Patent ID: 8698331
Filing Date: 2014-04-15
Classification: F03B,F05B,Y02E

Abstract:
1. In a wave energy conversion device having a submerged horizontally-aligned structure provided with a central opening for inducing a bidirectional fluid flow into and from the central opening in the submerged structure, the improvement of a bidirectional axial flow turbine with self-pivoting blades positioned in the central opening of the submerged structure comprising: entry and exit sets of inner guide vanes positioned on opposite ends of the vertically-aligned sides of the central opening, for directing the bidirectional fluid flow through the central opening and inducing a vortex swirl in the bidirectional fluid flow such that rotation of the fluid within the central opening rotates in the same direction; a turbine hub on a turbine shaft mounting a plurality of blades that are uniformly spaced around a circumference of the hub, said blades having a foil profile that is the same for both fluid flow directions; wherein the plurality of blades are coupled to a rotating shaft of a pivot mechanism to have self-pivoting movement in response to axial flow forces of the water acting on the blades so as to adjust their blade angle so that the turbine shaft turns in the same rotational direction in both directions of axial water flow.