PLANT FOR UTILIZING WATER STREAM ENERGY Russian patent published in 1995 - IPC

FIELD: hydroelectric power engineering. SUBSTANCE: plant has anchored water and air intake tank 1 that mounts horizontal shaft 2 with impellers at ends kinematically linked with energy converters (electric generator 8 and compressor 9) mounted in sealed chamber 7 through chain transmissions 10, intermediate shaft 11, and pair of double-row magnetized spur gears 12 engageable with each other through nonmagnetic wall of chamber 7 by means of closed magnetic field. Tank 1 has air valve 14 and air admission valve 15 that functions to immerse the plant under ice onto river bottom; air valve 14 is used to deliver compressed air to tank and to displace water from it when plant floats up and operated on surface. Energy converters 8 and 9 and valves 14 and 15 are provided with remote electrical control from bank through common underwater cable connecting electric generator 8 to loads. Impeller blades 3 installed at right angle to horizontal shaft 2 are free to turn about their axes through 180 deg. within each revolution of shaft 2. To this end, axles 4 mount bevel gears 5 engageable with fixed gears 6 of diameter twice as small and concentric in respect to shaft 2. Diametrically opposite blades 3 are arranged in relatively perpendicular planes. EFFECT: provision for round-the-clock running on rivers covered with ice. 1 dwg