Patent ID: 8864439

Claim:
A turbine for producing electricity from bi-directional water flow in a first water flow direction and an opposite second water flow direction without reversing the position of said turbine relative to the water flow direction, comprising: a rotor comprising blades extending from an outer rim, said rotor capable of rotating in a first rotation direction and a second rotation direction; a housing configured to retain said rotor in an axial direction and a radial direction, said housing allowing, in use, said rotor to shift in either axial direction responsive to the bi-directional water flow, said housing including a first retaining member to retain said rotor in a first axial direction and a second retaining member to retain said rotor in a second axial direction; said outer rim and said housing both including anti-friction members arranged to reduce frictional drag between said housing and said rotor in both the axial direction and the radial direction when in use; wherein said housing is shaped and dimensioned such that the outer rim axially contacts said first retaining member and does not axially contact said second retaining member when in use in the first water flow direction, and such that the outer rim axially contacts said second retaining member and does not axially contact said first retaining member when in use in the second water flow direction.