A floating power generator having a water wheel and electrical generator. The floating power generator can comprise a variable speed drive.

A floating drum turbine is used for generating the electrical energy from the kinetic energy of a water stream (sea wave or river flow) that provides the mechanical energy needed to rotate an electrical generator for generating the electricity. The drum turbine is installed on a buoyant skid anchored to the seabed by some chains/ropes to keep it in a fixed position and direction along the water stream. The turbine is coupled to an electrical generator with a power transmission system, and generates the electricity that is transferred to the coast using a cable system floated on the water surface.

Aspects of the disclosure disclose a turbine that includes multiple rotating sails and multiple stationary sails. A mastless vertical axis wind turbine includes a first plurality of sails that are configured to rotate about a vertical axis under the influence of wind. A platform is coupled to the first plurality of sails. During operation of the mastless vertical axis wind turbine, the platform is in tension with the first plurality of sails at one or more points about a particular end of the first plurality of the sails. The mastless vertical axis wind turbine also includes a second plurality of sails having respective first ends that are coupled together and second ends that are each coupled to one or more stationary surfaces. The second plurality of sails are configured to remain stationary as the first plurality of sails rotate under the influence of the wind.

A water wheel turbine for generating power from a water current in a body of water, comprising multiple water wheels. The wheels have paddles, which have wings that channel the water current to a successive row of paddles on an adjacent wheel. The wings of the waterwheels work as self-barrier and director of the water current, reducing turbulence flow within the device. The gaps between the wings with the adjacent rear paddle do not create a significant resistance in the water current in front of the device compared with other waterwheel turbines. The device may operate in a body of water where it can be fixed or floating over a flume rigid foundation or over barrage foundation.

Device for generating energy making use of the current of a river (2), with a self-floating paddlewheel (13) and an electric generator set (17) that is coupled to the paddlewheel (13), whereby the device (1) is provided with an immersed housing (3) with an open bottom (4) in which the paddlewheel (13) is rotatably affixed and whereby there is a unit (10) to control the flow of the river (2) at the level of the paddlewheel (13), whereby the speed of the generator set (17) is kept constant by controlling the water level (9) in the housing (3) by placing its internal space (7) under pressure and/or by controlling the aforementioned unit (10).

Methods and apparatus for a modular hydrokinetic turbine. An apparatus includes modular vertically floating units tethered to shore with a generator residing above a waterway and a plurality of vertically oriented blades submerged in the waterway to convert a latent kinetic energy of a moving waterway into electricity.

A floating screw turbine device with adjustable rear deflectors/diffusors is disclosed. Three pontoons, spaced apart, carry water ducts in which screw turbines are mounted. Screw turbines, mounted in a V configuration, have mirror symmetrical pitches of the screws measured over the centre of symmetry that passes through the central pontoon. Such a configuration minimizes the vibration of the device. Rear deflectors/diffusors have an adjustable pitch relative to the floors of the water ducts by which they can affect the water flow velocity through the water ducts. In one embodiment, the optimum pitch is selected according to the previously performed computational fluid dynamics simulation for the device, where the pitch is changed using hydraulic or electromechanical actuators. In another variant an artificial neural network is taught to model a global function of the system dynamics in order to achieve optimal operation.

A hydroelectricity generating unit capturing marine current energy includes a floating hull, at least one paddle wheel assembly, at least one generator assembly, a torque transmission system, and an anti-drift mooring system. The at least one paddle wheel assembly is rotatably mounted to the floating hull and operatively coupled with the at least one generator assembly by the torque transmission system, wherein a kinetic energy of the at least one paddle wheel assembly is transferred to the at least one generator assembly by the torque transmission system to generate hydroelectricity. The torque transmission system can be a hydraulic system, a pulley system, a multiple gearbox system, or a direct driveshaft. The floating hull is tensionably coupled to a subsurface environment by the anti-drift mooring system, enabling the least one paddle wheel assembly to capture water current.

There is provided a turbine with a turbine body, a support frame, and a generator. The turbine body has a plurality of turbine blades, a shaft defining a rotational axis, and a bottom apex. Each of the turbine blades has a lower edge, and the lower edges taper upward relative to the bottom apex such that the lower edges trace a convex surface as the turbine body rotates about the rotational axis. The support frame is connected to the shaft by an angularly adjustable connection that adjusts the angle of the shaft relative to the support frame. The angularly adjustable connection permits rotation of the shaft about the rotational axis, and the generator is powered by the rotation of the shaft.

A water driven system for generating useful work has a floating support structure with a pair of spaced apart frame portions. A waterwheel is mounted between the two spaced apart frame portions in an upright manner. The waterwheel has a number of radially extending spokes for turning the waterwheel in response to a flow of water against the spokes when the floating support structure is mounted on a moving body of water. The waterwheel has outwardly extending axle shafts which are used to produce useful work as the wheel rotates.