Patent ID: 6036443
Filing Date: 2000-03-14
Classification: F03B,F03D,F05B,Y02E,Y10S

Abstract:
A system for harnessing the energy of a multidirectional fluid flow comprising:a rotatable shaft;a generator in communication with said rotatable shaft; anda plurality of cylindrical helical turbine modules supported on said rotatable shaft, each turbine module comprising a turbine capable of unidirectional rotation under multidirectional fluid flow, said turbine further comprising:at least one turbine blade support member fixedly mounted to said rotatable shaft for rotation therewith in a plane perpendicular to said shaft; anda plurality of turbine blades having a fixed cylindrical helical configuration and mounted to said turbine blade support member for rotation about an axis of said rotatable shaft, each blade having an airfoil shape having a leading edge and a trailing edge and an airfoil profile lying in a plane parallel to a component of the fluid flow, each of said blades fixedly mounted to said blade support member to be radially spaced from said rotatable shaft for rotation in the plane perpendicular to said shaft in a direction of said leading edge.