Assembly for generating electricity

1. An assembly for generating electricity, the assembly including (a) a chamber having a base, a cylindrical side wall extending from the base, a water inlet in the side wall, and a water outlet in the base, with the side wall having a central axis that extends generally vertically when the assembly is in an upright position, and the side wall having a cylindrical internal surface, and with the inlet being at an angle relative to the cylindrical internal surface of the side wall so that in use water flows into the chamber in a generally horizontal direction when the assembly is in the upright position and flows in a spiral pathway within the chamber around a shaft and downwardly to the outlet, (b) a rotor unit having a rotor mounted to the shaft, the rotor being located in and rotatable in the chamber in response to water flow along the spiral pathway through the chamber, with the rotor including a plurality of vanes extending radially outwardly from the shaft towards the side wall, with the vanes being curved vanes that sweep rearwardly from an inner edge that is connected to the shaft and an outer edge, with the inlet and the vanes being positioned relative to each other so that in use at least a part of water flowing into the chamber from the inlet flows directly towards the vanes, (c) an electrical generator or more than one electrical generator coupled to the rotor unit for generating electricity in response to rotation of the rotor, and (d) a support structure including a framework that includes a plurality of support members in the form of legs that, in use of the assembly, extend downwardly from the base and support and locate the chamber, the rotor unit, and the electrical generator or more than one electrical generator of the assembly in or beside a body of water as a free-standing unit, wherein the (i) angle of the inlet, (ii) the dimensions of the inlet, the outlet and the chamber, (iii) the position of the inlet and the position of the outlet, and (iv) the position of the inlet and the position of the vanes relative to each other are configured to promote the formation of a vortex within the chamber when in use and there is a flow of water through the chamber from the inlet to the outlet, wherein the assembly is configured to be transported as a unit from a manufacturing site to an end-use location, and wherein the assembly is configured to be, in use, positioned in the body of water or beside the body of water as a free-standing unit.

2. The assembly defined in claim 1 wherein the chamber includes vanes and/or baffles to promote the formation of the vortex in the chamber.

3. The assembly defined in claim 1 wherein the inlet includes an inlet funnel to maximise the flow of water into the chamber.

4. The assembly defined in claim 1 wherein the outlet is positioned in a central part of the base.

5. The assembly defined in claim 4 wherein the outlet includes an outlet funnel positioned in the chamber.

6. The assembly defined in claim 5 wherein the shape and size of the outlet funnel is a shallow funnel to a horizontal axis when the assembly is in the upright position to promote the formation of the vortex as a stable vortex that does not move around within the chamber after it has been established.

7. The assembly defined in claim 1 wherein the outlet includes an outlet pipe that includes a first section that extends downwardly from the base and a second section that extends perpendicular to the first section.

8. The assembly defined in claim 1 wherein the outlet includes a surface with a series of spiral ridges in the internal surface, to improve water flow through the outlet.

9. The assembly defined in claim 1 wherein the chamber has a maximum width of 30 meters.

10. The assembly defined in claim 1 wherein the chamber has a maximum height of 10 meters.

11. An electricity generation system that includes the assembly defined in claim 1 located in the body of water, with the assembly partially or completely submerged in water, and with water flowing through the chamber and forming the vortex that drives the rotor and the generator and produces electricity.

12. The system defined in claim 11 being adapted to generate 0.1-300 kW of electricity from the assembly.

13. The system defined in claim 11 includes a plurality of the assemblies located in the body of water, with each assembly generating electricity.

14. A method of generating electricity that includes locating the assembly defined in claim 1 in the body of water with the assembly partially or completely submerged in water so that water flows through the chamber and forms the vortex that drives the rotor and the generator and produces electricity.

15. A method of generating electricity that includes locating the assembly defined in claim 1 on the ground or in the ground beside the body of water with the inlet and the outlet in fluid communication with the body of water so that water flows through the chamber from the inlet to the outlet and forms the vortex that drives the rotor and the generator and produces electricity.

16. The system defined in claim 1 , wherein the inlet includes a pipe having a straight section with a longitudinal axis that extends generally horizontally when the assembly is in the upright position, the longitudinal axis being spaced from the central axis.