A hydrokinetic turbine system for harvesting energy from riverine and tidal sources, including a first floating dock, a marine hydrokinetic turbine mounted on the first floating dock, and a second floating dock. The system further includes a winch assembly mounted on the second floating dock and operationally connected to the first floating dock and a linkage assembly operationally connected to the first floating dock and to the second floating dock. The linkage assembly may be actuated to pull the first floating dock into contact with the second floating dock. The linkage assembly may be actuated to distance the first floating dock from the second floating dock, and the winch assembly may be energized to orient the first floating dock into a position wherein the marine hydrokinetic turbine is above the first floating dock and wherein the winch assembly may be energized to orient the first floating dock into a position wherein the marine hydrokinetic turbine is below the first floating dock.

In a vertical rotor apparatus that rotates in response to a moving fluid, a shaft defines an axis of rotor rotation. Rotor blades are longitudinally aligned in parallel with the shaft and each rotor blade defines an axis of blade rotation. A sensor generates a signal when any of the rotor blades are within rotor azimuthal angles of blade stall regions. A controller generates blade pitch information for the blade stall regions and an actuator, which is mechanically coupled to each of the rotor blades, alters blade pitch about the axis of blade rotation in accordance with the blade pitch information.

This disclosure provides a vertical-axis windmill including a rotating vertical shaft and at least one vane assembly mounted to the rotating vertical shaft. The vertical-axis windmill rotates around a vertical axis when wind impinges upon the vane assembly. During rotation, a planar sail of the vane assembly moves along an oscillatory arc of about 90°, with the planar sail assuming each of a vertical orientation and a horizontal orientation once during each 360° rotation of the vertical shaft. As described below, this configuration advantageously allows the windmill to be self-starting and suited for operation at low wind-speed.

In a vertical rotor apparatus that rotates in response to a moving fluid, a shaft defines an axis of rotor rotation. Rotor blades are longitudinally aligned in parallel with the shaft and each rotor blade defines an axis of blade rotation. A sensor generates a signal when any of the rotor blades are within rotor azimuthal angles of blade stall regions. A controller generates blade pitch information for the blade stall regions and an actuator, which is mechanically coupled to each of the rotor blades, alters blade pitch about the axis of blade rotation in accordance with the blade pitch information.

Substantially horizontal axis water turbine assemblies for generating electrical power in areas having poor sources of water flow including rotors mounted within housings in such a manner so as to minimize water resistance to the rotor blades with rotor blades passing through upper rotor return air spaces created within the housings and wherein the turbine assemblies may be mounted within support structures that both channel water flow to the turbine assemblies and facilitate access to the components thereof.

In a vertical rotor apparatus that rotates in response to a moving fluid, a shaft defines an axis of rotor rotation. Rotor blades are longitudinally aligned in parallel with the shaft and each rotor blade defines an axis of blade rotation. A sensor generates a signal when any of the rotor blades are within rotor azimuthal angles of blade stall regions. A controller generates blade pitch information for the blade stall regions and an actuator, which is mechanically coupled to each of the rotor blades, alters blade pitch about the axis of blade rotation in accordance with the blade pitch information.

In a vertical rotor apparatus that rotates in response to a moving fluid, a shaft defines an axis of rotor rotation. Rotor blades are longitudinally aligned in parallel with the shaft and each rotor blade defines an axis of blade rotation. A sensor generates a signal when any of the rotor blades are within rotor azimuthal angles of blade stall regions. A controller generates blade pitch information for the blade stall regions and an actuator, which is mechanically coupled to each of the rotor blades, alters blade pitch about the axis of blade rotation in accordance with the blade pitch information.

The present invention relates to a vertical wind turbine (1) with a plurality of vertical blades (7), which are each fastened to a respective vertical blade axis (26), are each such that they are motor-driven pivotable around a respective blade rotation axis (C.sub.7) independently of one another and are supported rotatable on a common circular path (K) around a vertical rotor rotation axis (C.sub.2), and to a method for operating the vertical wind turbine (1), wherein angular positions of vertical blades (7) of the vertical wind turbine (1), which are each driven around a respective vertical rotor blade axis (26), are predetermined. According to the invention, the vertical wind turbine (1) is operated in a particularly efficient and material-protecting way in that the angular positions of the blades (7) are continuously controlled through a direct drive of each of the blades (7) by means of a respective pitch motor (27) positioned concentrically to the blade axis (26).

A vertical axis wind turbine includes: a central axis that extends in a substantially vertical direction; a plurality of configurable airfoils disposed about the central axis, the plurality of configurable airfoils physically coupled to rotate together about the central axis; an angle adjustment mechanism configured to adjust an angle formed between a configurable airfoil and a radius that extends from the central axis as the configurable airfoil rotates about the central axis; and a profile adjustment mechanism that is configured to adjust a profile of the configurable airfoil as the configurable airfoil rotates about the central axis.

Substantially horizontal axis water turbine assemblies for generating electrical power in areas having poor sources of water flow including rotors mounted within housings in such a manner so as to minimize water resistance to the rotor blades with rotor blades passing through upper rotor return air spaces created within the housings and wherein the turbine assemblies may be mounted within support structures that both channel water flow to the turbine assemblies and facilitate access to the components thereof.