the present invention, comprises: a pump (400) disposed in a pumping-up pipe (410) so as to pump up water that fills a lower reservoir (300) to an upper reservoir (200); a water-guide pipe channel (500) having an inlet water-guide conduit (510) connected to the bottom surface on one side of the upper reservoir (200) so as to extend to the position of the lower reservoir (300) along a helical sloping channel (100) such that a flow rate for power generation passes therein; and a conduit turbine unit (600) comprising a driving shaft (2) extending through the center of a conduit (22) through which the flow rate passes, conduit support bodies (4) installed so as to rotate freely while supporting the driving shaft (2), the conduit support bodies (4) having arms (6) extending toward the inner surface of the conduit (22), a propeller (7) fixed to the driving shaft (2) between the conduit support bodies (4) so as to be rotated by movement of the flow rate, and a generator (10) configured to receive rotational power from the driving shaft (2) and to generate electricity, wherein at least two conduit turbine units (600) are disposed in multiple stages along the water-guide pipe channel (500).

The present invention relates to a hydropower generator for generating electricity by rotating in a fluid flow direction, the hydropower generator comprising: a central structure installed so as to be able to stand erect in water; a rotator installed on an outer circumferential surface of the central structure, and having at least one resistive plate coupled to the outer circumferential surface thereof; a rotating ring provided between the central structure and the rotator to cause the rotator to rotate around the central structure; a speed changing unit which integrally rotates by means of one side thereof coupled to the rotator; and a generator having a motor shaft coupled to the other side of the speed changing unit, and generating energy by rotation of the motor shaft, wherein the resistive plate is located in the water and generates resistive force according to the flow of water while the rotator rotates, such that energy is generated from the generator. Therefore, the present invention can provide a hydropower generator which is efficient in management, control, and extension of lifespan, and is cost-effective in the installation thereof.

A hydroelectric turbine system includes a bridge assembly including a central supporting ring having an axially elongated body and a tongue extending axially from the body. An axial length of the body is greater than a radial thickness of the body. The radial thickness of the body is greater than a radial thickness of the tongue. The system includes a stator having a radially inner circumferential surface and a radially outer circumferential surface. The inner circumferential surface is disposed on a radially outer surface of the tongue. The system includes a bearing mechanism extending axially along the outer circumferential surface of the stator. The mechanism includes one or more bearings. Each bearing includes a surface that extends parallel to the outer circumferential surface of the stator. The system includes a rotor supported radially outward of the stator and configured to rotate relative to the stator about an axis of rotation.