Floating power plant for extracting energy from flowing water

Abstract

A floating power plant for converting energy from ocean tides and free flowing rivers, without the need for a dam or barrage. The power plant includes a floating platform which houses a hydro-turbine above the water surface; and transfer-conduits which transfer the water and drive the turbine. The power plant include adjustable moorings and stabilizing ducts to allow for the alignment of the conduit inlets with the current.

Description

CLAIM FOR PRIORITY[0001]This application is based upon Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 804,888 of the same title, filed Jun. 15, 2006. The priority of Provisional Application Ser. No. 60 / 804,888 is hereby claimed and the disclosure thereof incorporated herein by reference.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]The present invention relates generally to hydro-power plants for generating electricity from flowing water. More specifically, the plants of the invention are adapted to capture energy from low head water sources, such as tidal streams and free flowing rivers, without the need for a dam or impoundment.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0003]Hydro-power plants generate electricity by utilizing the kinetic energy in moving water to drive a turbine. Conventionally, hydro-power plants have included four key components: (1) a dam impounding a large body of water, which stores a great amount of potential energy; (2) a penstock, in which the potential energy of the impounded water converts into k...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0016]The power plants of the invention enable the economical and convenient production of energy from a renewable source.

Problems solved by technology

Yet, the cost of producing electricity from such streams is, at present, prohibitively high.

First, kinetic energy in such streams is widely diffused over a large body of water.

Existing water turbines, such as those used in conventional hydro-power plants, cannot capture the diffused kinetic energy in such streams.

Turbines which are specifically designed for free flowing streams, while technologically feasible, are inherently unviable from an economic standpoint.

For example, turbines which have been designed for free flowing streams typically place the electrical generator under water which entails extreme inconvenience and high costs associated with installation, operation, and maintenance.

However, the above systems which utilize the ocean waves to generate electricity are not efficient from an economic standpoint.

While the methods described in the study by the Electric Power Research Institute enable the production of electricity without the need for a dam, there are significant technological and economical obstacles to the commercial viability of such devices.

The technological obstacles are the physical limitations associated with operating turbines in a free flowing stream.

Further, a turbine operating submerged in water (i.e., an in-stream turbine) has an additional limitation on its efficiency.

When rotors of the turbine rotate fast in water, cavitations occur on or near the rotor blades; the cavitations would not only disrupt the water-flow, they would also cause damages to the rotor.

That is, the in-stream turbines are subject to two limitations, the Betz' law and the cavitations problem.

The economical obstacle in generating power from free flowing streams is the high installation and maintenance costs associated with placing turbines without the benefit of a dam.

The firms reviewed in the study by the Electric Power Research Institute have proposed to build underwater structures, which would necessitate a high installation cost and would cause ecological damages.

Most firms in the study have also proposed to place both the turbine and generator underwater, which would entail a high maintenance cost.

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