Patent ID: 7938622

Claim:
A helical auger turbine comprising: a generally helical turbine formed of first and second turbine blades that are offset at approximately 180 degrees from one another and rotatably mounted on a central shaft, the first and second turbine blades both extending through approximately 360 degrees or more of arc around the central shaft; first and second outer spiral flanges extending approximately perpendicularly from an outer edge of the first and the second turbine blades, respectively, the first and the second outer spiral flanges being configured to capture at least a percentage of an energy of a moving fluid, the first and the second outer spiral flanges each extending to both sides of the first and the second turbine blades, respectively; first and second tapered terminal sections located at each end of the first and the second turbine blades, respectively, each tapered terminal section having a diameter of the respective turbine blade that is gradually reduced so that each tapered terminal section is tapered into the central shaft, the diameter of each tapered terminal section being gradually reduced within a range of rotation of a helix around the central shaft; at least one turbine blade support connection for connecting the central shaft to a support structure and the turbine blade support connection comprises a nose cone, the nose cone being adapted to maintain the orientation of the helical auger turbine parallel to a fluid flow direction.