Recirculating hydro-pneumatic impulse turbine
A recirculating hydro-pneumatic impulse turbine including a collector assembly including a central draft tube extending therebelow, the collector assembly including a collector plate having a generally horizontal upper surface and being configured such that the draft tube is in fluid communication with the upper surface, there also being a series of peripherally arranged drive cups about the upper surface. The turbine also includes a drive assembly about the central draft tube, the drive assembly including a fluid inlet at its lower end in fluid communication with the lower end of the draft tube, and a plurality of tangentially arranged outlet nozzles configured at its upper end. The turbine also includes a central air tube with an upper air inlet and a lower air distribution manifold, the manifold including at least one venturi outlet capable of entraining air in the fluid to assist movement of the fluid from the lower end of the drive assembly upwardly to the outlet nozzles. During use, fluid jets that form at the outlet nozzles engage with the drive cups to generate relative rotation between the outlet nozzles and the drive cups about a vertical axis, the relative rotation capable of providing useful work, with fluid subsequently flowing from the drive cups across the upper surface of the collector plate to the draft tube, down the draft tube where the fluid enters the fluid inlet of the drive assembly for entrainment with air and recirculation to the outlet nozzles.
1 . A recirculating hydro-pneumatic impulse turbine, the recirculating hydro-pneumatic impulse turbine including:
a collector assembly including a central draft tube extending therebelow, the collector assembly including a collector plate having a generally horizontal upper surface and being configured such that the central draft tube is in fluid communication with the generally horizontal upper surface, there also being a series of peripherally arranged drive cups about the generally horizontal upper surface;
a drive assembly about the central draft tube, the drive assembly including a fluid inlet at its lower end in fluid communication with the lower end of the central draft tube, and a plurality of tangentially arranged outlet nozzles configured at its upper end;
a central air tube with an upper air inlet and a lower air distribution manifold, the lower air distribution manifold including at least one venturi outlet;
wherein, during use, fluid jets that form at the plurality of tangentially arranged outlet nozzles engage with the series of peripherally arranged drive cups to generate relative rotation between the plurality of tangentially arranged outlet nozzles and the series of peripherally arranged drive cups about a vertical axis, with fluid subsequently flowing from the series of peripherally arranged drive cups across the generally horizontal upper surface of the collector plate to the central draft tube, down the central draft tube where the fluid enters the fluid inlet of the drive assembly for recirculation to the plurality of tangentially arranged outlet nozzles.
2 . The recirculating hydro-pneumatic impulse turbine according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of tangentially arranged outlet nozzles rotate and interact with the series of peripherally arranged drive cups, or the plurality of tangentially arranged outlet nozzles rotate and the drive cups also rotate but in opposite directions.
3 . The recirculating hydro-pneumatic impulse turbine according to claim 1 , wherein the outlet nozzles rotate and interact with static drive cups.
4 . The recirculating hydro-pneumatic impulse turbine according to claim 3 , wherein the collector assembly includes a static upper drive plate, spaced above the collector plate, such that the series of peripherally arranged drive cups are integral with or secured to the underside of the static upper drive plate, arranged about the periphery thereof, to extend downwardly towards the collector plate to be immediately above, but not in contact with, the collector plate.
5 . The recirculating hydro-pneumatic impulse turbine according to claim 4 , wherein the series of peripherally arranged drive cups are integrally formed with the static upper drive plate, such that static upper drive plate and the series of peripherally arranged drive cups form a single element, or the series of peripherally arranged drive cups are removably or permanently attached to the static upper drive plate.
6 . The recirculating hydro-pneumatic impulse turbine according to claim 4 , wherein the collector plate is a floating plate, mounted for rotation.
7 . The recirculating hydro-pneumatic impulse turbine according to claim 4 , wherein the plurality of tangentially arranged outlet nozzles lie outside the periphery of the collector plate and rotate about the periphery of the collector plate.
8 . The recirculating hydro-pneumatic impulse turbine according to claim 7 , wherein the static upper drive plate is configured to extend beyond the periphery of the collector plate such that the series of peripherally arranged drive cups also extend out beyond the periphery of the collector plate.
9 . The recirculating hydro-pneumatic impulse turbine according to claim 4 , wherein the central draft tube is integrally formed with the collector plate, extending vertically therebelow such that the upper surface and the central draft tube together have a funnel-shaped configuration, and such that the central draft tube is in fluid communication with the generally horizontal upper surface.
10 . The recirculating hydro-pneumatic impulse turbine according to claim 9 , wherein the central draft tube is a constant diameter tube with a transitional region between the generally horizontal upper surface of the collector plate and an upper portion of the central draft tube.
11 . The recirculating hydro-pneumatic impulse turbine according to claim 9 , wherein two portions of the central draft tube, an upper portion and mid-portion, are integrally formed with the collector plate, extending vertically therebelow such that the generally horizontal upper surface of the collector plate and the central draft tube together have the funnel-shaped configuration.
12 . The recirculating hydro-pneumatic impulse turbine according to claim 11 , wherein the upper air inlet of the central draft tube includes the upper portion, which is a shoulder region between the upper surface of the collector plate and the mid-portion of the central draft tube.
13 . The recirculating hydro-pneumatic impulse turbine according to claim 11 , wherein the plurality of tangentially arranged outlet nozzles are provided integrally with a nozzle plate that extends below the collector plate, down and outside the upper portion and the mid-portion of the central draft tube in a snug fit but such that there can be relative rotation between the nozzle plate and the collector plate.
14 . The recirculating hydro-pneumatic impulse turbine according to claim 13 , wherein the collector plate and the upper and mid-portions of the central draft tube all float, whereas the nozzle plate extends at its lower end below the mid-portion of the central draft tube down to the fluid inlet of the drive assembly and will rotate during operation by virtue of the forced rotation of the plurality of tangentially arranged outlet nozzles.
15 . The recirculating hydro-pneumatic impulse turbine according to claim 13 , wherein the nozzle plate includes an upstanding side wall having a sealing engagement between a corner flange of the static drive plate to permit relative rotation between the drive plate and the upstanding sidewall of the nozzle plate.
16 . The recirculating hydro-pneumatic impulse turbine according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of tangentially arranged outlet nozzles are positioned tangentially to the periphery of the collector plate and outside the periphery of the collector plate.
17 . The recirculating hydro-pneumatic impulse turbine according to claim 1 , wherein the series of peripherally arranged drive cups include a fluid-jet engaging portion that extends outwardly beyond the periphery of the collector plate, together with a fluid return portion that returns fluid to the upper surface of the collector plate.
18 . The recirculating hydro-pneumatic impulse turbine according to claim 1 , wherein the series of peripherally arranged drive cups are configured such that the fluid jets formed at the plurality of tangentially arranged outlet nozzles are deflected through 160° to 170°, with the fluid jets formed at the plurality of tangentially arranged outlet nozzles impinging upon fluid-jet engaging portions of the series of peripherally arranged drive cups and the direction of the water changing to follow the contour of the series of peripherally arranged drive cups.
19 . The recirculating hydro-pneumatic impulse turbine according to claim 1 , wherein the drive assembly is arranged to be below the generally horizontal upper surface of the collector plate.
20 . The recirculating hydro-pneumatic impulse turbine according to claim 1 , wherein the drive assembly is a cylindrical drum with a single perimetric sidewall that has an interior surface, the drum being rotatable about its central, vertical axis, with the interior surface being a smooth surface across which fluid from the fluid inlet moves to exit through the plurality of tangentially arranged outlet nozzles arranged about an upper end of the drum.
21 . The recirculating hydro-pneumatic impulse turbine according to claim 20 , wherein the interior surface of the drum is configured with flow channels, each of which align with a specific outlet nozzle of the plurality of tangentially arranged outlet nozzles, to provide guided flow of fluid from the fluid to the plurality of tangentially arranged outlet nozzles.
22 . The recirculating hydro-pneumatic impulse turbine according to claim 21 , wherein the drive assembly includes a lower fluid distribution manifold that distributes fluid from the fluid inlet to the lower end of each flow channel to provide guided flow of the fluid.
23 . The recirculating hydro-pneumatic impulse turbine according to claim 22 , wherein the flow channels are tubes, either formed integrally with the interior of the drum, or rigidly secured to the interior of the drum.
24 . The recirculating hydro-pneumatic impulse turbine according to claim 1 , wherein the drive assembly is a cage of tubes about the central draft tube, with each tube in the cage of tubes aligning with a specific outlet nozzle of the plurality of tangentially arranged outlet nozzles, to provide guided flow of the fluid from the fluid inlet to the plurality of tangentially arranged outlet nozzles.
25 . The recirculating hydro-pneumatic impulse turbine according to claim 24 , wherein the drive assembly has lower fluid distribution manifold that distributes fluid from the fluid inlet to each tube in the cage of tubes.
26 . The recirculating hydro-pneumatic impulse turbine according to claim 25 , wherein each tube in the cage of tubes is configured to be vertically inclined from the vertical axis of the drive assembly and also tangentially inclined with respect to the periphery of the collector plate, resulting in a helical array of tubes.
27 . The recirculating hydro-pneumatic impulse turbine according to claim 24 , wherein fluid flow from the fluid inlet to the plurality of tangentially arranged outlet nozzles of the drive assembly is upward and helical.
28 . The recirculating hydro-pneumatic impulse turbine according to claim 1 , wherein the upper air inlet of the central air tube is associated with an air release valve, the air release valve being a passive vent to allow internal and external air pressures to equalize.
29 . The recirculating hydro-pneumatic impulse turbine according to claim 28 , wherein the central air tube includes a plurality of inlet apertures located below the collector plate, such that air entering the central air tube travels downwardly from those openings to the lower air distribution manifold that includes a series of radial ports, being one for each venturi tube, such venturi tubes extending from the central air tube wall to a location associated with, and in close proximity to, or within, a flow channel, with its outlet facing downstream to the flow.