Improvements in or relating to Tidal Motors.
Year: 1895

page_text: Date of Application, 18th Dec., 1895
Complete Specification Left, 17th Sept., 1896-Accepted, 24th Oct., 1896
Improvements in or relating to Tidal Motors.
I, JOHANN FERDINAND ROBERT KNOBLOCH, of 10 Von der Tann Strasse,
Hamburg, Eimsbüttel in the Empire of Germany, Mechanic, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention to be as follows:-
This invention relates to tidal motors.
:-
The turbine hereinafter described, is suitable to be worked from two sides by
water power and to serve more especially for utilizing the motive power of the
water of the tides (ebb and flood water). The flood water supplied from the one
side of the turbine device, is stemmed up in a reservoir behind the turbine after
having passed through the latter, and can subsequently, during the low tide be
passed back again from the other side when it will act as motive water.
The device consists of a turbine with two water inlets and two water outlets
lying opposite each other. The water inlets are formed by two pipes which
together with the turbine are arranged upon a float in the water chamber. One
set of extremities of the inlet pipes terminate in the turbine wheel race, which is,
in the well known manner, provided with a guide wheel and running wheel. The
other set of pipe extremities terminate in the water chamber. The orifices of each
pipe are provided with doors or flaps opening outwards, one set of which close the
pipes against the water chamber and has another special and principal purpose as
will be hereinafter explained.
The water chamber can be closed against the sea water on the one hand and
against the reservoir on the other hand by sluice gates, which gates may also be
replaced by overfall sluice gates which can be lifted and lowered. At the
commencement of the flood tide the gate between the sea and the water chamber
is closed, whilst the reservoir sluice is open or is being opened. The flood water
rises in front of the closed gate until the flood water level has reached a desired
height above the low water level in the water chamber and of the reservoir. If
then the flood gate is opened, the flood water falls into the water chamber and this
fall can be almost constantly kept up during the flood lasting several hours, if the
dimensions of the chamber, and of its internal parts and of the reservoir are
suitably chosen.
The flood water falling into the chamber is forced by the raised door or flap and
the corresponding sluice gate to flow into the inlet pipe, and to open the flap or
door therein. The water thence flows through the turbine causing the latter to
revolve and flows off through an outlet into the reservoir, during which action the
lowered flap will close that opening of the other inlet pipe which lies toward the
reservoir and will shut the said pipe against the turbine by the flap valve kept
closed by the impact of the flood water. The surfaces of each main sluice gate
which lies opposite the water pressure and of the appertaining raised door or
flap are preferably bulged outwards in order to offer a greater resistance to the
water.
The water discharged from the turbine is collected in the chamber and in the
reservoir and rises as nearly as possible in the same proportion as the flood water.
Consequently the turbine with its inlet conduits is raised by the float so that its
position with regard to the water will always remain the same. During this action
the two main sluice gates guided in recesses, are likewise raised, these sluice gates
are arranged below the doors or flaps on the outer ends of the inlet pipes and

page_text: alternately act as devices for closing the interior space of the chamber against the
inflowing water. The said sluice gates are guided and bear against rebates on the
wall of the chamber, and are kept tight against this latter by a packing material
for instance by india rubber strips. But in order that not too great a friction is
caused upon the packing surfaces of the pressure of water against the sluice gates,
which would disadvantageously counteract the rising motion of the turbine, the
float moves against light roller guides provided along the chamber walls which take
up the water pressure and prevent the sluice gates from being forced too violently
against their guide surfaces.
After the flood bas ceased and during the slack water time-when in both the
water chamber and in the reservoir a uniform level with the sea water has been
attained the reservoir gate is closed. After, owing to the ebb tide, the level of
the sea and of the water in the water chamber have fallen below the level of the
water stemmed up in the reservoir, to such an extent, that this water in the
reservoir would have a sufficient fall into the water chamber, then the reservoir
gate is re-opened. The water of the reservoir then flows, while the ebb tide
continues, into the water chamber and passes into the inlet pipe through the lifted
door or flap at the mouth thereof and the sluice gate. The water now flows in the
reverse direction through the turbine and the latter gradually sinks back into its
lowest position. Subsequently the process is repeated in the herein before described
manner, after the flood tide has re-commenced.
The lifting and lowering of the flaps or doors at the entrance to the inlets may
be either effected by machinery or automatically by the inflowing water which
presses on the underside of the said doors and lifts the same, while on the other
hand forcing down the other door or flap which is raised. The said doors or flaps
may be made box shape and be partly filled with water, so that the said water
contained therein will, during the raising of the flap, fall down into the lower part
of the said hollow box and thus displace the centre of gravity of the door or flap
thus facilitating the raising operation.
The water power is taken and transmitted from the rotating turbine shaft.
A convenient and suitable way of transmitting the energy of the turbine is by
arranging dynamos upon the float which are suitably connected to the turbine
shaft.
1
Improvements in or relating to Tidal Motors.
I, JOHANN FERDINAND ROBERT KNOBLOCH, of 10 Von der Tann Strasse,
Hamburg, Eimsbüttel, in the Empire of Germany, Mechanic, do hereby declare
the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, to be
particularly described and ascertained in and by the following statement :-
This invention relates to improvements in tidal motors and it consists in a
turbine-plant, which is adapted to be worked from two sides by water power and
to serve more especially for utilizing the motive power of the water of the tides
(ebb and flood water). The flood water supplied from one side of the turbine
device, is stemmed up in a reservoir behind the turbine after having passed through
the latter, and can subsequently, during the low tide be passed back again from the
other side when it will act as motive water.
Referring to the accompanying drawing
Figure 1, is a sectional side elevation of a turbine plant embodying my
invention.

page_text: Figure 2, a cross section of the same taken on the line I I, and
Figure 3, a top view, partly in section of Figure 1.
In the drawing M is an outward-flow turbine with two water inlets lying opposite
one another. The water inlets are formed by two pipes a a which together with
the turbine are arranged upon a float F in the water chamber K. One set of
extremities of the inlet pipes a a terminate in the turbine wheel race, which is, in
the well known manner, provided with an inner guide wheel and running wheel b,
which discharges the water in the water chamber K. The orifices of each pipe
are provided with doors or flaps a¹³ opening outwards, the flaps a of which close
the pipes against the water chamber and have another special and principal purpose
as will be hereinafter explained.
The water chamber K can be closed against the sea water S on the one hand
and against the reservoir H on the other hand by sluice gates U¹ U³, which gates
may also be replaced by overfall sluice gates which can be lifted and lowered. At
the commencement of the floud tide the gate U¹ between the sea and the water
chamber K is closed, whilst the reservoir sluice U is open or is being opened:
The flood water rises in front of the closed gate until the flood water level has
reached a desired height above the low water level w' w' in the water chamber K
and in the reservoir H. If then the flood gate U₁ is opened, the flood water falls
into the water chamber K and this fall can be almost constantly kept up during
the flood period, if the dimensions of the chamber, and of its internal parts and of
the reservoir are suitably chosen.
The flood water falling into the chamber K is forced by the raised door or flap a*
and the corresponding sluice gate c to flow into the inlet pipe, and to open the flap
or door a' herein. The water thence flows through the turbine M causing the
latter to revolve and flows off into the reservoir H, during which action the lowered
flap a will close that opening of the other inlet pipe a which lies toward the
reservoir and will shut the said pipe against the turbine by the flap valve a' kept
closed by the impact of the flood water. The surfaces of each main sluice gate c
which lies opposite the water pressure and of the appertaining raised door or
flap a² are preferably bulged outwards in order to offer a greater resistance to the
water.
The water discharged from the turbine is collected in the chamber K and in the
reservoir H and rises as nearly as possible in the same proportion as the food
water. Consequently the turbine with its inlet conduits is raised by the float F so
that its position with regard to the water will always remain the same. During
this action the two main sluice gates c c guided in recesses, are likewise raised,
these sluice gates are arranged below the doors or flaps a² a² on the outer ends of
the inlet pipes a a and alternately act as devices for closing the interior space of
the chamber K against the inflowing water. The said sluice gates c c are guided
and bear against rebates on the wall of the chamber (Figure 3), and may be kept
tight against this latter by a packing material for instance by india rubber strips.
But in order that not too great a friction is caused upon the packing surfaces by
the pressure of water against the sluice gates, which would disadvantageously
counteract the rising motion of the turbine, the float F may be provided with light
roller guides (not particularly illustrated in the drawing) to move along the
chamber walls which take up the water pressure and prevent the sluice gates from
being forced too violently against their guide surfaces d d.
After the flood has ceased and during the slack water time when in both the
water chamber and in the reservoir a uniform level with the sea water has been
attained, the reservoir gate U is closed. After, owing to the ebb tide, the level
of the sea and of the water in the water chamber have fallen below the level of
the water stemmed up in the reservoir, to such an extent that this water in the
reservoir would have a sufficient fall into the water chamber K, then the reservoir
gate U is re-opened. The water of the reservoir then flows, while the ebb tide
continues, into the water chamber and is caused to pass into the inlet pipe a in
consequence of the lifted door or flap a³ at the mouth thereof and the sluice gate a

page_text: which prevent the water from flowing directly into the chamber K. The water
now flows in the reverse direction through the turbine and the latter gradually
sinks back into its lowest position. Subsequently the process is repeated in the
herein before described manner, after the flood tide has re-commenced.
The lifting and lowering of the flaps or doors a³ at the entrance to the inlets
may be either effected by machinery or automatically by the inflowing water which
on meeting the bevelled or rounded front edge presses on the underside of the said
door and lifts the same, while on the other hand forcing down the other door or
flap which is raised. The said doors or flaps may be made box shape and be
partly filled with water, so that the said water contained therein will, during
the raising of the flap, fill out the lower part of the said hollow box and thus
displace the centre of gravity of the door or flap thus facilitating the raising
operation.
The water power is taken and transmitted from the rotating turbing, shaft e.
A convenient and suitable way of transmitting the energy of the turbine is by
arranging dynamos upon the float F which are suitably connected to the turbine
.shaft e.
!
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
1. As an improvement in tidal motors, the combination of a turbine having two
water inlets opposite each other, with a float arranged in a water chamber which
can be closed against the sea on the one hand and against a reservoir on the other
hand by sluice gates; the water conduit of the turbine being so arranged that one
inlet is adapted to communicate only with the sea and the other only with the
reservoir, substantially as and for the purpose specified.
2. A turbine upon a float to be used as a tidal motor having a water conduit
with two inlets each of which being provided with two doors or flaps opening in
opposite sense, one inlet being adapted to communicate during the flood-period
with the sea and the other during the ebb-period with a reservoir for the
stemmed-up water, all acting substantially as and for the purpose set forth.
3. The herein described turbine with two water inlets each mouth of which
being adapted to be closed by a box-shaped flap partly filled with water and
provided with a bevelled or rounded front edge, acting substantially as and for the
purpose set forth.
1000
Dated
LUIS
17th day of September 1888.
HASELTINE, LAKE & Co.,
45 Southampton Buildings, London, W.C., Agents for the Applicant.