Patent ID: 8613587

Claim:
A rotor assembly for a turbine, the rotor assembly being powered by a fluid flow, the rotor assembly comprising: (a) a substantially enclosed outer housing shaped to define an interior cavity, (b) a rotor disposed within the interior cavity, the rotor comprising, (i) a main shaft having a longitudinal axis, and (ii) a plurality of blades coupled to the main shaft, each of the plurality of blades being coupled to the main shaft by at least one radial spoke, each of the plurality of blades being adapted to pivot relative to the at least one radial spoke between a first position of greater fluid flow resistance and a second position of lesser fluid flow resistance, each of the plurality of blades being adapted to pivot about an axis that is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the main shaft, (iii) wherein the rotor is adapted to spin about the longitudinal axis of the main shaft, (c) a control mechanism for regulating the orientation of the plurality of blades between the first position of greater fluid flow resistance and the second position of lesser fluid flow resistance based on the angular location of each of the plurality of blades within the interior cavity wherein the control mechanism comprises: (i) a guide ring disposed within the interior cavity, and (ii) a roller coupled to each of the plurality of blades, wherein the roller selectively contacts the guide ring to limit the range of pivotable displacement.