Patent ID: 8770915

Claim:
A hydraulic power generation motor, comprising: a tubular body ( 4 ) including a pair of coupling flanges ( 12 ) formed at opposite ends thereof and an impeller housing ( 8 ) formed in an intermediate portion thereof, the coupling flanges ( 12 ) being connectable to fluid conduits ( 10 ) through which fluid flows; and an impeller ( 38 ) rotatably installed within the impeller housing ( 8 ) of the tubular body ( 4 ), the impeller ( 38 ) being designed to be rotated by the fluid and operatively connected to a generator ( 40 ) for generating an electric power, wherein the impeller housing ( 8 ) includes: a circumferential portion ( 20 ) having access openings ( 6 ) formed at side surfaces thereof; a pair of housing covers ( 28 ) attached to the side surfaces to close the access openings ( 6 ), each of the housing covers ( 28 ) having a shaft-receiving hole ( 26 ); a first bearing cover ( 34 a ) attached to one of the housing covers ( 28 ) to close the shaft-receiving hole ( 26 ) and designed to hold a bearing ( 36 ) for rotatably supporting the impeller ( 38 ); and a second bearing cover ( 34 b ) attached to the other housing cover ( 28 ) and provided with a through-hole; wherein the impeller ( 38 ) includes an impeller shaft ( 24 ) inserted into the shaft-receiving holes ( 26 ) of the housing covers ( 28 ) and operatively connected to the generator ( 40 ), a plurality of vanes extending in a tangential direction from an outer circumferential surface of the impeller shaft ( 24 ) and having rounded edges, and a plurality of reinforcing plates ( 44 ) arranged to interconnect the vanes ( 42 ) in a spaced-apart relationship with the impeller shaft ( 24 ) so gaps ( 46 ) exist between the reinforcing plates ( 44 ) and the impeller shaft ( 24 ).