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An apparatus for generating electrical power from a flow of water, including a housing having a water inlet and water outlet, a first turbine (12) mounted in the housing for rotation about a substantially vertical axis and having a turbine shaft, a set of vertical blades (22), and a blade angle cont

An apparatus for generating electrical power from a flow of water, including a housing having a water inlet and water outlet, a first turbine (12) mounted in the housing for rotation about a substantially vertical axis and having a turbine shaft, a set of vertical blades (22), and a blade angle control mechanism, a second turbine (14) mounted in the housing adjacent to the first turbine, for rotation about a substantially vertical axis, the second turbine having a turbine shaft, a set of vertical blades (22) and a blade angle control mechanism, the housing being adapted to be mounted within the body of water and being so configured that an incoming water flow enters the housing via the inlet, and is principally directed into two driving flows (34, 36), one for each turbine, and is then directed for discharge via the outlet, the angle of each blade with respect to the driving water flow is controlled by the blade angle control mechanism such that a large blade surface area is presented to the incoming water flow for driving the turbine in a predetermined direction of rotation and a low blade surface area is presented to the incoming water flow in a direction opposite to the driving direction.

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1. An Apparatus for generating electrical power from a flow of water, including: a housing having a water inlet and water outlet,a turbine mounted in the housing for rotation about an axis and having a turbine shaft and a set of blades,the housing being adapted to be mounted within the body of water

1. An Apparatus for generating electrical power from a flow of water, including: a housing having a water inlet and water outlet,a turbine mounted in the housing for rotation about an axis and having a turbine shaft and a set of blades,the housing being adapted to be mounted within the body of water and being so configured that water flows into the housing via the inlet, and is principally directed into a driving flow for the turbine, and is then directed for discharge via the outlet,wherein the turbine is provided with a blade angle control mechanism configured to control the angles of the blades with respect to the driving flow such that each blade rotates about a respective axis at half the rotational speed of the turbine shaft, whereby a large blade surface area is presented to incoming water flow for driving the turbine in a predetermined direction of rotation and a small blade surface area is presented to the incoming water flow in a direction opposite to the driving direction,the apparatus further including a baffle positioned such that the set of blades rotates therearound, for directing the driving flow to a peripheral part of the turbine. 2. An apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a further turbine having a further turbine shaft and a set of further blades and being provided with a further blade angle control mechanism, the further turbine being mounted in the housing adjacent to the said turbine for rotation about an axis which is parallel to that of the said turbine, wherein the housing is so configured that the incoming water flow is principally directed into two driving flows, one for each turbine, and wherein the further blade angle control mechanism is configured to control the angles of the further blades with respect to the driving flow for the further turbine such that each further blade rotates about a respective axis at half the rotational speed of the further shaft, whereby a large blade surface area is presented to the incoming water flow for driving the further turbine in a predetermined direction of rotation and a small blade surface area is presented to the incoming water flow in a direction opposite to the driving direction of the further turbine, the apparatus further including a further baffle positioned such that the set of further blades rotates therearound, for directing the driving flow for the further turbine to a peripheral part of the further turbine. 3. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the two turbines are coupled for synchronous rotation in opposite directions with the incoming water flow being directed towards an outer peripheral part of each turbine in which the large blade surface area is presented. 4. An apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the blade angle control mechanism and the further blade angle control mechanism each comprises a planetary gear system having planet gears each of which is linked to a respective one of the blades, and a stationary sun gear co-axial with the turbine axis, with which the planet gears are engaged, whereby the blades are pivoted to change their angles as the turbine rotates. 5. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the sun gear is engaged with the planet gears via a linking system. 6. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the linking system comprises a chain. 7. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the linking system comprises a belt. 8. An apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the linking system comprises a series of idler gears. 9. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the sun gear is directly intermeshing with the planet gears engaged therewith. 10. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the housing is carried by and/or forms part of a floating structure. 11. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the housing in the installed condition is anchored adjacent to a bed of the water. 12. An apparatus according to claim 1, having one or more hydraulic pumps driven by the or each turbine, the or each pump being coupled to one or more hydraulic motors driven to drive a generator. 13. An apparatus according to claim 1, the apparatus being in the form of a module so that a system of a required generating capacity can be formed by assembling two or more such modules in side by side relation to act in parallel. 14. An apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the turbine and the further turbine are each coupled for synchronous rotation in opposite directions with the incoming water flow being directed towards an outer peripheral part of each turbine in which the large surface area is presented to the water flow. 15. An apparatus according to claim 14, wherein a deflector is provided in the outer inlet to direct the incoming water flow into the two driving water flows towards respective outer parts of the housing. 16. An apparatus according to claim 15, wherein each of the blade angle control mechanism and the further blade angle control mechanism is operative to control the blade angle such that a low blade surface area is presented when each blade is moving through a central part of the housing, to reduce opposing forces acting on the respective turbine in the central part and to prevent interference between the blades of the two turbines in the central part. 17. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the axis of the turbine is substantially vertical.