Systems and methods for use in capturing energy from natural resources. In one form, the systems and methods capture energy from natural resources, such as movement of fluid in a body of water, and convert it into electrical energy.

A downhole turbine may include a stator disposed in a turbine housing, a rotor disposed between the stator and the turbine housing and wherein the rotor includes an outer housing, a gap that separates the stator and the rotor, wherein the gap is oil filled, and one or more blades disposed on the outer housing between the turbine housing and the rotor. The downhole turbine may further include a compressible medium attached to the outer housing between the stator and the outer housing, wherein the compressible medium is separated from the stator by the gap, and one or more magnets attached to an inner surface of the compressible medium, wherein the one or more magnets are separated from the stator by the gap.

A power generation system includes a flotation assembly configured to float in water and a first harnessing assembly coupled to the flotation assembly and disposed in an airflow above the water. The first harnessing assembly is configured to harness the airflow to create a first rotational energy. The system also includes a second harnessing assembly coupled to the flotation assembly and disposed in the water. The second rotational assembly is configured to harness movement of the water to create a second rotational energy. The flotation assembly also includes a generating module to convert the first and second rotational energies into electrical energy.

A rotor (10) for a hydro-powered electricity generator. The rotor (10) includes a hub (12) and a plurality of blades (16). The hub (12) has a circular cross sectional shape and a longitudinal rotational axis (14). The plurality of blades (16) each have proximal root (16a) and a distal tip (16b). Each of the blade roots (16a) are mounted to the hub (12) at the widest part thereof (D1). The ratio between the diameter of the tips (16b) of the blades to the diameter of the widest part (D1) of the hub (12) is less than about 2:1.

Surface modification control stations and methods in a globally distributed array for dynamically adjusting the atmospheric, terrestrial and oceanic properties. The control stations modify the humidity, currents, wind flows and heat removal rate of the surface and facilitate cooling and control of large area of global surface temperatures. This global system is made of arrays of multiple sub-systems that monitor climate and act locally on weather with dynamically generated local forcing & perturbations for guiding in a controlled manner aim at long-term modifications. The machineries are part of a large-scale system consisting of an array of many such machines put across the globe at locations called the control stations. These are then used in a coordinated manner to modify large area weather and the global climate as desired. The energy system installed at a control stations, with multiple machines to change the local parameters of the ocean, these stations are powered using renewable energy (RE) sources including Solar, Ocean Currents, Wind, Waves and Batteries to store energy and provide sufficient power and energy as required and available at all hours. This energy is then used to do directed work using special machines, that can be pumps for seawater to move ocean water either amplifying or changing the currents in various locations and at different depths, in addition it will have machineries for changing the vertical depth profile of the ocean of temperature, salinity and currents. Control stations will also directly use devices such as heat pumps to change the temperatures of local water either at surface or at controlled depths, or modify the humidity and salinity to change the atmospheric and oceanic properties as desired. The system will work in a globally coordinated manner applying artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms to learn from observations to improve the control characteristics and aim to slow down the rise of global surface temperatures. These systems are used to reduce the temperatures of coral reefs, arctic glaciers and south pacific to control the El Nino oscillations.

A water-driven turbine has an elongated endless conveyor with down and up streaming straightaways connected by travel-reversing turns. Paddles mounted on the conveyor present high resistance to waterflow on the downstream straightaway and low resistance to waterflow or the atmosphere on the upstream straightaway, the differential allowing the flow of water to continuously drive the conveyor which is connected to a power take-off shaft facilitating connection to a variety of energy-harnessing systems. The turbine can be towed, self-driven or mooring line manipulated to a flow site and is operable in unidirectional flows such as rivers and reversing flows such as tides at depths from surface to bottom. The paddles can be mounted or changed on shore, at the flow site and anywhere in between. The turbine is efficient in low and high velocity water flow, not easily damaged by floating debris, cavitation free and fish, mammal and environmentally friendly.

Turbines and associated components, systems, and methods are described. In some embodiments, the turbine blades and turbines are configured to convert kinetic energy present in fluid (e.g., water) to other forms of energy (e.g., in a hydrokinetic energy system in a river or ocean) relatively efficiently and/or at relatively low cut-in speeds. The turbine blades may have a shape and/or include structural features that contribute at least in part to relatively high efficiency and/or relatively low cut-in speeds. In some embodiments, the turbine blades have a geometry similar to the geometry of a maple seed.

An accelerated and/or redirected flow arrangement, optimally serving as a wildlife and/or debris excluder (WDE), is used in combination with a turbine-like device having an inlet end and an outlet end for fluid flowing therethrough, e.g., a hydro-turbine. The arrangement includes at least a forward part designed to be placed in front of a fluid inlet of a turbine-like device and configured to produce at least one of the following effects on the fluid: (a) imparting a re-direction of the fluid; and/or (b) accelerating the flow velocity of the fluid, as it flows through the forward part. Turbine-like devices having both a forward part and a rearward part of flow arrangement are disclosed, as well as a method of enhancing turbine performance.

The improvements in the energy capture systems of sea, river and wind currents, characterized in that the turbines are helical in shape and the turns or threads have an inclination close to 45°, of a quarter-round or quarter-circle section and are placed together with the shafts of the generators that are covered by a casing. or aerodynamic nacelle in front of or on the other side of the support mast. The upper area of the mast can rotate with the generator and have an aerodynamic profile. They can be installed attached to one end by means of a cable between the two banks of a river, or in a narrowing of the same, or they can be subject to elements or means of fastening consisting of a mast, tree, or with a chain, fixed to the ground. at the bottom of the sea or river. The turbines drive a generator and electrical conduction cables and a security and warning facility are added. The generator is placed between the shaft or end of the turbine and the fastening element or means, or behind the mast, on the opposite side of the turbine. In this case, it carries a ball joint at the upper end of the mast. The mast carries deflector plates that are oriented and direct and increase the flow of water or air towards the turbine.

A fluid flow device has a body with a mechanism for altering state of a fluid flowing through the device, an inlet conduit providing inlet of the flowing fluid to the body of the device, an outlet conduit providing outlet of the flowing fluid from the body of the device, and a micro-generator assembly installed in either the inlet conduit or the outlet conduit, the micro-generator assembly having an impeller driven by the flowing fluid, the impeller turning a shaft driving a generator producing a voltage across two output conductors.