IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,241,446
Granted Patent B2
US 12,241,446 · App. 18/439,665 · Granted Mar 4, 2025

Reactive, reversible blade turbine for power generation and pumping water

Inventor: Michael Scot Cummings (Walterboro, SC)
F03B3/145F03B3/10F05B2220/705F05B2240/93F05B2260/31F05B2260/422F05B2260/72
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,241,446
App. No.
18/439,665
Granted
Mar 4, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

A reactive blade turbine system works vertically, horizontally, or at an angle and clockwise or counterclockwise according to blade angle and locking position and adjusts to variations in fluid flow such as changes in tidal currents to generate power more efficiently regardless of direction of fluid flow. A method for generating electrical power from a continuous fluid flow via the reactive turbine system is also provided herein.

Claims (14)

1. A continuous fluid flow power generator, comprising:

a power generator having a plurality of submersible turbine blades disposed in a frame in communication with a flow of fluid in a body of water wherein the turbine blades are rotated by the flow of fluid to generate electricity, a width of each turbine blade being between ⅔ to ½ of the frame diameter, the turbine blades arranged to rotate clockwise or counterclockwise and to produce a star pattern after a 360 degree rotation;

a guard disposed about the power generator for protection thereof, the guard being further configured as a reversal blade to maintain alignment of each submersible turbine blade;

a platform for supporting the power generator;

a tower disposed proximate the platform, the platform connected thereto, the tower having a docking area; and

a vessel equipped with a battery bank, the vessel dockable with the docking area, the battery bank being electrically connectable to the power generator to charge the battery bank.

2. The continuous fluid flow power generator as in claim 1 , wherein the flow of fluid in the body of water is water current.

3. The continuous fluid flow power generation as in claim 1 , wherein the frame comprises a top frame and a bottom frame that rotate about a central axis.

4. The continuous fluid flow power generator as in claim 1 , wherein the star pattern produced after the 360 degree rotation is a function of a number of submersible turbine blades.

5. The continuous fluid flow power generator as in claim 4 , further comprising:

an angle between each turbine blade; and

an opening between each turbine blade, wherein the star pattern is changeable as a function of the angle between each turbine blade and a size of opening between each turbine blade.

6. The continuous fluid flow power generator as in claim 1 , wherein the platform is a stationary platform or a floating platform.

7. The continuous fluid flow power generator as in claim 1 , wherein the vessel is configured to store electrical energy onboard via the battery bank, discharge electrical energy to a second vessel, or discharge electrical energy to a land-based electrical grid.

Continuity (4)
Division 17774436
Provisional Application 63023345 · May 12, 2020
Provisional Application 62943455 · Dec 4, 2019
Related Publication 20240183330A1 · Jun 6, 2024
References Cited (92)
US 4095422A · Kurakake · 1978 [cited by examiner]
US 4346305A · White · 1982 [cited by applicant]
US 4383797A · Lee · 1983 [cited by applicant]
US 8763386B2 · Greene · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 10371120B2 · McCormack · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10774806B1 · Lu · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 10876515B2 · McCormack · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 12006918B2 · Cummings · 2024 [cited by applicant]
US 12025090B2 · Cummings · 2024 [cited by applicant]
US 20040103670A1 · Ryan · 2004 [cited by applicant]
US 20050001432A1 · Susman et al. · 2005 [cited by applicant]
US 20050134050A1 · Salls, Jr. · 2005 [cited by applicant]
US 20050285407A1 · Davis et al. · 2005 [cited by applicant]
US 20060054074A1 · Wingett et al. · 2006 [cited by applicant]
US 20080014089A1 · Janssen · 2008 [cited by applicant]
US 20100237626A1 · Hamner · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 20100244450A1 · Tabe · 2010 [cited by applicant]
US 20100258449A1 · Fielder · 2010 [cited by examiner]
US 20110089695A1 · Krouse et al. · 2011 [cited by applicant]
US 20120019004A1 · Ekern · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 20120183400A1 · Onodera · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 20120200156A1 · Weller · 2012 [cited by examiner]
US 20120211987A1 · Roe et al. · 2012 [cited by applicant]
US 20130334823A1 · Hopper · 2013 [cited by applicant]
US 20140219800A1 · Lee · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20140333071A1 · Wang · 2014 [cited by applicant]
US 20150091303A1 · Lee · 2015 [cited by applicant]
US 20160237979A1 · Clements · 2016 [cited by applicant]
US 20170138333A1 · Toran · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170159645A1 · Qin · 2017 [cited by applicant]
US 20170226985A1 · Santos · 2017 [cited by examiner]
US 20180030958A1 · Sant · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20180087484A1 · Schurtenberger · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20180238294A1 · Alm · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20180245564A1 · Sheldon-Coulson · 2018 [cited by examiner]
US 20180258906A1 · Mcclary · 2018 [cited by applicant]
US 20190048846A1 · Hochstein et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190128241A1 · Achard · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20190285053A1 · Lu · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 20200010155A1 · Robinson · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20200300218A1 · Curutchet · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20240247640A1 · Cummings · 2024 [cited by applicant]
AU 2016364028A1 · 2018 [cited by examiner]
CN 105691555A · 2016 [cited by examiner]
CN 107044378A · 2017 [cited by applicant]
CN 110435827A · 2019 [cited by examiner]
CN 111637013A · 2020 [cited by examiner]
CN 112366766A · 2021 [cited by examiner]
DE 102014111836B4 · 2016 [cited by applicant]
DE 202019001821U1 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
DE 202019001000U1 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
DE 102018100230A1 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
DE 202019001820U1 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
DE 202019003419U1 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
DE 202019004691U1 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
DE 202019004516U1 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
DE 202019003156U1 · 2020 [cited by applicant]
EP 0265594A · 1988 [cited by applicant]
FR 2955363A3 · 2022 [cited by applicant]
GB 2184171A1 · 1987 [cited by applicant]
GB 2416193A · 2006 [cited by examiner]
GB 2435908A1 · 2007 [cited by applicant]
GB 2617203A · 2023 [cited by applicant]
JP 2016039130A · 2016 [cited by examiner]
KR 20160150431A · 2016 [cited by examiner]
KR 20200006875A · 2020 [cited by examiner]
WO 2009131459A2 · 2009 [cited by applicant]
WO 2011122895A2 · 2011 [cited by applicant]
WO WO2013107724A2 · 2013 [cited by examiner]
WO 2020219010A1 · 2020 [cited by applicant]
WO 2021112993A · 2021 [cited by applicant]
WO 2021112993A1 · 2021 [cited by applicant]
WO 2023068925A1 · 2023 [cited by applicant]
Machine Translation of the Abstract of WO 2011122895A2; published Oct. 6, 2011; 1 page. [cited by applicant]
European Search Report issued in related EU Application No. 20897599.5; report issued Apr. 19, 2024; 32 pages. [cited by applicant]
An identification of an earlier application pursuant to 37 CFR 1.98 (d) (1) is attached listing: U.S. Pat. No. 12,025,090 and PCT/US20/58516 (Published as WO 2021/112993; Published: Jun. 10, 2021); 1 page. [cited by applicant]
F. Chen, “Appendix A: Catalog of Global Underwater Turbines” The Kuroshio Power Plant, Lecture Notes in Energy 15, DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-00822-6; @ Springer International; Publishing Switzerland 2013; 47 pages. [cited by applicant]
International Search Report and Written Opinion of related application No. PCT/US19/28509; mailed Jul. 24, 2019; 9 pages. [cited by applicant]
International Search Report and Written Opinion of related application No. PCT/US20/58516; mailed Feb. 26, 2021; 15 pages. [cited by applicant]
Patents Act 1977: Search Report under Section 17 related to Application No. GB0604625.4, Patent No. GB 2435908; date of search Jan. 22, 2007; 1 page. [cited by applicant]
Screen Shot of GKinetic website “Our Story”; @ 2021 GKinetic; https://gkinetic.com/our-story/; 2 pages. [cited by applicant]
Examination Report of related Indian Application No. 202117047500; issued Mar. 31, 2022; 6 pages. [cited by applicant]
Supplementary Partial European Search Report; Issued in related European Application No. 20897599.5; Issue Date: Dec. 1, 2023; 13 pages. [cited by applicant]
Machine translation of FR 2955363; Published Jul. 22, 2022; 1 page. [cited by applicant]
Office Action issued in parent U.S. Appl. No. 17/774,436; notification date May 31, 2023; 7 pages. [cited by applicant]
Office Action issued in parent U.S. Appl. No. 17/774,436; notification date Oct. 4, 2023; 13 pages. [cited by applicant]
Partial Search Result and Provisional Opinion on Patentability of related European Application No. 19925588.6; issued Mar. 31, 2022; 11 pages. [cited by applicant]
Machine Translation of “Wave energy pumped storage power generation system”; Application No. CN 107044378; published Aug. 15, 2017; 4 pages. [cited by applicant]
Extended European Search Report of related European Application No. 19925588.6; Issued Feb. 21, 2023; 11 pages. [cited by applicant]
Machine Translation of the abstract of CN 107044378; Published Aug. 15, 2017; Application is referenced in the Extended European Search Report ; 1 page. [cited by applicant]
Office Action issued in parent U.S. Appl. No. 17/602,912; Notification date: Sep. 11, 2023; 6 pages. [cited by applicant]
Office Action issued in parent U.S. Appl. No. 17/602,912; Notification date: Nov. 21, 2023; 15 pages. [cited by applicant]
Cited By (1)
US 12,416,283