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Turbine systems for extracting energy from water traveling relative to the turbine system can include a rotor assembly for extracting the energy, a turbine shroud having a turbine shroud inner volume within which at least a portion of the rotor assembly is disposed, and an ejector shroud disposed ad

Turbine systems for extracting energy from water traveling relative to the turbine system can include a rotor assembly for extracting the energy, a turbine shroud having a turbine shroud inner volume within which at least a portion of the rotor assembly is disposed, and an ejector shroud disposed adjacent to the turbine shroud. The turbine shroud and the ejector shroud can each have a terminus comprising a plurality of turbine shroud mixer elements or ejector shroud mixer elements, respectively. One or more of the mixer elements and ejector shrouds comprise a mixer/ejector pump which increases the energy extraction potential of the turbine system. One or more of the turbine shroud mixer elements, ejector shroud mixer elements, and ejector shroud and turbine shroud inlets can be asymmetric along a plane passing through the axis of rotation of the rotor assembly.

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1. A turbine system for extracting energy from water traveling relative to the turbine system in an incoming current flow direction, the turbine system having an inlet end adapted to be directed into the incoming current flow direction and an outlet end opposite the inlet end, the water having a non

1. A turbine system for extracting energy from water traveling relative to the turbine system in an incoming current flow direction, the turbine system having an inlet end adapted to be directed into the incoming current flow direction and an outlet end opposite the inlet end, the water having a non-uniform flow velocity distribution across the inlet end of the turbine system, the turbine system comprising: a rotor assembly that is axially symmetric about an axis of rotation, the rotor assembly having an upstream rotor face oriented toward the inlet end;a turbine shroud having a turbine shroud inner volume within which at least a portion of the rotor assembly is disposed, the turbine shroud comprising a turbine shroud inlet disposed nearer the inlet end than the upstream rotor face and a turbine shroud terminus disposed nearer the outlet end than the rotor assembly, the turbine shroud terminus comprising a plurality of turbine shroud mixer elements, the turbine shroud inlet adapted to direct a first volume of water moving in the incoming current flow direction to the rotor assembly such that the first volume of water causes the rotor assembly to spin and to extract energy from the first volume of water before the first volume of water at a lower energy is discharged from the turbine shroud via the turbine shroud terminus; andan ejector shroud disposed adjacent to the turbine shroud, the ejector shroud comprising an ejector shroud inlet and an ejector shroud terminus, the ejector shroud inlet having an asymmetrical cross-section along a plane passing through and perpendicular to the axis of rotation such that the ejector shroud inlet has a greater cross-sectional area on a lower velocity portion of the plane passing through the axis of rotation than on a higher velocity portion of the plane passing through the axis of rotation, the ejector shroud terminus extending in the incoming current flow direction beyond the turbine shroud mixer elements. 2. A turbine system as in claim 1, wherein the ejector shroud has an ejector shroud inner volume, wherein the ejector shroud inlet is adapted to direct a second volume of water moving in the incoming current flow direction into the ejector shroud inner volume, the ejector shroud inner volume comprising a plurality of ejector shroud mixer elements that cause the first volume of water to mix with the second volume of water before exiting through the ejector shroud terminus. 3. A turbine system as in claim 2, wherein the turbine shroud and the ejector shroud shapes minimize a velocity gradient presented to the upstream rotor face, maximize the first volume of water, and maximize mixing of the first and the second volumes before discharge from the ejector shroud terminus, the velocity gradient being measured along the upstream rotor face. 4. A turbine system as in claim 1, further comprising a center body about which the rotor assembly rotates. 5. A turbine system as in claim 4, wherein the turbine shroud further comprises a stator assembly comprising stator vanes arrayed axially about the center body. 6. A turbine system as in claim 5, wherein the stator vanes are rotatable to adjust the first volume of water by increasing or decreasing an open flow area presented to the incoming current flow direction. 7. A turbine system as in claim 4, further comprising a deflector positioned ahead of the center body and being shaped to inertially separate suspended debris and/or aquatic debris from the first volume of water prior to the first volume of water encountering the upstream rotor face. 8. A turbine system as in claim 4, wherein the center body comprises a downstream end projecting from the center body toward the turbine shroud terminus, the downstream end comprising one or more mixer elements. 9. A turbine system as in claim 4, wherein the center body comprises a central hollow cavity. 10. A turbine system as in claim 9, wherein the central hollow cavity is adapted to allow suspended aquatic debris and/or aquatic life to pass through the center body toward the turbine shroud terminus without encountering the rotor assembly. 11. A turbine system as in claim 9, wherein the central hollow cavity passes high energy bypass flow to the ejector shroud to enhance mixing performance in the ejector shroud. 12. A turbine system as in claim 1, wherein the turbine shroud inlet has an asymmetrical cross-section along the plane passing through the axis of rotation such that the turbine shroud inlet has a greater cross-sectional area on the lower velocity portion of the plane passing through the axis of rotation than on the higher velocity portion of the plane passing through the axis of rotation. 13. A turbine system as in claim 1, wherein the turbine shroud mixer elements comprise one or more of mixer lobes and mixer slots. 14. A turbine system as in claim 1, wherein the rotor assembly comprises a rotor hub, an outer rotor ring, and a first plurality of radially oriented rotor blades disposed between the hub and the outer rotor ring. 15. A turbine system as in claim 1, wherein the ejector shroud terminus comprises a second plurality of ejector shroud mixer elements. 16. A turbine system as in claim 15, wherein the ejector shroud mixer elements comprise one or more of mixer lobes and mixer slots. 17. A turbine system as in claim 15, wherein the plurality of ejector shroud mixer elements are asymmetrical along the plane passing through the axis of rotation, and wherein one or more of the ejector shroud mixer elements on the lower velocity portion of the plane passing through the axis of rotation are larger than one or more of the ejector shroud mixer elements on the higher velocity portion of the plane passing through the axis of rotation. 18. A turbine system as in claim 1, wherein the plurality of turbine shroud mixer elements are asymmetrical along the plane passing through the axis of rotation, and wherein one or more of the turbine shroud mixer elements on the lower velocity portion of the plane passing through the axis of rotation are larger than one or more of the turbine shroud mixer elements on the higher velocity portion of the plane passing through the axis of rotation. 19. A turbine system as in claim 2, further comprising a second ejector shroud disposed adjacent to the ejector shroud, the second ejector shroud comprising a second ejector shroud inlet and a second ejector shroud terminus, the second ejector shroud inlet having an asymmetrical cross-section along the plane passing through the axis of rotation such that the second ejector shroud inlet has a greater cross-sectional area on the lower velocity portion of the plane passing through the axis of rotation than on the higher velocity portion of the plane passing through the axis of rotation, the second ejector shroud terminus extending in the incoming current flow direction beyond the ejector shroud mixer elements. 20. A turbine system as in claim 1, wherein the ejector shroud and turbine shroud mixer elements comprise a mixer/ejector pump which enhances a rate at which the first volume of water flows through the turbine shroud and across the rotor assembly. 21. A turbine system as in claim 1, wherein the turbine shroud inlet comprises one or more movable door elements that are operable to increase or reduce the first volume of water flowing through the rotor assembly. 22. A method of extracting energy from water traveling relative to a turbine system in an incoming current flow direction, the turbine system having an inlet end adapted to be directed into the incoming current flow direction and an outlet end opposite the inlet end, the water having a non-uniform flow velocity distribution across the inlet end of the turbine system, the method comprising: capturing a first volume of the water into a turbine shroud having a turbine shroud inner volume within which at least a portion of a rotor assembly is disposed, the rotor assembly being axially symmetric about an axis of rotation, the turbine shroud comprising a turbine shroud inlet disposed nearer the inlet end than the rotor assembly and a turbine shroud terminus disposed nearer the outlet end than the rotor assembly, the turbine shroud terminus comprising a plurality of turbine shroud mixer elements;directing the first volume of water through the rotor assembly such that the rotor assembly extracts energy from the first volume of water before the first volume of water at a lower energy is discharged from the turbine shroud via the turbine shroud terminus;capturing a second volume of the water into an ejector shroud disposed adjacent to the turbine shroud, the ejector shroud comprising an ejector shroud inlet and an ejector shroud terminus, the ejector shroud comprising an ejector shroud inlet and an ejector shroud terminus, the ejector shroud inlet having an asymmetrical cross-section along a plane passing through and perpendicular to the axis of rotation such that the ejector shroud inlet has a greater cross-sectional area on a lower velocity portion of the plane passing through the axis of rotation than on a higher velocity portion of the plane passing through the axis of rotation, the ejector shroud terminus extending in the incoming current flow direction beyond the turbine shroud mixer elements; andmixing the first and the second volumes of water into a mixed volume before discharge of the mixed volume from the ejector shroud terminus. 23. A method as in claim 22, wherein the ejector shroud terminus comprises a plurality of ejector shroud mixer elements that are asymmetrical along the plane passing through the axis of rotation such that at least one of the ejector shroud mixer elements on a lower velocity portion of the plane passing through the axis of rotation is larger than at least one of the ejector shroud mixer elements on a higher velocity portion of the plane passing through the axis of rotation. 24. A turbine system for extracting energy from water traveling relative to the turbine system in an incoming current flow direction, the turbine system having an inlet end adapted to be directed into the incoming current flow direction and an outlet end opposite the inlet end, the water having a non-uniform flow velocity distribution across the inlet end of the turbine system, the turbine system comprising: a rotor assembly that is axially symmetric about an axis of rotation, the rotor assembly having an upstream rotor face oriented toward the inlet end;a turbine shroud having a turbine shroud inner volume within which at least a portion of the rotor assembly is disposed, the turbine shroud comprising a turbine shroud inlet disposed nearer the inlet end than the upstream rotor face and a turbine shroud terminus disposed nearer the outlet end than the rotor assembly, the turbine shroud terminus comprising a plurality of turbine shroud mixer elements, the turbine shroud mixer elements being asymmetric along a plane passing through and perpendicular to the axis of rotation such that at least one of the turbine shroud mixer elements on a lower velocity portion of the plane passing through the axis of rotation is larger than at least one of the turbine shroud mixer elements on a higher velocity portion of the plane passing through the axis of rotation, the turbine shroud inlet adapted to direct a first volume of water moving in the incoming current flow direction to the rotor assembly such that the first volume of water causes the rotor assembly to spin and to extract energy from the first volume of water before the first volume of water at a lower energy is discharged from the turbine shroud via the turbine shroud terminus; andan ejector shroud disposed adjacent to the turbine shroud, the ejector shroud comprising an ejector shroud inlet and an ejector shroud terminus extending in the incoming current flow direction beyond the turbine shroud mixer elements. 25. A system as in claim 24, wherein the ejector shroud terminus comprises a plurality of ejector shroud mixer elements that are asymmetric along the plane passing through the axis of rotation such that at least one of the ejector shroud mixer elements on the lower velocity portion of the plane passing through the axis of rotation is larger than at least one of the ejector shroud mixer elements on the higher velocity portion of the plane passing through the axis of rotation.