Run-of-the-river or ocean current turbine

摘要

A run-of-the-river or ocean current turbine may comprise a hatch and a slanted block having protector ribs for directing water flow to a waterwheel. The hatch may be controlled by a plurality of Transgear™ gear assemblies for varying the amount of water flow to the waterwheel from extreme drought to flood conditions so that the waterwheel may turn at rated speeds and within a predetermined range. The Transgear gear assemblies may comprise an accumulator for accumulating a rough and a fine tuned waterwheel speed. The Transgear assemblies may comprise embodiments of power take-off switches for, for example, bi-directional or clockwise and counterclockwise waterwheel shaft rotation. The turbine may be aligned for top-feed, side-feed or bottom feed of water and may comprise a tail wing or first and second turbines facing in opposite directions to capture high and low tidal flow.

主权项

1. A water turbine having a waterwheel and an output shaft of the waterwheel, the output shaft turned by the waterwheel at a rotational velocity determined by water flow and direction, the water turbine further comprising
a hatch for covering the waterwheel proportionately with water flow to the waterwheel; and a housing containing a first spur gear Transgear assembly, the first spur gear Transgear assembly comprising a first sun gear connected to or integral with the output shaft of the waterwheel, the output shaft of the waterwheel entering and exiting the housing for the first spur gear Transgear assembly, the first spur gear Transgear assembly further comprising a second sun gear connected to or integral with a sleeve surrounding the output shaft of the waterwheel, the first spur gear Transgear assembly having a first hold control for clockwise rotational power-take-off output and a normally neutral power take-off output being the sleeve, the waterwheel output having the first spur gear Transgear assembly as a power-take off switch.