Patent ID: 6854958

Claim:
A hydraulic turbine adapted to introduce oxygen into water flowing through a water passageway of the turbine, the turbine comprising: a rotatably mounted runner having a crown, a band substantially concentric with the crown, and a plurality of runner blades extending between the crown and the band, the band having an upstream end portion and a downstream end portion; a stationary discharge ring substantially concentric with the band and spaced outwardly therefrom; a circumferential chamber formed between the band and the stationary discharge ring, the circumferential chamber having a gas admission aperture for receiving an oxygen containing gas into the chamber; an upper seal positioned adjacent the upstream end portion of the band between the band and the stationary discharge ring to limit water leakage into the circumferential chamber; a lower seal positioned adjacent the downstream end portion of the band between the band and the stationary discharge ring to reduce undesirable escape of oxygen containing gas and water from the chamber between the band and the stationary discharge ring; and, the downstream end portion of the band having a plurality of spaced apart vanes providing outlet passageways between the vanes in fluid communication with the circumferential chamber and the water passageway, the vanes being configured to rotate with the band and draw the oxygen containing gas and water from the chamber through the outlet passageways and into the water passageway.