Horizontally-oriented conical-helical hydrokinetic turbine
View Patent ↗A fully-submerged multi-stage Horizontally-oriented Conical-helical Hydrokinetic Turbine that captures water stream flows (river, tidal, deep ocean currents) and funnels this kinetic-rich concentrated flow into a conical turbine system consisting of a rotating arrangement of helical hydrofoil blades wherein the internal stream is forced to exit out through the frustum turbine blade assembly. With a higher Capacity Factor and Power Coefficient than conventional renewables, this turbine is designed to be an environmentally friendly baseload electricity generator to meet the ever-increasing electricity demands.
1 . A hydrokinetic turbine system, the system comprising:
a) a turbine blade system, wherein the turbine blade system includes a plurality of hydrofoil blades distributed around a three-dimensional conical plane;
b) wherein each of the hydrofoil blades include at least one blade length segment, at least one downstream blade section, at least one downstream blade tip, at least one profile, and at least one geometry;
c) wherein the hydrofoil blades are arranged lengthwise down a concentric frustum-shape at an acute angle to an axis of rotation;
d) a larger diameter inlet section, proportionally larger than a largest diameter of a plane of the turbine blade system, wherein the larger diameter inlet section is open to a water stream;
e) a center axis of rotation is generally aligned with a water stream flow's relative direction of travel; and
f) an inner cavity area is formed by a progressive cone-shaped separation half-plane.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the hydrofoil blades curve around the conical plane with a helical curve along the at least one blade length segment, forming a conical spiral or conical helix blade arrangement.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:
a) the hydrofoil blade chord lengths, profiles, or geometries are nonuniform; or
b) the hydrofoil blade chord lengths, profiles, or geometries are divided into unique segments along the length of the blades.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:
a) the conical plane is shortened to form an open-ended frustum, wherein each of the downstream blade tips are free and unconnected at the furthest downstream termination points; or
b) the conical plane is shortened to form a closed-ended frustum, wherein the at least one downstream blade section is operatively connected to a tail structure or tail pod.
5 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising: a downstream tail structure or tail pod.
6 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a) a Stage One;
b) wherein the Stage One includes an upstream inlet stream collector;
c) wherein the Stage One includes an inlet section and an outlet section;
d) wherein the Stage One stream collector's upstream inlet includes a larger diameter opening than that of the system's larger diameter inlet section; and
e) the Stage One is positioned in front of, or operatively connected to the front of, the system's larger diameter inlet section.
7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the upstream inlet stream collector further comprises:
a) a Stage Two;
b) wherein the Stage Two includes an inlet section and an outlet section;
c) the inlet section of Stage Two is located downstream from the inlet section of Stage One;
d) the inlet section diameter of Stage Two is greater than the outlet section diameter of Stage One; and
e) an inlet gap is located between an outer surface of Stage One's outlet section and an inner surface of Stage Two's inlet section, which forms a secondary inlet downstream from Stage One's inlet and upstream from the hydrokinetic turbine system.
8 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a) a foil-shaped cross-sectional inlet section profile; and
b) wherein the cross-sectional inlet section profile has a center axis mean camber.
9 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising: at least one ballast tank.
10 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising: an electric generator.
11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the electric generator is located within the larger diameter inlet section or a tail pod apparatus.
12 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a) an anchoring system operatively connected to a riverbed, lakebed, seabed, or oceanbed;
b) a mooring system operatively connected to at least one of: above-water land, a boat, or a floating water surface platform; and
c) wherein the anchoring or mooring system tethers the system at a desired location or depth below a surface of the water.
13 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising: an object detection system.
14 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising: hydrofoil tubercles.
15 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising: a sharkskin surface treatment, surface coating, or surface wrap.
16 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a) the large diameter inlet section having a center-axis mean camber form; and
b) the center-axis mean camber form including cambered surfaces that define the predominant cross-sectional form of the large diameter inlet section.
17 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a) one or more internal or external flow-directing fins or vanes configured to interact with an incoming fluid stream.