Abstract: A tide-operated turbine is located in a holding tank having communication with a tide-fed reservoir so as to supply the turbine with operating water. To provide continuous, around-the-clock operation of the turbine by insuring a positive operating head throughout tidal cycles, a control system causes the turbine to discharge into the ocean through a turbine discharge port in an ocean-fronting wall of the holding tank at times during each tide cycle when the tidal level is below the discharge port, but closes the discharge port and causes the turbine to discharge into the holding tank at times when the tidal level is above the discharge port. The control system also provides drainage of the holding tank during each tide cycle.

Abstract: A hydroelectric power generating plant includes separate intake and power generating barges spanning a dam, and a penstock attached to and between the barges to enable fluid communication over the dam and between the barges. In constructing the power generating plant, the barges are constructed remotely at a convenient manufacturing facility and floated to the dam site over water. At the dam site the barges are positioned so as to span the dam, making use of a lock system associated with the dam, and moored in position. The barges may be floated adjacent to opposite side of the dam, or grounded, making use of discrete moorings associated with the dam site and/or the dam itself.

Abstract: A fish diversion system for a penstock housing a hydroelectric turbine employs large area screens to shunt fish to a bypass conduit above the turbine. The screens are disposed generally lengthwise of the penstock and the upstream screen is inclined upwardly at a shallow angle to maximize water flow velocity along the upstream screen while minimizing the approach velocity normal to the screens. Fish and debris are thus swept along the screens rather than impinged on them. The bypass conduit is sized and positioned to minimize bypass water flow volume while maintaining sufficient volume and velocity to discharge fish from the upper portion of the penstock. The upstream screen can be tiltable for cleaning.

Abstract: The invention pertains to a hydroelectric generating system for use with low-head dam and spillway installations. A vessel in the form of a barge contains ballast tanks, pumps and associated structure permitting the vessel to selectively float or to be submerged at a spillway. The vessel contains a plurality of horizontal penstock and draft tube passages extending therethrough each containing a turbine for generating electricity. The vessel is of such configuration as to be floated into the gate of a dam spillway wherein the water flowing therethrough passes through the vessel passages energizing the turbines to generate electricity. Anchor apparatus defined adjacent the spillway and complimentarily shaped abutments defined upon the vessel cooperate to maintain the submerged operative position.

Abstract: A tidal station includes a plurality of turbine/generator sets removably insertable along the central axis of a caisson to provide a symmetrical installation. Fixedly disposed basin side and sea side diffusers include inlets alternately juxtaposed opposite ends of the turbine/generator sets as the sets are rotatably displaced 180 degrees between ebb and flood tides. Ballasting/deballasting structure contained in the caisson permits self-portability of the caisson to its site and subsequent positioning thereat.

Abstract: Apparatus permitting the utilization of large volumes of water in the harnessing and extracting of a portion of the power generated by the rise and fall of ocean tides, ocean currents, or flowing rivers includes the provision of a dam, and a specialized single cavity chamber of limited size as compared wth the water head enclosed by the dam, and an extremely high volume gating system in which all or nearly all of the water between the high and low levels on either side of the dam is cyclically gated through the single chamber from one side of the dam to the other so as to alternately provide positive air pressure and a partial vacuum within the single chamber.

Abstract: Hydroelectric power plant containing a flow tube for the water, an inlet tube leading to the flow tube and a discharge tube leading from the flow tube. In the flow tube a turbine is arranged to be driven by the flowing water and which via a drive shaft drives an electric generator. Accentuated sub-divisioning as between mechanical unit and portions of an installation nature is provided. The turbine and generator are located in the direct vicinity of each other and together with the drive shaft form a unit which in its entirety is situate in the flow tube and arranged to be traversed by flowing water. The unit is so arranged that the turbine can be in contact with the water flow while the generator has a watertight enclosure into which the drive shaft extends through a watertight bushing. Furthermore an electric cable for transmitting the electricity produced is connected. The installation components, the said tubes, are made from prefabricated concrete components.

Abstract: The hydraulic turbine system includes:an electric generator;rotary turbine blades;a hydraulic pump for operation by rotation of the turbine blades;a hydraulic motor for driving the generator;a hydraulic reservoir;and connections between the pump, the motor and the reservoir for causing the motor to operate in response to rotation of the turbine blades by water flow.In the present improvement, the turbine blades and the hydraulic pump are unified in an axial flow unit which has an annular outer casing through which water flows to drive the turbine blades which in turn drive the pump. The motor, the generator and the reservoir may be located remotely from the axial flow unit. The axial flow unit is preferably generally U-shaped so that it can be placed inverted over a dam with the legs extending down into the water on opposite sides of the dam.

Abstract: A hydromotive assembly for installation adjacent the water passage through a damming structure includes a main body component having an internal draft tube and provided with external guide and support elements allowing displacement of the assembly alternately in a vertical direction or angularly about a vertical axis. One sub-component body includes a water flow conduit containing a turbine generator set having a fixed-vane distributor and is insertable within the main body component in axial alignment with one end of the draft tube while another sub-component body includes a shiftable flow-controlling gate and is insertable adjacent another end of the draft tube. Water-tight chambers in the main body component as well as the sub-component bodies are selectively filled with air or fluid to controllably float, sink or tilt the assembly and allow the installation or removal of the sub-components from the main body component.

Abstract: A hydropowered bulkhead assembly is provided for association with damming or analogous structure defining a water passageway through either non-navigable dams, movable-type dams, chambers at locks defined for navigation procedures, canal drops or auxiliary locks and includes a selectively displaceable body to achieve asynchronous electric generation when disposed in an operative position relative the damming structure. Flow controlling means, such as tainter gates, chanoine wicket gates, miter gates, and the like are included and operable to permit overhauling of the assembly or when in an idle status. Alternatively, a plurality of asynchronous generators may be spliced together in any one bulkhead assembly to enhance the generation quality, dependent upon the requirements imposed by extreme, highly variable hydraulic heads.

Abstract: A hydrostation installation includes a dam body with a fluid flow conduit therethrough cooperating with a displaceable hydromotive set provided with a conduit containing a generator set therein. A separate, gated assembly is insertable intermediate the dam body and hydromotive set to complete a fluid flow path through the hydromotive set, gated assembly and dam body. In use, the hydromotive set and gated assembly may be attached to one another to form a hydromotive assembly and upon release of this attachment, the gated assembly and/or hydromotive set may be independently removed from the installation.

Abstract: A hydraulic turbine with water passageways and powerhouse for installation at a conventional spillway with gates includes a fabricated steel water passageway and cross beams which also serves as the lateral support between lifting devices which are operable to lift the installation to pass the upstream water discharge under flood conditions underneath the entire structure to reduce obstruction within the spillway.

Abstract: A water turbine generator system for use in a stream or river, said system having a catch basin formed by an end wall, a plurality of water chutes downstream of the catch basin and in communication with the catch basin by gates and closures and a plurality of turbines and associated generators journalled in the chutes for rotation by water passing therethrough. The turbines are provided with ribbon flight blades set at a pitch angle to maximize torque.

Abstract: Self Commanded Hydrostation arrangement for a fluidic storing dam or gated engineered structure, includes a siphon layout conduit with a movable ascending branch having a hydromotive set and a fixed descending branch embodied with said damming structure inducing a fluidic flow therethrough said hydromotive set to produce actuation thereof. Said movable branch being relatively displaceable said fixed damming structure to stop or to start the hydromotive power generation set.Movable gated means are alternatively included helping in both starting and stopping procedures sequences.

Abstract: A hydroelectric power generator having a bulb turbine generator housed in a bulb shaped inner casing. The turbine runner of the generator is connected to a main shaft of the electric power generator. The outer casing is coupled to the inner casing by stay vanes. A draft tube is coupled to the downstream end of the outer casing. A liftable gate is positioned to retain water in the open channel and the outer casing is fixedly secured to the gate and vertically movable with it.

Abstract: Transformable hydroenergetic arrangement for a fluid storing dam having a conduit for directing passage of fluid flows therethrough, said fluid directing conduit being dually shaped as a frustum spatial geometrical configuration flaring from the center line of the dam to both of the dam's opposing faces with gated fluid flow controlling means provided along the center line and passing coincidently through the smaller transverse cross-sectional area of the conduit. A hydromotive assembly is alternatively positioned in combination with either flared portion of the dually-flared conduit. The hydromotive assembly includes a turbine runner disposed within a diffuser tube of a body having a flared extension surrounding the diffuser tube and terminating in an open end allowing evacuation of fluid flows.

Abstract: This wave-operated power plant comprises a perforated caisson breakwater in which propellers, or turbines, are mounted in the perforations or openings and drives hydraulic pumps connected thereto, which in turn drives a hydraulic motor coupled to an electric generator. One-way flap valves are mounted in the openings. Some of said flap valves allow the rushing waves to enter the caisson, while the other flap valves allow the water to flow out of the caisson.

Abstract: The apparatus of the present invention is comprised of transfer tanks which are located below the hydraulic head of a dam. Connected to the transfer tanks are air inlets extending from the transfer tanks to the atmosphere, and having check valves located therein. A water inlet and valve, interconnect the transfer tanks with the fluid behind the dam, and a water outlet and valve empty the transfer tank downstream of the dam. A storage tank is interconnected to the transfer tank by transfer lines having check valves at their transfer tank ends, and a turbine outlet extends from the storage tank to an air driven turbine. In one embodiment of the invention two transfer tanks and one open-bottomed storage tank are located on the upstream side of the dam at its base. In this embodiment water outlets pass from the bottom of the transfer tanks through the face of the dam.

Abstract: Transportable self-stabilized hydromotive assembly for a fluid storing dam for purposes of energy production; being engineered with a water flow circulation path having a very restricted longitude, and an electric generator having a rotor with a great moment of inertia; then introducing a dynamically self-stabilized performance into the connected electrical networks.Means are also provided for purposes of: starting, synchronizing, keep running, and stopping the turbine-generator set; and for introducing a balanced upwardly lifting pull into the structural body of said hydromotive assembly when positioned in submerged status for purposes of energy production, or for transportation procedures.

Abstract: The hydraulic turbine system includes:an electric generator;rotary turbine blades;a hydraulic pump for operation by rotation of the turbine blades;a hydraulic motor for driving the generator;a hydraulic reservoir;and connections between the pump, the motor and the reservoir for causing the motor to operate in response to rotation of the turbine blades by water flow.

Abstract: A hydraulic power plant has a reservoir with a dam wall, a water turbine connected to a generator, a penstock extending from the reservoir to the water turbine and passing over the dam wall without passing through the dam wall to supply water from the reservoir to the turbine, and a vacuum pump adapted to fill at least a portion of the penstock with water by a siphon effect and being connected at a substantially uppermost portion of the penstock which is located on the top of the dam wall.

Abstract: A water storing dam body with means for directing a water flow therethrough includes one or more hydromotive assemblies suspended adjacent said dam water directing means. Each hydromotive assembly comprises a unitary assembly including an energy generation unit associated with a machine hall and buoyancy means regulatable to suspend the hydromotive assembly in operative position without imposing stresses upon the structural body of the dam due to its weight. Disposed downstream of the dam body, adjacent each water directing means, is a diffuser which is either fully or partly embodied as an integral portion of the dam body.

Abstract: This invention relates to system for and method of moving sea water by utilizing tidal flow and ebb. This is achieved by the provision of at least one reservoir in the vicinity of the seashore and at least one tidewater channel connecting the reservoir and the seashore and also the provision of a plurality of floodgates on both reservoir and tidewater channel, the floodgates being adapted to be opened and shut in accordance with the tides of the sea for producing uni-directional current of tidewater through the tidewater channel.

Abstract: A reversible hydroelectric station associated with a dam having a water passageway includes shiftable components selective displaceable to achieve alternately, either an energy generation or an energy accumulation mode. One or more rotatable hydromotive assemblies is provided each having an integral machine hall surrounding a venturi. A pair of diffusers are mounted for rectilinear displacement downstream of the main body of the dam and upstream of the rotatable hydromotive assembly, respectively. Selection of energy mode is achieved by rotating the hydromotive assembly about a vertical axis to position a selected end of its venturi adjacent the dam water passageway and by rectilinearly displacing one said diffuser away from said hydromotive assembly and the other said diffuser into juxtaposition with said hydromotive assembly.

Abstract: Movable hydroelectric assembly for a water storing dam, having means for movably permitting positioning respective with the main body of said dam, in a downwardly/upwardly pattern displacement being coplanarly arranged or rotatably arranged. Additionally, the hydroelectric assembly has a machine hall with auxiliary equipment required to: start, keep running, and stop the turbine generator set. A diffuser is provided having a substantially rectilinear water flow circulation path, or a slightly angulated one.

Abstract: An incorporable hydromotive assembly for a water storing dam or related engineered structure includes a siphon draft conduit with ascending-descending branches adapted to be archingly positioned over a water storing structure for conveying water through the hydromotive assembly to actuate same. The assembly includes chambers defined around its structural body which can be filled with fluid to sink it, or with gas to float it. The incorporable ascending-descending siphon draft conduit includes structure for interchangeably permitting it to be archingly positioned over a plurality of dams or related water storing structures. The method of positioning the incorporable and transportable assembly at said dams for purposes of power generation is described.