Vertical-axis composite swinging-blade water wheel

• US 4,095,422 A
• Filed: 04/12/1977
• Issued: 06/20/1978
• Est. Priority Date: 05/28/1976
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Aquatech Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Aquatech Incorporated
• Inventors: Kurakake, Yoshio
• Primary Examiner(s): Geoghegan, Edgar W.
• Application Number:
  US05/786,961
• Time in Patent Office: 434 Days
• Field of Search: 60/325, 60/398, 60/501, 290/42, 290/43, 290/53, 290/54, 415/2, 415/5, 417/334
• US Class Current: 60/398
• CPC Class Codes: F03B 17/065 the flow engaging parts having a cyclic movement relative to the rotor during its rotation
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2240/211 with vertical axis
• CPC Class Codes: F05B 2260/72 by turning around an axis parallel to the rotor centre line
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/20 Hydro energy
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 10/30 Energy from the sea, e.g. using wave energy or salinity gradient

Abstract

This invention relates to an improved vertical swinging-blade water wheel for converting a kinetic energy of a substantially horizontal stream into mechanical energy in which a pair or pairs of blade wheels are disposed symmetrically with respect to an output shaft, thereby forming a composite water wheel and the water wheel itself as a whole is prevented from rotating. Further, a plurality of blade wheels vertically arranged with the phases of the blades deviated through a predetermined angle may prevent interference of streams between the blades and equalize the fluctuations of the driving torques, thereby improving the efficiency and securing a relatively large power output by using a small-sized blade wheel with a small number of blades. Since the water wheel itself will not rotate as a whole, it may be used as a power source for light buoy generators floating in the water and underwater pumps.

Claims

1. An apparatus to convert a kinetic energy of a substantially horizontal stream into a torque, comprising:

(a) two parallel horizontal retaining plates, said plates being fixed at a predetermined vertical distance from one another by means of a plurality of spacer bolts, thereby forming a frame;

(b) a vertical output shaft at the center of said frame;

(c) at least a pair of vertical-axis swinging-blade water wheels disposed symmetrically with respect to the axis of the output shaft, each of said water wheels further comprising a vertical water wheel shaft mounted between said retaining plates, shroud discs attached to said water wheel shaft coaxially therewith at a predetermined vertical distance from one another and capable of rotating in a body with said water wheel shaft, a plurality of vertical swinging blades pivotably attached to and between said shroud discs at points equiangularly spaced along the circumference of circles of the shroud discs with the axis of said water wheel shaft as the center, and vertical stop pins arranged on each shroud disc at positions away from said pivotal points over a distance a little shorter than the width of the blade along the radii extending between said respective pivotal points and the axis of the water wheel shaft; and

(d) means for converting the rotations of the respective water wheel shafts into a rotation in one direction and transmitting the resultant torque to said output shaft.

2. An apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein each of said water wheels has a plurality of upper and lower blade wheels, the phases of the blades of the respective wheels deviating successively by predetermined angles.

3. An apparatus recited in claim 1 wherein said torque transmitting means comprises a double-grooved pulley mounted on said output shaft, pulleys mounted on the respective water wheel shafts, an open belt passing through one groove on said double pulley to connect the pulleys which rotate in the same direction with said output shaft, and a crossed belt passing through the other groove on said double pulley to connect the pulleys which rotate in the opposite direction to said output shaft.

4. An apparatus recited in claim 1, further comprising:

(a) a control buoy provided with a float;

(b) a lamp situated at the top of said buoy;

(c) an electric generator coupled to said output shaft of the composite swinging-blade water wheel;

(d) conducting wires to connect said lamp and said generator; and

(e) a mooring means for fixing said floating apparatus to the bottom of a body of water.

5. An apparatus recited in claim 1, further comprising:

(a) a float attached to the top of said composite swinging-blade water wheel;

(b) a pump having a discharge outlet located directly below said composite swinging-blade water wheel and a pump shaft coupled to said output shaft of said composite water wheel;

(c) a water conduit pipe connected to the inlet of said pump, the intake of said conduit pipe being situated near the bottom of a body of water and near at least one weight; and

(d) cables for mooring said pipe to said at least one weight, said at least one weight being sunk at the bottom of the body of water.