Power generating apparatus

• US 4,053,253 A
• Filed: 07/14/1975
• Issued: 10/11/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Carl E. Coffer
• Original Assignee: Carl E. Coffer
• Inventors: Coffer, Carl E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Husar, C. J.
• Application Number:
  US05/595,584
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 415/5, 415/7, 415/8, 416/7, 416/8, 417/334, 417/337, 417/61, 417/362, 60/501, 60/502, 60/506, 60/398, 290/43, 290/54
• US Class Current: 415/5
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 17/068 and a rotor of the endless-chain type
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/20 Hydro energy

Abstract

A power generating apparatus, the construction and size of which may vary from a relatively small domestic version for individual homes to a larger commercial version for power stations, comprises a device to be anchored in and driven by a substantially horizontally flowing water stream and includes a body having an endless chain horizontally mounted on sprocket wheels fixed on spaced, vertical, rotatable shafts, the chain being continuously driven by water flow driving a plurality of paddles attached thereto and arranged to be pivotable between a vertical position to be propelled downstream by water flow through a chute and a substantially horizontal position for low-drag movement upstream back to the chute inlet, track and roller support means for the paddle assemblies and a drag bar for raising and lowering the paddles from vertical to horizontal and back then to vertical position.

Claims

1. Power generating apparatus, comprising body means adapted to be anchored against downstream or lateral movement in a generally horizontally flowing water stream, said body having a centerline to be aligned generally parallel with the direction of water flow, spaced vertical rotatable shafts mounted on said body approximately on said centerline, said body being formed to provide directing means generally parallel to but horizontally disposed entirely on one side of said centerline for directing water flow through said body, movable means driven by the water flow through said body and including single endless driven and drive means mounted to move in a generally horizontal plane about said shafts, said movable single endless means being arranged so that a portion thereof moves adjacent said water flow directing means and the opposite portion thereof is disposed on the side of said centerline opposite said flow directing means, said movable means further including a plurality of supported paddle assemblies extending horizontally outwardly beyond said endless means and means for changing said paddle positions from a vertical position in said directing means to a substantially horizontal position beyond said directing means.

2. Apparatus such as that recited in claim 1, wherein said body comprises a generally horizontal base frame having end and side members, main vertical support members connected intermediate the ends of said end members and main upper and lower horizontal support members extending between said vertical support members and disposed substantially on or near said centerline, said water flow directing means comprising a chute having a bottom wall, generally vertical side walls and an open top.

3. Apparatus such as that recited in claim 1, wherein said water flow directing means comprises a channel chute having a bottom wall, open top, a converging inlet and a diverging outlet, said chute being disposed on one side of said centerline, said apparatus being free of any water chute structure on the other side of said centerline.

4. Apparatus such as that recited in claim 1, wherein said movable means comprises a sprocket wheel mounted on each of said shafts, said endless drive means being mounted on and having drive connection with said wheels, said plurality of water paddle assemblies including paddles connected to at times drive, and at times to be driven by, said drive means in a manner so that driving paddles pass through said water chute.

5. Apparatus such as that recited in claim 4, wherein said paddles have openings formed therein to allow limited flow of water therethrough.

6. Apparatus such as that recited in claim 4, wherein said chute is also formed with water scoop means to direct water against said paddles.

7. Apparatus such as that recited in claim 1, wherein said movable means comprises a sprocket-mounted horizontal endless member having the inner ends of said paddle assemblies connected thereto and said water flow directing means comprises an open-top channel chute, the outer ends of said paddle assemblies having low-friction support means, said apparatus further including an endless horizontal track for said support means surrounding said endless member and paddle drag raising and lowering means disposed substantially on the side of said centerline opposite said chute, said chute and said drag means being disposed laterally, on their respective sides of said centerline, between said endless member and said track.

8. Apparatus such as that recited in claim 1, additionally comprising means for anchoring the same against downstream and lateral movement and float means separate from said water flow directing means for causing said apparatus to float at a predetermined level in the water, with said paddles submerged.

9. Apparatus such as that recited in claim 8, wherein a portion of said float means diverts water flow to said water flow means.

10. Apparatus such as that recited in claim 1, wherein said paddle assemblies each comprise a paddle surface to be propelled downstream by water flow, said paddle surface being horizontally hinged near its top edge so as to be pivotable from a vertical driving position to a substantially horizontal low drag position for return upstream, stop means for said surface when in its driven vertical position and means engaged by the bottom edge of said paddle for lowering the same to said vertical position and raising the same to said substantially horizontal position.

11. Power generating apparatus adapted to be anchored in a horizontal flowing water stream, said apparatus comprising a body having a centerline to be aligned with the stream flow, said body being formed to provide a single horizontal water chute parallel to said centerline and horizontally positioned entirely on one side thereof and plural paddle means mounted at their inner ends on horizontal endless means mounted to rotate in a horizontal plane about spaced vertical axes, said paddle means being driven downstream by the water passing through said chute and said paddle means being returned upstream through the water being positioned on the side of said centerline horizontally opposite said chute, each of said paddle means being pivotable between vertical and horizontal positions about a horizontal axis extending horizontally outwardly beyond said endless means. and endless fixed track support means for the outer ends of said paddle means.

13. Apparatus such as that recited in claim 11, having means horizontally disposed substantially on the side of said centerline opposite said chute for gradually and successively raising and lowering each of said paddle means as it leaves and enters said chute.

14. Apparatus such as that recited in claim 11, having means for floatably anchoring said body against downstream and lateral movement, whereby said body automatically rises and falls with water level so as to maintain said body submerged to the extent that said chute and paddle means are constantly submerged.

15. Apparatus such as that recited in claim 11, wherein each of said paddle means is formed with a wiping seal with said chute.

12. A power generating apparatus, comprising a three-dimensional body adapted to be anchored in a flowing water stream, said body including a generally rectangular bottom frame with side and end frame members, a longitudinal centerline between said side members to be aligned generally parallel to the water flow, a main vertical support member extending upwardly from each of said end members on said centerline, upper and lower main horizontal support members extending between said vertical supports, a single horizontally-disposed chute for receiving and discharging water flow, said chute being mounted on said body generally parallel to and entirely on one side of said longitudinal centerline, said body being free of any other water chute on the other side of said centerline, said chute being of channel structure with a bottom and inner and outer sides but an open top and having a parallel-side straight intermediate portion and converging inlet and diverging outlet portions connected to the ends of said intermediate portion, water scoop means formed in the downstream end of said intermediate chute portion, spaced vertical shafts each rotatably mounted on said upper and lower horizontal support members, one of said shafts being disposed near but outside said inlet and having a chain sprocket wheel fixed to the lower end thereof below said lower horizontal member, the other of said shafts being disposed near but outside said outlet and having a chain sprocket wheel fixed to the lower end thereof, also below said lower horizontal member, both of said sprockets being at a level above said chute, screw means for adjusting the vertical alignment of one of said shafts with respect to the other of said shafts, means for connecting one of said shafts to a power-utilizing or a power-converting device, an endless chain mounted on said sprocket wheels, an idler bar-sprocket wheel assembly pivotally mounted on said body between said shafts for preventing said chain from jumping off said sprocket wheels, a plurality of substantially equally-spaced water paddle assemblies extending outwardly from said chain, each paddle assembly comprising a vertical member constructed and operatively arranged to remain always vertical, a first upper horizontal member secured near one end thereof to said vertical member, the other free end of said upper horizontal member being secured to said chain, a second lower horizontal member secured intermediate its ends to an intermediate portion of said vertical member, a generally rectangular paddle having height and length dimensions substantially equal to the cross-sectional depth and width dimensions of said intermediate portion of said chute so as to be passable therethrough and being hinged at its top edge to said lower horizontal member in a manner so said paddle can pivot from a vertical, water-driven position engaging the lower portion of said vertical member as a stop to a substantially horizontal, low-drag position away from said vertical member and a roller assembly, including vertical and horizontal roller surfaces, secured to the outer end of said second lower horizontal member opposite said chain, an endless horizontally-disposed track for said paddle rollers, said track having a periphery parallel to but greater than and surrounding the periphery of said chain, a portion of said track disposed on the chute side of said centerline being positioned generally above and adjacent said outer side wall of said intermediate chute portion, said track having a top surface engaged by said horizontal roller surface and an outer side vertical surface engaged by said vertical roller surface, a paddle drag bar mounted on said body, said drag bar having a straight horizontal intermediate portion on the side of said centerline opposite said intermediate chute portion and being disposed laterally between said chain and said track and at a horizontal level at or only slightly below the level of said hinged tops of said paddles, said drag bar terminating at each end in curved portions joined to each end of said intermediate portion and extending across said centerline approximately to a line parallel with said inner side wall of said chute and to a horizontal level below the bottoms of said chute inlet and outlet, the edges of said paddles being formed to smoothly traverse said drag bar and to tend to trap water when in their vertical chute position, whereby such of said paddles that are vertically positioned in said chute are driven downstream through said chute by water flow to drive said chain, sprockets and shats, said chain driving said other paddles, said drag bar gradually raising paddles that are emerging from said chute through said outlet to a substantially horizontal, low-drag position for upstream movement and gradually lowering such of said paddles that are entering said chute inlet to a vertical position to again be propelled downstream by water flow, and means for anchoring said body against downstream or lateral movement while permitting said body to rise and fall with changing water level, said means comprising at least two openings in said frame for receiving vertical anchoring rods and float means comprising a float tank under said frame having a buoyant force substantially equal to the weight of said apparatus and an additional float for causing said body to float at a desired level in the water.