A hydrokinetic generator including: a submersible housing defining a conduit therethrough for the flow of a fluid; a turbine mounted to the housing comprising at least one impeller located in the conduit for rotation by said flow; and at least one electrical generator coupled to the at least one turbine for converting mechanical energy from the turbine to electrical energy, the electrical generator including a plurality of elongate members bearing one or more magnetic regions, the elongate members being disposed about the at least one impeller and fast therewith; and a number of windings located within material of the housing and arranged for electromagnetic interaction with said magnetic regions whereby in use rotation of the impeller moves the magnetic regions past the windings to thereby induce an electrical current in the windings. The impeller may comprise a plurality of spiral, helical blades disposed about a common axle from a leading end thereof to a trailing end wherein a radius of the blades increases exponentially from the leading end to the trailing end.

Provided is an aerodynamic structure for mounting to a surface of a wind turbine rotor blade, which aerodynamic structure includes a plurality of rectangular comb elements and/or a plurality of angular comb elements, wherein a comb element includes comb teeth arranged in a comb plane that subtends an angle to the surface of the rotor blade. The embodiments further describe a wind turbine rotor blade including such an aerodynamic structure.

Provided is an aerodynamic structure for mounting to a surface of a wind turbine rotor blade, which aerodynamic structure includes a number of comb elements, a comb element including comb teeth arranged in a comb plane, wherein the comb plane of a mounted comb element is essentially perpendicular to the trailing edge of the rotor blade and to the airfoil surface of the rotor blade. A wind turbine rotor blade including at least one such aerodynamic structure, and a method of equipping a wind turbine rotor blade with such an aerodynamic structure, is also provided.

A kinetic fluid energy conversion system comprises one or more hubs which rotate about a central hub carrier, each including one or more independently controlled articulating energy conversion plates (ECP). An articulation control system rotates each ECP independently of all others to control its orientation with respect to the fluid flow direction between an orientation of 90 perpendicular to the fluid flow, while traveling in the direction of the flow and 0 minimal drag parallel position to the flow, while traveling in the direction against the flow or blocked from it. Each hub can be operably coupled to another hub to form one or more counter-rotating hub and ECP assemblies whereby the mechanical energy is transferred through the hubs, to one or more clutch/gearbox/generator/pump assemblies thereby permitting such assemblies to be land-based when the system is air-powered, and above or near the surface, when the system is water-powered.

A hydrokinetic generator including: a submersible housing defining a conduit therethrough for the flow of a fluid; a turbine mounted to the housing comprising at least one impeller located in the conduit for rotation by said flow; and at least one electrical generator coupled to the at least one turbine for converting mechanical energy from the turbine to electrical energy, the electrical generator including a plurality of elongate members bearing one or more magnetic regions, the elongate members being disposed about the at least one impeller and fast therewith; and a number of windings located within material of the housing and arranged for electromagnetic interaction with said magnetic regions whereby in use rotation of the impeller moves the magnetic regions past the windings to thereby induce an electrical current in the windings. The impeller may comprise a plurality of spiral, helical blades disposed about a common axle from a leading end thereof to a trailing end wherein a radius of the blades increases exponentially from the leading end to the trailing end.

Leading edge protectors for a wind turbine blade are disclosed. The leading edge protectors are configured to at least partially cover a blade leading edge section. The leading edge protectors comprise a main body having a substantially constant thickness and having a trailing end. The leading edge protectors further comprise a plurality of irregularities arranged on an outer surface of the main body upstream from the trailing end and configured to energize a boundary layer. Wind turbines comprising such leading edge protectors are also disclosed.

Vortex generators for wind turbine rotor blades having noise-reducing features are mounted within a laminar flow region on either the pressure side or the suction side of the rotor blade and have a base portion with at least one airflow modifying element extending therefrom. The base portion has a leading edge and a trailing edge extending in a first direction. Further, the base portion includes one or more edge features formed within either or both of the leading or trailing edges. Moreover, the edge features are non-parallel with respect to the first direction so as to reduce laminar boundary layer instability noise.

Various arrangements of a turbine for a rotating coalescer element of a crankcase ventilation system for an internal combustion engine are described. In some arrangements, the turbine is an impulse turbine, which is also known as a pelton turbine or a turgo turbine. The turbine is used to convert hydraulic power from a stream of pressurized fluid to mechanical power that is used to drive the rotating element. The turbine includes a non-wetting surface (e.g., an oleophobic or hydrophobic surface) that repels the pressurized fluid. The non-wetting surface may be achieved through plasma coating, fluoropolymer coating, micro-topography features, and the like. The non-wetting surface increases the power transmission efficiency from the stream of pressurized fluid to the turbine, thereby increasing the rotational speed of the rotating element compared to wettable surfaced turbines, which in turn increases the efficiency of the rotating element.

A wind turbine blade assembly includes a rotor blade having exterior surfaces defining a pressure side, a suction side, a leading edge and a trailing edge, each extending between a blade tip and a root. The rotor blade additionally defining a span and a chord. The blade assembly further includes a plurality of micro boundary layer energizers positioned on a surface of the pressure side of the rotor blade. The plurality of micro boundary layer energizers extending one of above or below a neutral plane of the rotor blade. The micro boundary layer energizers are shaped and positioned chordwise to delay separation of a boundary layer at a low angle of attack. A wind turbine including the blade assembly is additionally disclosed.

The present invention presents a structure for a set of cable-stayed blades for variable-speed wind turbines with the aim of manufacturing low-cost, large-capacity wind turbines with blades of up to 200 meters long, do not rotate to change the tilt of the wing, insulated from turbine shaft, the structure includes the steel tube at the center of the central hub for affixing the blade set onto the head of the wind turbine shaft, a tower to extend the turbine vertical axis for mounting stay cables which are fastened to the axial bearing blade frame, the blade body consists of a triangular prismatic frame with two rear-framing tubes parallel to each other to form the baselines for mounting blade surface sheets which can be furl/unfurled, the blades can be disassembled and placed into containers to be transported to the base of the turbine tower for assembly.