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Miniature hydro-power generation system

  • US 7,956,481 B2
  • Filed: 07/30/2010
  • Issued: 06/07/2011
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2003
  • Status: Expired due to Fees
First Claim
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1. A miniature hydro-power generation system comprising:

  • an enclosure that defines an interior chamber;

    a generator disposed in the interior chamber, the generator comprising a housing, a rotor disposed in the housing that includes a permanent magnet, a stator disposed in the housing that includes a coil, and a plurality of vanes positioned to extend perpendicular to an exterior surface of the housing, the generator configured to rotate axially around a central axis of the enclosure to induce an electrical current in the coil with a magnetic field of the permanent magnet;

    an inlet nozzle coupled with the enclosure and configured to receive a flow of liquid that flows substantially in parallel with the central axis of the enclosure, the inlet nozzle comprising an inlet channel configured to adjust the flow of liquid to a predetermined pressure and velocity, and direct the flow of liquid at the predetermined pressure and velocity to flow in a direction of rotation of the generator axially around the central axis of the enclosure; and

    an outlet nozzle coupled with the enclosure so that the housing is disposed between the inlet nozzle and the outlet nozzle, the outlet nozzle comprising an outlet channel configured to receive the flow of liquid, increase the predetermined pressure to a predetermined higher pressure while reducing the predetermined velocity to a predetermined lower velocity, and channel the flow of liquid out of the enclosure substantially in parallel with the central axis of enclosure, wherein the inlet nozzle and the outlet nozzle are positioned to form a central channel there between, and the plurality of vanes are disposed in the central channel, the central channel formed to circumferentially surround at least a portion of the housing in a plane substantially perpendicular to the central axis of the enclosure.

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