APPARATUS FOR GENERATING ELECTRICITY FROM WATER FLOWING IN A RIVER

Abstract

Apparatus (2) for generating electricity from water (4) flowing in a river (6), which apparatus (2) comprises: (i) a stator (B): (ii) a rotor (10) which is rotatable with respect to the stator (8}in order to generate the electricity, and wherein: (iii) the rotor (10} rotates about an axis (12} which extends in a direction transversely across the rotor (10) from a first side (14) to a second side (16) of the r9tor (10); (iv) the rotor (10) comprises a plurality of rotor blades (18) which extend from at least one of the first and second sides (14, 16) of the rotor (10); (v) the rotor blades (18) are such that each rotor blade (18) has an inner end (20) which is adjacent the side of the rotor (10) from which the rotor blade (18) extends, and an outer end (22) remote from the inner end (20); (vi) the inner end (20) of the rotor blade (18) is movably mounted with respect to the rotor (10) such that the rotor blade (18} is movable between a first position (24) and second position (26); (vii) the first position (24) is one in which the rotor blade (18) extends away from the side of the rotor (10) for being engaged by the water (4) such as to cause the rotor (10) to rotate to generate the electricity; (viii) the second position (26) is one in which the rotor blade (18) extends closer to the side of the rotor (10) than when the rotor blade (18) is in the first position (24); (ix) the second position (26) is one in which debris (28) which is in the water (4) flowing in the river (6) and which has become impacted against the rotor blade (18) is able to be freed from the rotor blade (18) by the water (4) flowing in the river (6); and (x) the rotor blade (18) is movable from the first position (24) to the second position (26} to free the rotor blade (18} from the debris (28), and the rotor blade (18) is movable from the second position
(26) to the first position (24} to enable the rotor blade (18) to resume the first position (24) for generating the electricity.

Claims

1. Apparatus for generating electricity from water flowing in a river, which apparatus comprises: a stator; a rotor which is rotatable with respect to the stator in order to generate the electricity, and wherein: the rotor rotates about an axis which extends in a direction transversely across the rotor from a first side to a second side of the rotor; the rotor comprises a plurality of rotor blades which extend from at least one of the first and second sides of the rotor; the rotor blades are such that each rotor blade has an inner end which is adjacent the side of the rotor from which the rotor blade extends, and an outer end remote from the inner end; the inner end of the rotor blade is movably mounted with respect to the rotor such that the rotor blade is movable between a first position and second position: the first position is one in which the rotor blade extends away from the side of the rotor for being engaged by the water such as to cause the rotor to rotate to generate the electricity; the second position is one in which the rotor blade extends closer to the side of the rotor than when the rotor blade is in the first position; the second position is one in which debris which is in the water flowing in the river and which has become impacted against the rotor blade is able to be freed from the rotor blade by the water flowing in the river; and the rotor blade is movable from the first position to the second position to free the rotor blade from the debris, and the rotor blade is movable from the second position to the first position to enable the rotor blade to resume the first position for generating the electricity.

2. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the rotor blade is movable between the first position and the second position by being pivotable.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the first position is such that the rotor blade extends parallel to the axis of rotation.

4. Apparatus according to claim 1 and including first biasing means for biasing the rotor blade permanently to the first position, and in which the first biasing means is such that it is configured to allow the rotor blade to move from the first position to the second position consequent upon a force on the rotor blade generated by the water flowing in the river and the debris impacted on the rotor blade exceeding a predetermined value.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which the first biasing means is a spring biasing means.

6. Apparatus according to claim 4 and including second biasing means for biasing the rotor blade from the second position to the first position after the rotor blade has moved from the first position to the second position in order to remove the impacted debris.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6 in which the second biasing means is a spring biasing means.

8. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the rotor blades extend from both the first and second sides of the rotor.

9. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the rotor rotates inside the stator.

10. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which the rotor and the stator are mounted in a frame.

11. Apparatus according to claim 10 in which the frame is disc-shaped.

12. Apparatus according to claim 1 and including torque-balancing means for balancing torque on the apparatus caused by the water flowing in the river.

13. Apparatus according to claim 12 in which the torque-balancing means comprises a tail fin.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

[0036] Other objects, features and advantages will occur to those skilled in the art from the following description of a preferred embodiment and the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0037] FIG. 1 shows a first apparatus for generating electricity from water flowing in a river;

[0038] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a second apparatus for generating electricity from water flowing in a river;

[0039] FIG. 3 is a side view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2;

[0040] FIG. 4 is a top view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2;

[0041] FIG. 5 is an end view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 2;

[0042] FIG. 6 shows a first alternative rotor blade configuration to the one shown in FIG. 2;

[0043] FIG. 7 shows a second rotor blade configuration to the one shown in FIG. 2;

[0044] FIG. 8 shows a third alternative rotor configuration to the one shown in FIG. 2;

[0045] FIG. 9 shows a fourth alternative blade configuration to the one shown in FIG. 2;

[0046] FIG. 10 shows part of further apparatus of the present invention and illustrates how the rotor may have a rotor blade which is spring biased by first and second biasing means;

[0047] FIG. 11 is an end view of the rotor blade as shown in FIG. 10;

[0048] FIG. 12 is a second on the line A-A shown in FIG. 11;

[0049] FIG. 13 shows a further alternative blade configuration with spring biasing means;

[0050] FIG. 14 is an end view of the blade configuration shown in FIG. 13;

[0051] FIG. 15 is a section on the line B-B shown in FIG. 14;

[0052] FIG. 16 is an end view which is like FIG. 13 but which does not illustrate the spring biasing means;

[0053] FIG. 17 is an end view like FIG. 14 and shows an anchor for one end of the spring biasing means shown in FIG. 13;

[0054] FIG. 18 is a section on the line C-C shown in FIG. 17; and

[0055] FIG. 19 is a view like FIG. 14 and illustrates the range of movement of the rotor blade.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0056] Aside from the preferred embodiment or embodiments disclosed below, this invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or being carried out in various ways. Thus, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and the arrangements of components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. If only one embodiment is described herein, the claims hereof are not to be limited to that embodiment. Moreover, the claims hereof are not to be read restrictively unless there is clear and convincing evidence manifesting a certain exclusion, restriction, or disclaimer.

[0057] Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown apparatus 2 to generating electricity from water 4 flowing in a river 6. The apparatus 2 comprises a stator 8 and a rotor 10 which is rotatable with respect to the stator 8 in order to generate the electricity.

[0058] The rotor 10 rotates about an axis 12 which extends in a direction transversely across the rotor 10 from a first side 14 to a second side 16 of the rotor 10.

[0059] The rotor 10 comprises a plurality of rotor blades 18, only one of which is shown in FIG. 1 for simplicity of illustration. The rotor blades 18 extend from at least one of the first and second sides 14, 16 of the rotor 10. More specifically, the rotor blades 18 extend just from the first side 14 of the rotor 10. The rotor blades 18 are such that each rotor blade 18 has an inner end 20 which is adjacent the side of the rotor 10 from which the rotor blade 18 extends (i.e., the first side 14) and an outer end 22 remote from the inner end 20.

[0060] The inner end 20 of the rotor blade 18 is movably mounted with respect to the rotor 10 such that the rotor blade 18 is movable between a first position 24 which is shown at FIG. 1(a) to a second position 26 which is shown at FIG. 1(d).

[0061] The first position 24 is one in which the rotor blade 18 extends away from the first side 14 of the rotor 10 for being engaged by the water 4 such as to cause the rotor 10 to rotate to generate the electricity.

[0062] The second position 26 is one in which the rotor blade 18 extends closer to the first side 14 of the rotor 1O than when the rotor blade 18 is in the first position 24. As can best be appreciated from the sequence of FIG. 1(a), (b), (c) and (d), the second position 26 is one in which debris 28 which is in the water 4 flowing in the river 6 and which has become impacted against the rotor blade 18 is able to be freed from the rotor blade 18 by the water 4 flowing in river 6.

[0063] The rotor blade 18 is movable from the first position 24 to the second position 26 to free the rotor blade 18 from the debris 28. The rotor blade 18 is movable from the second position 26 to the first position 24 to enable the rotor blade 18 to resume the first position 24 for generating the electricity. The movement of the rotor blade 18 from the second position to the first position occurs with a sequence of events extending from FIG. 1(d)-(a).

[0064] The rotor blade 18 is movable between the first position and the second position by being pivotable. The rotor blade 18 may be mounted by other mounting means for enabling the rotor blade 18 to be movable between the first position 24 and the second position 26. As can best be appreciated from FIG. 1(a), the first position 24 is such that the rotor blade 18 extends parallel to the axis of rotation 12. If desired, the rotor blade 18 may extend in the first position 12 at an angle to the axis 12.

[0065] The inner end 20 of the rotor blade 18 is movably mounted with respect to the rotor 10 by mounting means 30. The mounting means 30 is a pivotable mounting means.

[0066] The apparatus 2 includes first biasing means 32 for biasing the rotor blade 18 permanently to the first position 24. The first biasing means 32 is such that it is configured to allow the rotor blade 18 to move from the first position 24 to the second position 26 consequent upon a force on the rotor blade 18 generated by the water 4 flowing in the river 6 and the debris 28 impacted on the rotor blade 18 exceeding a predetermined maximum value. The first biasing means 32 is a spring biasing means but it may be another type of biasing means if desired, for example rubber bands or hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders. When the first biasing means 32 is a spring biasing means then it may comprise one, two or more springs. The springs are typically coil springs. Referring now to FIGS. 2-5, there is shown second apparatus 34 for generating electricity from water 4 flowing in a river 6. Similar parts as in the apparatus 2 have been given the same reference numerals for ease of comparison and understanding.

[0067] In FIGS. 2-5, the apparatus 32 has been shown with the rotor blades 18 in the first position 24. The rotor blades 18 are shown as extending from the first side 14 of the rotor 10 and also from the second side 16 of the rotor 10.

[0068] In the apparatus 34, the mounting means 30 is again a pivotable mounting means 30. The rotor 10 rotates in the stator 8, as it does in the apparatus 2. The rotation of the rotor 10 in the stator 8 is best appreciated from FIGS. 2 and 3. The stator 8 is disc-shaped and has a relatively narrow width, as can best be appreciated from FIGS. 2 and 5.

[0069] The stator 8 and the rotor 10 are mounted in a frame 36.

[0070] The apparatus 34 includes torque-balancing means 38 for balancing torque on the apparatus 34 caused by the water 4 flowing in the river 6. The torque-balancing means 38 is formed as part of the frame 36. The torque-balancing means 38 comprises a tail fin 40, control ailerons 42 and ballast weights (not shown}. The apparatus 34 also comprises a portion 44.

[0071] FIG. 6 shows a rotor blade 46 having curved blade elements 48, 50 mounted on a shaft 52. The rotor blade 46 Is of a Savonius shape.

[0072] FIG. 7 shows a rotor blade 54 having curved blade elements 56, 58 mounted on a shaft 60. The rotor blade 54 is of a Darrieus rotor blade shape.

[0073] FIG. 8 shows a rotor blade 62 having three flat blades 64, 66, 68 mounted on a shaft 70. The rotor blade 62 is of an H-Darrieus shape.

[0074] FIG. 9 shows a rotor blade 72 having three helix-shaped blades 74, 76, 78 which are mounted on a shaft 80 via mounting struts 82. The rotor blade 72 is of a helix shape.

[0075] FIGS. 10-12 show a rotor blade 84 having a base 86. The rotor blade 84 has an inner end 20 and an outer end 22. Inside the rotor blade 84 is mounted first biasing means 32 in the form of first spring biasing means 32 having a coil spring 88 located between an anchor pin 90 and an anchor cable 92.

[0076] The rotor blade 84 is also provided with second biasing means 94 for biasing the rotor blade 84 from the second position 26 to the first position 24 after the rotor blade 84 has moved from the first position 24 to the second position 26 in order to remove the impacted debris. The second biasing means 94 is a second spring biasing means 94 comprising a coil spring 96 which is anchored at one end to an anchor pin 98 and which is anchored at the other end to an anchor cable 100.

[0077] Referring now to FIGS. 13-18, there is shown a rotor blade 102 which is like the rotor blade 84. Similar parts have been given the same reference numerals for ease of comparison and understanding. In the rotor blade 102, there is only one biasing means which may be regarded as being the first biasing means 32. This biasing means 32 acts as both the first biasing means 32 and the second biasing means 94 in the rotor blade 84.

[0078] FIG. 19 illustrates how the rotor blade 102 is able to pivot about its mounting means 30 over an angle of 45° to either side of the first position 24 pivotal movement will only be required in the direction of flow of the water 4 in the river 6. Making the pivotable mounting means 30 such that the rotor blade 102 can pivot in either direction, enables the rotor blade 102 to be easily and appropriately mounted on any chosen side 14, 16 of the apparatus of the invention. Pivoting occurs about two pivot pins 104, 106.

[0079] The connection of the coil springs to the cables in the apparatus 84, 102 is advantageous in that the cables are easily able to be bent around surface configurations which would not allow the coil springs similarly to be bent.

[0080] It is to be appreciated that the embodiments of the invention described above with reference to the accompanying drawings have been given by way of example only and that modifications may be effected. Thus, for example, the stator, the rotor, the rotor blades, the mounting means and the torque-balancing means may be of different constructions to those shown. Individual components shown in the drawings are not limited to use in their drawings and they may be used in other drawings and in all aspects of the invention. The invention also extends to the individual components mentioned and/or shown above, taken singly or in any combination.

[0081] The subject invention, however, in other embodiments, need not achieve all these objectives and the claims hereof should not be limited to structures or methods capable of achieving these objectives.

[0082] Although specific features of the invention are shown in some drawings and not in others, this is for convenience only as each feature may be combined with any or all of the other features in accordance with the invention. The words “including”, “comprising”, “having”, and “with” as used herein are to be interpreted broadly and comprehensively and are not limited to any physical interconnection. Moreover, any embodiments disclosed in the subject application are not to be taken as the only possible embodiments.

[0083] In addition, any amendment presented during the prosecution of the patent application for this patent is not a disclaimer of any claim element presented in the application as filed: those skilled in the art cannot reasonably be expected to draft a claim that would literally encompass all possible equivalents, many equivalents will be unforeseeable at the time of the amendment and are beyond a fair interpretation of what is to be surrendered (if anything), the rationale underlying the amendment may bear no more than a tangential relation to many equivalents, and/or there are many other reasons the applicant cannot be expected to describe certain insubstantial substitutes for any claim element amended.

[0084] Other embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art and are within the following claims.

[0085] What is claimed is: