Patent ID: 8827631

Claim:
A turbine engine ( 52 ; 55 ) comprising: at least first, second, third, and fourth lift-type cross-flow water turbines ( 12 A, 12 B), the first turbine ( 12 A) comprising a first rotation shaft ( 14 A), the second turbine ( 12 B) comprising a second rotation shaft ( 14 B), the first and second turbines being symmetrical to each other with respect to a plane (P 1 ), the third turbine comprising a third rotation shaft connected to the first rotation shaft by a first coupling device ( 59 ) capable of compensating for spatial misalignments between the first and third rotation shafts, the third turbine forming, with the first turbine, a first stack of turbines ( 53 A), the fourth turbine comprising a fourth rotation shaft connected to the second rotation shaft by a second coupling device ( 59 ) capable of compensating for spatial misalignments between the second and fourth rotation shafts, the third and fourth turbines being symmetrical to each other with respect to said plane, the fourth turbine forming, with the second turbine, a second stack of turbines ( 53 B); a device ( 20 ) for holding the first and second turbine stacks, comprising a single vertical member symmetrical with respect to said plane (P 1 ) or vertical members ( 22 , 24 ), each of said vertical members being symmetrical with respect to said plane and/or said vertical members being arranged symmetrically with respect to said plane, the holding device further comprising first and second plates ( 46 , 48 ) symmetrical with respect to said plane, at least partly perpendicular to said plane, attached to the vertical members and arranged between the first and third turbines and between the second and fourth turbines, the first and second rotation shafts being pivotally connected to the first plate and the third and fourth rotation shafts being pivotally connected to the second plate; and a control device ( 220 A, 220 B, 224 ) capable of permanently maintaining the symmetry between the first and second turbine stacks with respect to said plane and of maintaining the rotation speeds of the first and second turbine stacks of equal values and of opposite rotation directions when the first and second turbine stacks are immersed in a moving liquid.