1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to current motors capable of making use of stream and river water flow as well as tidal water flow for the production of power. The power so produced may be used to produce electricity from a generator or it may be used as mechanical power to convey water and the like via belt or chain mechanisms or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The application of hydroelectric power for the generation of electricity has been known for many years. While usually quite satisfactory, hydroelectric power installations are relatively expensive and require a long lead time to build. Furthermore, they are not always practical except in rivers of certain minimal water flow. In fact, they are not economically feasible for use in many moderate sized streams. Being fixed installations, they are virtually impossible to move and, hence, are virtually useless to meet the requirements of emergency power needs.
In harnessing tidal energy, as opposed to that of river flows, many suggestions have been made over the years. Many of these suggestions have entailed relatively complicated, complex networks of coffer dams, concentrating valves, storage basins and the like, all of which require relatively high expenditures and fixed installations requiring a long lead time.
Water wheels or other overshot paddle assemblies for producing power have long been known, as well as turbine systems wherein the working fluid passes axially through rotating turbine blades.
With the recent renewed interest in energy production arising from the runaway costs of conventional fossil fuels, there has arisen renewed interest in rivers, streams and tides as sources of power. For example, in The Philadelphia Inquirer dated June 5, 1973, there appeared an article concerning harnessing the energy of the huge Gulf Stream off the coast of Miami, Fla. Therein it was stated that the Gulf Stream could produce as much electric power as a large nuclear generator. The solution to harnessing such power, according to that article, would be to locate large, slow-turning turbines, like giant underwater windmills beneath the surface. Calculations showed that water flows in the upper layers of the Gulf Stream could produce about 0.8 kilowatt per square meter of stream cross-section or about 25,000 megawatts. If only 4 percent of this power could be extracted, this 1000 megawatts would be equivalent to the output of a large nuclear generating station.
My prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,807,890, utilizes a raceway in which is disposed an inlet gate for concentrating and increasing the velocity of the water flowing through the raceway and also for directing the water to one side of the raceway for engagement with paddles of a vertically disposed water wheel. The inlet gate has a side wall which diverges against the direction of water flow. This side wall, which concentrates the water flowing into the raceway, is pivoted so that it can swing back to a neutral position to permit water flowing out of the raceway to exit freely. A second gate is disposed at the opposite end of the raceway to perform a similar function in the opposite direction through the raceway.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,034,940 discloses a current motor having a supporting frame, cable supporting drums revolubly mounted in the frame, the drums comprising heads each of which consists of a hub having radially extending arms, a series of spokes secured at their inner ends to the arms, annular bands connecting the outer ends of the spokes and segmental plates secured to the bands to form the outer annular surface of the drums, annular channel shaped cable receiving rings secured to the annular surface of the drums, operating cables engaged with the channel shaped rings whereby the drums are operatively connected together and driven, a series of blades having a loose connection with the cables, a braking mechanism adapted to be engaged with one of the drums whereby the speed of the motor is retarded, and a power transmittng gear fixed to the coacting drum whereby the power of the motor may be transferred.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,161,215 discloses a water current motor which included a buoyant body designed to collect and from a sluice-way for the moving water of a stream and which is capable of being moored or moved from place to place in a stream.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus for utilizing the energy of flowing water, including stream, tide and river flows.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved apparatus for utilizing the energy of flowing water, which apparatus is capable of being moved easily from location to location to supply, for example, energency power needs.
Still another object is to obviate many disadvantages of prior water-energy systems.