초록 ▼

A turbine disposed in a water passageway includes a hub and associated runner blades. Each blade comprises an inner edge and a distal outer edge, a leading edge and a trailing edge separated by a water directing surface. Each blade is rotatable relative to the hub about a blade rotational axis. The

A turbine disposed in a water passageway includes a hub and associated runner blades. Each blade comprises an inner edge and a distal outer edge, a leading edge and a trailing edge separated by a water directing surface. Each blade is rotatable relative to the hub about a blade rotational axis. The water passageway includes a spherically-shaped discharge ring that conforms to the outer edges of the blades to improve certain turbine parameters such as cavitation, efficiency, flow disturbance, and fish survivability. The turbine hub may also include a spherically-shaped outer surface in a region swept by the inner edges of the blades when the blades are rotated from maximum to minimum pitch, as well as seals attached to the inner edges of the blades. The hub may also be associated with blades in which the chord is reduced in the root region of the blade.

대표청구항 ▼

[ What is claimed is:] [1.]1. A turbine installation having reduced inner and outer gaps, the turbine comprising:a plurality of runner blades, each blade comprising a hydrofoil being bounded by an inner surface and a distal outer surface, a leading edge and a trailing edge separated by a water direc

[ What is claimed is:] [1.]1. A turbine installation having reduced inner and outer gaps, the turbine comprising:a plurality of runner blades, each blade comprising a hydrofoil being bounded by an inner surface and a distal outer surface, a leading edge and a trailing edge separated by a water directing surface, the blades being adjustable in pitch from a maximum pitch position in which an inner portion of the water directing surface extends substantially in a direction of the water flow, to a minimum pitch position in which an outer portion of the water directing surface is substantially perpendicular to the water flow; anda hollow hub having spaced apart inner and outer surfaces and a hub longitudinal axis, each blade being pivotally connected to the hub about a rotational axis, the outer surface of the hub swept by the inner surfaces of the blades during rotation of the blades from the maximum pitch to the minimum pitch being spherically-shaped, and the inner surfaces of the blades substantially conforming to the outer surface of the hub, thereby reducing the inner gaps formed therebetween,wherein the turbine is disposed in a water passageway extending from an upper elevation source of water to a lower elevation discharge region, the passageway comprising a discharge ring disposed in a region of the passageway substantially facing the rotational axes of the blades, the ring having a face oppositely facing the outer surfaces of the blades, the face being essentially frusto-spherically-shaped so that only a selected portion of the face is spherically shaped to substantially conform to the outer surfaces of the blades during rotation of the blades from the maximum pitch to the minimum pitch, thereby reducing the outer gaps formed therebetween.