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Title: Electric generating water power device

Patent ·
OSTI ID:5848946

The invention discloses a submerged water power machine in which a plurality of vertical blades are connected to two endless chains, one located at the top ends and the other located at the bottom ends of the blades. The blades drive the chains about two endless horizontal tracks, and the chains are drivingly coupled to electric generators. Each blade is mounted on an individual truck supported on the top track and is guided at its bottom by a roller within the bottom track. The endless tracks are arranged as two spaced-apart parallel runs connected by semi-circular end sections. Each blade is adjustable about vertical pivot means on its truck and is controllable so that the blades can be positioned to drive the machine while moving along both runs of the tracks. The blades are adjusted either by electric servo motor drive means controlled by a position programmer or by followers carried by the blades and engaging cam tracks. The trucks, top chain and blade-positioning control elements are contained in a pressurized inverted cup-hole housing so that these parts operate in air rather than water. Over this housing is a flotation air compartment containing the generators. Tether lines are employed to anchor the machine to the ocean floor. The blades are spaced far enough apart to allow a portion of the water to flow past the first row of blades into the path of the second row of blades, with the blades of both rows oriented to develop driving force on the chains in the same direction of chain travel.

Assignee:
TIC; EDB-80-015500
Patent Number(s):
US 4163905
OSTI ID:
5848946
Resource Relation:
Patent File Date: Filed date 5 May 1978
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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