GB2573153A

GB2573153A - Water turbine

Info

Publication number: GB2573153A
Application number: GB1806862.7A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Rooney Michael
Original assignee: Turbo Float Ltd
Current assignee: Turbo Float Ltd
Priority date: 2018-04-26
Filing date: 2018-04-26
Publication date: 2019-10-30
Also published as: GB201806862D0

Abstract

A water turbine 1 comprises a wheel 3 mounted on a support frame 2 which may be mounted on floats (10, fig.3). The wheel (3) is drivably connected, eg via a chain or gear drive transmission (6, fig.1) and gearbox (7), to an alternator (8) to generate electricity. A plurality of circumferentially spaced-apart drive paddles 4 are pivotally mounted on the wheel for movement between a drive position projecting radially outwardly of the wheel 3 to be driven by the water stream and an inoperative neutral position in which the drive paddles 4 lie against the wheel 3. Each paddle 4 may be rectangular, pivotally mounted on a shaft 24 and limited in its outward movement into the drive position by flexible straps 28 extending between the wheel 3 and the paddle 4. The wheel 3 may comprise a pair of rings (16, fig.3) spaced apart on a drive shaft (18).

Description

“Water Turbine’·

Introduction

This invention relates to a water turbine.

Water turbines ate well known and are used to generate etectdctty or drive other machinery - such as a mill wheel, for example. The present invention is particularly concerned with a floating water turbine. A typioaf water turbine construction include® Q water wheel with a plurality of spacechapad radial paddies which are engaged by a water stream to rotate the water wheel in order to generate power. However, as each paddle lifts out of the water stream, there is a drag effect as the paddle lifts water from the stream which adversely affects the efficiency of the water turbine

The present invention is directed towards overcoming fhts problem.

Summary of the Invention

According to the invention, there Is provided a water turbine for generating electricity, composing: a support frame, a wheel rotatably mounted on the support frame, a plurality of spaced-apart drive paddles on the wheel, the wheel drivabiy connected to a drive shaft of an alternator, wherein each drive paddle Is movable on the wheel between a drive position and an inoperative neutral position. in one embodiment of the Invention, each drive paddle >s foldable between the drive position and the neutral position. in another embodiment, each drive paddle Is pivotably moveable between the drive position and the neutral position.

In another embodiment, the drive paddle projects radially outwardly of the wheel when In the drive position and lies against the wheel in the neutral position.

In another embodiment, a drive paddle position controller is provided to limit movement of the drive paddle from the neutral position to the drive position.

In another embodiment, the drive paddle position controller is a flexible strap extending between the wheel and the drive paddle.

In another embodiment, the wheei comprises a pair of rings mounted spaoed-apart on a drive shaft which is rotatably mounted on the support frame, and each dnve paddle comprises a fir? projecting outwardly from a support collar, the support collar pivotably mounted on a complementary pivot shaft extending between the rings parallel to the drive shaft.

In another embodiment, the length of the fin is about half the diameter of the wheel.

In another embodiment, the support frame Is mounted on a float.

In another embodiment, a drive wheel is mounted on the drive shaft for driveable connection to the alternator in another embodiment, the drive wheel is connected to the alternator through a gear drive.

In another embodiment, the dove wheei is connected to the alternator through a chain drive.

The invention will be more clearly understood by the following description of some embodiments thereof, giver? by way ci example only, with reference ίο the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig- 1 is a schematic illustration of a water turbine according io he invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail schematic illustration of the water turbine of the invention;

Hg, 3 is a schematic perspective view of a water turbine according to the invention; and

Fig. 4 is a detail perspective view of portion of the water turbine shown in Fig. 3.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments

Referring to the drawings, there is illustrated a water turbine according to the invention, indicated generally by the: reference numeral 1. The; water turbine 1 comprises a support frame 2. A. wheel 3 is rotatably mounted or? the support frame 2. A plurality of spaced-apart dnve paddles 4 are provided circumferentially spaced-apart on the wheel 3. The wheel 3 Is dnvabiy corrected by means of s drive transmission g through a gearbox 7 with an alternator 8. It will be noted that each drive paddle 4 is pivotally movable on the wheel 3 between a drive position projecting radially outwardly of the wheel 3 and an inoperative neutral position in which the drive paddle 4 lies against the wheel 3 in a tangential position.

Referring In particular to Fig. 3 the frame 2 is a rectangular frame mounted between a pair of spaced-apart floats 10. The frame 2 has side members 11 extending along a top 12 of each float 10, Cross members 14 extend between the side members 11 to form a rigid rectangular support frame 2

The wheel 3 comprises as pair of rings 16, 17 mr.ium.ed spaced-apart on a drive shaft 18. Each end of the drive shaft 18 Is rotatably mounted in a bearing 19, 20 mounted or? one of the side members 11 of the support frame 2,

Each drive paddle 4 comprises a rectangular fin 22 which projects outwardly iron; a fubufer support collar 23. The support collar 23 is pivotably mounted on a complementary pivot shaft 24 which extends between the rings 18, 17 and is secured to each ring 16, 17 by a mount 26, Thus each pivot shaft 24 is parallel to the drive shaft 18,

Referring -n particular to Fig. 2 and Fig. 4, it can be seer? that each drive paddle 4 is pivotably moveahte between a drive position projecting radially outwardly of the wheel 3 and a folded neutral position lying against the wheel 3. A drive paddle position controller comprises a flexible strap 28 extending between the wheel 3 and the fin 22 of the drive paddle 4. Two flexible straps 28 are provided, one at each end of the fin 22, and they limit outward movement of the fin 22 into the drive position to correctly position the fin 22 for rotating the wheel 3.

As can be seen in Fig. 2 as the drive paddle 4 lifts out of the wafer If will pivot and hang downwardly and fold inwardly against the wheei 3 and thus It will not lift any water as it lifts out of the water stream within which the wafer turbine 1 is mounted. With the wheel 3 rotating ·η direction X (anti clockwise} In Fig. 2, when in quadrant A the drive paddle 4 will extend radially outwardly from the wheel 3. As the dnve paddie 4 moves through quadrant 8 it will hang vertically downwardly thus not nicking up any water from: the water stream. A drive wheel 30 is mounted at one end of the drive shaft 18. Fig. 3 shows the drive train 6 as a series of drive chains and sprockets connected between the drive wheel 30 and a drive shaft 32 of the alternator 8. However other drive transmissions such as a gear train could also be used. Power cables 34 from the alternator 8 deliver power generated by the alternator wherever required, for operating machinery or charging batteries for example, A protective cover 38 may be provided to fit over the support frame 2 and apparatus mounted thereon.

In use, the wafer turbine 1 is located In a stream and anchored or tied in position. A water stream passing between the floats 10 will engage each paddle 4 as It drops into the water stream and thus rotate the wheei 3 which in turn through the drive transmission 6 drives the alternator 8 to generate power. It will be noted that as each paddle 4 enters the water stream it is in the drive position, that is extending radially outwardly from the wheei 3 so that the water stream pushes the paddle 4 and thus rotates the wheel 3. As the peddle 4 sifts out of the water stream It folds back against the wheel 3 so that It does not lift water with it as It exits the wafer stream If will be appreciated that this greatly enhances the eff-cienoy of the water turbine of the invention.

While the present Invention is primarily concerned with floating water turbines, It is envisaged that the water turbine of the invention could be rotatably mounted on a channel through which a wafer stream is delivered such that the wafer stream engages the drive paddles 4 at a bottom of the water wheel 3 in similar fashion to a floating water larmne.

In the specification the terms ''comprise, comprises, comprised and comprising" or any variation thereof and the terms "include, inoludes, included and Including” dr any variation thereof are considered to be totally interchangeable and they should all be afforded the widest possible interpretation and vice versa.

The invention is hot limited the embodiments hereinbefore and described which may be varied in both construction and detail within the scope of the appended claims.

Claims

Ct&BS

1. A wafer turbine for generating electricity comprising: a support frame. a wheel rotatably mounted on the support frame.. a plurality of spaced-apart drive paddies on the wheel, the wheel drivabiy connected to a drive shaft of an alternator, wherein each drive paddle is moveable on the wheel between a drive position and ran Inoperative neutral position.
2. The water turbine as claimed >n claim 1 wherein each drive paddle Is foldable between the drive position and the neutral position.
3. The water turbine as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2 wherein each drive paddle >s pivotably moveable between the drive position and the neutral position.
4. The water turbine as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the drive paddle projects radially outwardly of the wheel when in the drive position and ttes: against the wheel in tris neutral position.
5. The water turbine as claimed in any preceding claim wherein a drive paddle position controller is provided to limit movement of tire drive paddle from the neutral position to the drive position.
6. The water turbine as claimed in claim 5 wherein the drive paddle position controller is a flexible strap extending between the wheel and the drive paddle.
7. The water turbine as olaimed in any preceding claim wherein the wheel comprises a pair of rings mounted spaced-apart on a drive shaft which is rotatably mounted on the support, frame, and each drive paddle comprises a fin projecting outwardly from a support collar. the support collar pivotably mounted on a complementary pivot shaft extending between the rings parallel to the drive shaft.
8, The water turbine as claimed In claim 7 wherein the length of the ήη is about half the diameter of the wheel. S, The water turbine as claimed in any preceding claim wherein the support frame is mounted on a float.
10. The wafer turbine as claimed in any preceding claim wherein a drive wheel is mounted on the drive shaft for driveable connection to the alternator.
11. The water turbine as claimed in claim 10 wherein the drive wheel is connected to the alternator through a gear drive.
12. The water turbine as claimed in claim 10 wherein the drive wheel Is connected to the alternator through a chain drive.