The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 30, 2001
Filed:
Nov. 23, 1999
Joseph T. Holden, Conway, AR (US);
Futec, Inc., Houston, TX (US);
Abstract
A hydro turbine has a housing with a cylindrical chamber and opposed end walls with laterally spaced smaller rectangular inlets and laterally spaced larger rectangular outlets formed in upper and lower portions of the chamber side wall in horizontally opposed relation. Smaller rectangular inlet ducts adjoin the inlets, and larger rectangular outlet ducts adjoin the outlets. A cylindrical runner surrounding a power take-off shaft is rotatably enclosed in the chamber and has a central cylindrical hub divided into laterally spaced hub portions with a first and second plurality of circumferentially spaced peripheral blades extending angularly outward from each hub portion, the first plurality of blades being circumferentially offset from the second. Arcuate laterally spaced upper and lower flow passageways of rectangular cross section defined between the central hub portions and circumferential segments of the chamber side wall extend between the upper inlets and outlets and lower inlets and outlets, respectively. The runner and shaft are rotated by conducting an incompressible liquid through each or selected ones of the inlet ducts and discharging it through the respective outlet ducts. The offset blades divide the rectangular flow passageways into unequal volumes such that the volume and head pressure of the incoming liquid is alternately greater or less on one side of the runner than the other side to facilitate rotation and discharge of the liquid.