The application relates to unidirectional hydrokinetic turbines having an improved flow acceleration system that uses asymmetrical hydrofoil shapes on some or all of the key components of the turbine. These components that may be hydrofoil shaped include, e.g., the rotor blades (34), the center hub (36), the rotor blade shroud (38), the accelerator shroud (20), annular diffuser(s) (40), the wildlife and debris excluder (10, 18) and the tail rudder (60). The fabrication method designs various components to cooperate in optimizing the extraction of energy, while other components reduce or eliminate turbulence that could negatively affect other component(s).

An electrical energy generating device (1) to transform kinetic energy of fluid passing through a pipe into electrical energy, the device may include a flow management unit (2) having a first housing (20) enclosing a plurality of tubes and a first gasket (27); a generating unit (3) having a second housing (30) with a plurality of coils (37) embedded within the second housing (30), a rotor rotatable within the second housing (30); and a connector (4) connecting the flow management unit (2) to the generating unit (3).

Described herein is essentially a high-efficiency, hybrid fluid aeolipile. In operation, this hybrid device is placed in the stream of a moving fluid, preferably air. Energy is extracted from the fluid stream by directing a portion of the stream through and, optionally, around the device. As the fluid flow moves through the device, it is directed into nozzles. These nozzles, which are free to pivot in a cyclical manner, employ the established phenomenon of “nozzle effect” to accelerate the velocity of the air-flow passing through them, which is ultimately ejected from each nozzle tip, producing thrust. This thrust, amplified by nozzle effect, drives the nozzles to pivot around a shared axis. The wind energy, thereby converted into cyclical motion, that may be used to perform useful work, is converted with greater efficiency than is possible in conventional blade-type wind turbines.

The present disclosure discloses a horizontal-axis ocean current power generation device for an underwater vehicle. The power generation device is disposed in a groove of a rotary body of the underwater vehicle, and includes an undercarriage unit, a yawing unit, and a power generation unit. The undercarriage unit can realize elevation and descent of the entire power generation device, and the power generation unit is capable of realizing arbitrary rotation within 360° in a horizontal plane through the yawing unit. The power generation device can actively yaw based on change of an ocean current direction to perform an incident flowing function. The power generation unit respectively drives an outer shaft and an inner shaft to rotate through a front blade and a rear blade that rotate in opposite directions, so as to drive inner and outer rotors of a motor, thereby cutting magnetic induction to generate electric power.

A runner for a hydraulic turbine configured to reduce fish mortality. The runner includes a hub and a plurality of blades extending from the hub. Each blade includes a root connected to the hub and a tip opposite the root. Each blade further includes a leading edge opposite a trailing edge, and a ratio of a thickness of the leading edge to a diameter of the runner can range from about 0.06 to about 0.35. Further, each blade has a leading edge that is curved relative to a radial axis of the runner.

The present invention relates to a waterpower stream amplifier device primarily comprised of a body with an outer surface further comprised of at least one exterior protrusion and an interior surface further comprised of at least one angular flow director. The device can be placed/combined with the rotor of an underwater hydroelectric turbine in order to concentrate and multiple the energy of the water stream entering the turbine. The at least one angular flower director of the interior surface, the at least one exterior protrusions and at least one longitudinal opening of the outer surface allows water to enter the interior surface of the body from all directions. As a result, a rotating water vortex is created within the interior surface as the water travels from the first end towards the second end.

A runner for a hydraulic machine comprising a band, a crown, a plurality of blades extending between the crown and the band, wherein the runner comprises a plurality of runner segments which together define the runner, each runner segment comprising a band portion, a crown portion and a blade, which portions are integrally formed with one another, each runner segment being attachable to another segment at a band joining edge and a crown joining edge, wherein the band joining edge and the crown joining edge are each spaced apart from the blade of the segment.

A turbine apparatus (10) for deployment in a waterway, comprises a rotor support system (12), a rotor mechanism (14) and a power take-off device (16). The rotor support system (12) is operable to support and align the rotor mechanism (14) with a direction of flow of flowing water in the waterway. Deployment of the turbine apparatus (10) in flowing water generates power. The rotor support system (12) includes an elongated shaft (13), which includes a buoyancy adjusting component (17); a flexible coupling (15) at a first end; and the rotor mechanism (14) being attachable to a second free end of the elongated shaft (13). The flexible coupling (15) facilitates connection of the first end of the elongated shaft to a support structure and facilitates a substantially freely yawing connection of the axial flow turbine apparatus to a support structure located in the waterway in which the turbine apparatus is deployed. The flexible coupling (15) also controls pitching motion of the turbine apparatus (10) relative to the support structure; and in use, permits a predetermined range of yawing motion of the turbine apparatus relative to the support structure; and responds to changes in flow of the flowing water, to maintain the turbine apparatus (10) with a compliant attitude, thereby maintaining alignment of the axis of the elongated shaft and the rotor mechanism with the direction of flow. The buoyancy adjusting component (17) being operable to maintain the deployed turbine apparatus with substantially neutral buoyancy relative to the waterway in which the turbine apparatus is deployed.

The application relates to unidirectional hydrokinetic turbines having an improved flow acceleration system that uses asymmetrical hydrofoil shapes on some or all of the key components of the turbine. These components that may be hydrofoil shaped include, e.g., the rotor blades (34), the center hub (36), the rotor blade shroud (38), the accelerator shroud (20), annular diffuser(s) (40), the wildlife and debris excluder (10, 18) and the tail rudder (60). The fabrication method designs various components to cooperate in optimizing the extraction of energy, while other components reduce or eliminate turbulence that could negatively affect other component(s).

Provided is a method for estimating optimal efficiency point parameters in an axial-flow PAT power generation mode, including: I1, calculating an axial velocity of an optimal efficiency point; I2, calculating a flow rate of the optimal efficiency point; I3, calculating a theoretical hydraulic head; I4, calculating a frictional hydraulic head loss and a local hydraulic head loss of each segment; I5, calculating an output power of the optimal efficiency point; I6, calculating a hydraulic head of the optimal efficiency point in a power generation mode; and I7, calculating an optimal efficiency. Further provided is a method for estimating a performance curve in an axial-flow PAT power generation mode based on the above method for estimating an optimal efficiency point parameter, including: II1, calculating a normalized flow-hydraulic head curve; II2, calculating a normalized hydraulic head-output power curve; and II3, calculating a hydraulic head-efficiency curve.