Patent ID: 9683538
Date: 2017-06-20
CPC Classifications: F03B,F03D,F05B,Y02E

Claim:
1. A device for recovering energy from a flow of fluid, including: a support; a flexible membrane; an attachment system for attaching at least a first area of the membrane, connecting this first area of the membrane to the support; an energy converter; force transmission means connected to a second area of the membrane remote from the first area of the membrane, this second area of the membrane being movable with respect to the support, and these force transmission means being arranged to transmit mechanical energy from the second area toward the energy converter, wherein the flexible membrane is made of a flexible plate of elastomer, the flexible membrane having a longitudinal stiffness opposing its bending between its first and second areas, wherein the device includes separation limiting means, adapted to limit the separation of the first area of the membrane from at least a first point of the attachment system and to limit the separation of the second area of the membrane from a second point of the attachment system, these separation limiting means being such that the first and second areas are spaced apart from each other by a minimum distance smaller than the shortest length separating these first and second areas measured along a face of the membrane, these separation limiting means thus promoting an undulatory movement of the membrane when the latter is placed in said fluid flow, and wherein at least one of these separation limiting means is a first flexible cable having one of its ends connected to the attachment system and another of its ends connected to the second area of the membrane.