Boomerang hydro multiplier
View Patent ↗A boomerang hydro multiplier machine designed to enhance hydro power by providing a greater area for collection and containment of fluid thereby providing more power including a wheel device and a guide channel with an endless carrier unit secured extending around the wheel device and through the guide channel, and a series of containers provided on the endless carrier unit used in transferring a continuous fluid supply through the guide channel in order to rotate the wheel device to generate rotational energy. A fluid flow is directed at the containers entering the guide channel from near the top of the wheel device and is discharged near or under the bottom of the wheel device after being directed through the guide channel. An increased electrical energy may be generated without increasing the associated water flow.
1 . A hydropower generating device comprising:
a first rotary wheel device and a second rotary wheel device, a support frame configured for supporting the first wheel device vertically on a central axle and the second wheel device vertically on another central axle in a spaced-apart relation from the first wheel device, the second wheel device having a smaller diameter than the first wheel device and horizontally aligned with the first wheel device, a plurality of containers connected to form an endless carrier unit, and a closed loop guide channel, wherein the endless carrier unit is mounted to the first wheel device and second wheel device and extending through the guide channel so as to rotationally connect the first wheel device and second wheel device, said guide channel having an entrance opening near a top of the first wheel device, a first segment extending at an acute angle downwardly from the entrance opening to a position above the second wheel device, a downwardly curved second segment extending around an outer circumference of the second wheel device, and a third segment extending at an acute angle downwardly from a position below the second wheel device and connecting to an exit opening located near a bottom of the first wheel device, and a fluid inlet conduit positioned near the entrance opening configured for directing a fluid towards the containers upon entering the guide channel and driving the endless carrier unit to circulate in a direction such that the containers are continually moved through the guide channel from the entrance opening to the exit opening and thereupon rotating the first wheel device and generating rotational energy.
2 . The hydropower generating device of claim 1 further comprising a generator connected to the first wheel device for generating electrical energy.
3 . The hydropower generating device of claim 1 wherein the containers further comprise fin elements attached to the endless carrier unit.
4 . The rotary hydropower generating device of claim 3 further comprising a plurality of fluid-receiving compartments formed between the fin elements.
5 . The hydropower generating device of claim 1 wherein the containers further comprise a plurality of buckets having a front opening, a rim extending around the front opening configured to provide a close fit with an interior wall of the guide channel, and a pair of transverse ribs configured to mate with seats formed in a circumference of the first and second wheel device, wherein one of said transverse ribs is formed of a transverse bottom section of the rim.
6 . The hydropower generating device of claim 5 wherein the buckets further comprise pairs of front links and rear links for pivotally securing adjacent buckets together to form the endless carrier unit.
7 . The hydropower generating device of claim 1 wherein the second wheel device has a diameter of one-half of the first wheel device.
8 . The hydropower generating device of claim 1 wherein the guide channel and second wheel device are mounted to the support frame for supporting the first rotary wheel device.
9 . The hydropower generating device of claim 1 wherein the downwardly curved second segment of the guide channel has a semicircular configuration.
10 . The hydropower generating device of claim 1 further comprising a series of seats formed around a circumferential portion of the first and second wheel device at uniform intervals which engage with matching projections on an inner side of the endless carrier unit.
11 . A hydropower generating device comprising:
a rotary wheel device;
a support frame for supporting the wheel device vertically on a central axle;
a closed loop guide channel having an interior wall, an entrance opening located near a top of the wheel device, an exit opening located near a bottom of the wheel device, an upper segment extending from the entrance opening downwardly and outwardly away from the wheel device at an acute angle, a downwardly curved middle segment having a radius smaller than a radius of the wheel device, and a lower segment extending downwardly at an acute angle from a lower end of the second segment and returning to the exit opening;
a plurality of containers connected to form an endless carrier unit, said endless carrier unit secured extending around a circumference of the wheel device and through the guide channel; and
a fluid inlet conduit positioned near the entrance opening configured for directing a fluid towards the containers entering the guide channel and driving the endless carrier unit to circulate in a direction so the containers are continually moved through the guide channel from the entrance opening to the exit opening, thereupon rotating the wheel device and generating rotational energy;
said containers forming buckets having a front opening, a rim extending around the front opening configured to provide a close fit with the interior wall of the guide channel, and at least one transverse rib configured to mate with seats formed in a circumference of the wheel device, wherein one of the at least one transverse ribs is formed of a transverse bottom section of the rim.
12 . The hydropower generating device of claim 11 wherein the buckets further comprise pairs of front links and rear links for pivotally securing adjacent buckets together to form the endless carrier unit.
13 . A hydropower generating device comprising:
a support frame;
at least one wheel device mounted vertically to the support frame on a central shaft;
a guide channel mounted to the support frame in horizontal alignment with the at least one wheel device, said guide channel having an entrance opening located near a top of the at least one wheel device, an exit opening located near a bottom of the at least one wheel device, and forming a closed loop between the entrance opening and exit opening including oppositely downwardly inclined upper and lower segments extending away from and back to a position in close proximity to an outer circumference of the at least one wheel device and a downwardly curved middle segment having a top end positioned lower vertically than the entrance opening, a bottom end positioned higher vertically than the exit opening, the upper segment connecting between the entrance opening and the top end of the middle segment, and the lower segment connecting between the bottom end of the middle segment and the exit opening; and
an endless carrier unit rotationally mounted to the at least one rotary wheel device and slidably mounted in the guide channel;
wherein a fluid directed into the containers at the entrance opening to the guide channel causes the endless carrier unit to circulate thereupon rotating the at least one wheel device and generating rotational energy.
14 . The hydropower generating device of claim 13 wherein the upper segment is inclined at an acute angle downwardly and away from the entrance opening, and the lower segment is inclined at an acute angle downwardly from the lower end of the middle segment returning to the exit opening.
15 . The hydropower generating device of claim 14 further comprising a second wheel device in a spaced relation and horizontally aligned with the first wheel device, said endless carrier unit rotationally connected to the second wheel device at a location within the middle segment of the guide channel.
16 . The hydropower generating device of claim 14 wherein the at least one rotary wheel device further comprises a pair of vertically spaced wheel devices, and wherein the middle segment of the guide channel is positioned in a horizontal plane between the pair of vertically spaced wheel devices.
17 . The hydropower generating device of claim 14 wherein the containers further comprise buckets having a front opening, a rim extending around the front opening configured to provide a close fit with an interior wall of the guide channel, and a pair of transverse ribs configured to mate with seats formed in the circumference of the at least one wheel device, wherein one of the transverse ribs is formed of a transverse bottom section of the rim and the buckets are configured to be slidingly supported on the at least one transverse rib in the guide channel.
18 . The hydropower generating device of claim 15 wherein the at least one rotary wheel device further comprises a pair of vertically spaced wheel devices, and wherein the second wheel device is positioned in a horizontal plane between the pair of vertically spaced wheel devices.