Extraction of energy from flowing fluids
First Claim
1. A method of converting kinetic energy of a fluid stream into useful work, said method comprising the steps of locating an array of foils within said fluid stream, mounting said foils to have at least two degrees of freedom, and causing said stream of fluid to move across said foils for causing said foils to undergo flutter oscillations, the improvement comprising the step of adding inertia to said array of foils for stabilizing and maintaining said flutter oscillations.
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Abstract
Method and apparatus for converting the kinetic energy of a moving fluid stream into useful work by using a cascade of thin aero or hydro foils positioned therein. The foils may be provided with at least two degrees of freedom and adjacent foils move out of phase. The foils are subjected to fluid induced oscillations known as flutter. Barriers (3, 43) may be positioned upstream, above, or at sides of the apparatus for increasing efficiency by increasing the fluid velocity. A system of flywheels (17, 18) are used to increase inertia of the foils and are particularly useful with hydrofoils. A cascade of aero or hydro foils may be mechanically oscillated to transfer energy to a fluid.
69 Citations
9 Claims
- 1. A method of converting kinetic energy of a fluid stream into useful work, said method comprising the steps of locating an array of foils within said fluid stream, mounting said foils to have at least two degrees of freedom, and causing said stream of fluid to move across said foils for causing said foils to undergo flutter oscillations, the improvement comprising the step of adding inertia to said array of foils for stabilizing and maintaining said flutter oscillations.
- 5. An apparatus for converting kinetic energy of a fluid stream into useful work, said apparatus including an array of foils, means mounting said foils for having at least two degrees of freedom, means for allowing a stream of fluid to move across said foils for causing said foils to undergo flutter oscillations, the improvement comprising means connected to said array of foils for adding inertia to said foils for maintaining and stabilizing said flutter oscillations.
Specification