While the production of inexpensive, uninterrupted and reliable electrical power is a subject of interest worldwide, the availability of energy from water streams has not been properly tapped.
The use of water wheels is well documented and goes back to before Babylonian times. This source of energy was utilized by subsequent civilizations, from ancient Greece and Rome to modern Europe and America to power mills of different type.
In those, the wheels were attached to the structures which housed the mills This invention, however, utilizes the same type of technology on potentially variable water courses as a continuous source of energy and would not depend on a leveled water volume for its performance, as required with fixed structures.
The invention is a movable system capable of being relocated to appropriate sites, and self-adjusting to maximize electrical output.
This invention specifically refers to the utilization of the ancient use of the water wheels to produce hydraulic energy, and convert it to Electricity by coupling it to an AC or DC current generator (s).
The most novel part of the invention is the use of a floating platform to support the wheel and the electricity generating equipment, thereby allowing for the rise or fall of the level of the flowing water. Said platform would be anchored or secured by pylons at the appropriate sites in rivers, dams, or other available surface running water sources.
Other methods for obtaining electricity utilizing hydraulic power have been proposed, e g: tunneling, dams, tidal basins, etc., which required large and expensive installations as well as disruption of land and property.
By contrast this invention may be constructed at a minimal cost and with virtually no disruption to the environment. I can be sized individually or in connection with multiple platforms to meet local energy requirements.
The invention refers to the production of Electricity by a power plant mounted on a floating platform, whereas mechanical energy is provided by running water and is harnessed by a water wheel. The Electric energy is produced by Generators attached to the wheel's axle
This invention has the unique advantage of utilizing existing water courses without disturbing the topography of the surrounding environment. The power plant can be adapted by size and output to the site selected and, in contrast with wind mills and solar panels, the water current will provide a constant and even steam of electricity production; the flow of water will remain even whether is calm or it is night.
Four adjustable “legs”, of adequate length, are attached to the corners of the platform. These prevent the wheels from touching the river's bed in the unlikely event that the water level falls below the required for operation.
The wheel is mounted on the platform using two pillars; one at each side of the throat. The wheel's axle goes through them and serves as the power source for AC or DC generator(s)
Electricity generator assemblies are coupled to the axle. (
These assemblies are commercially available and used in wind mills, they can readily be adapted for use in the proposed invention by replacing the propellers with a coupling and connecting the assemblies to the wheel's axle.
The size and output of the power system, including the wheel and platform, are limitless, and can be tailored to fit the stream where it would be utilized, output can be further increased by connecting multiple systems in series.
The Wheel designed and presented in this paper represents one of many possible variations, including traditional water wheels.
The wheel presented in (
The paddles are also constructed with the same materials and have a concave shape to maximize the water's “pushing” effect. (
The generators mentioned in this discussion are of the type currently utilized in wind mills. The examples provided are manufactured by Siemens (
The inventor envisions the utility of the plant, at a fraction of the cost of other alternative non polluting power sources, limited maintenance cost and the possibility to swiftly relocate the outfit to areas of need in the event of meteorological calamities.
The inventor also realizes that engineering expertise will be necessary to perfect the fitting of the working parts of the plant, in conformity with its design.