Patent ID: 8193656

Claim:
A water and/or wind current power generating system which uses the function of differential gearing to combine the energies generated from a plurality of individual rotor systems powered by wind or water currents to maximize the amount of clean energy produced by compact and efficient embodiments, comprising: a. said plurality of rotor systems; i. said rotor systems having means for coaxial attachment to a plurality of differential gearboxes, whereby the torque generated by said rotor systems is transferred via said differential gearboxes to a plurality of driveshafts; ii. said differential gearboxes having means for attachment to a support structure, wherein said differential gearboxes have a plurality of input/output shafts with each said input/output shaft having means for attachment to said driveshafts via a coupling device; iii. a plurality of said driveshafts, each said driveshaft having means for attachment to said coupling device at both ends of said driveshafts; and iv. said plurality of rotor systems having means for attachment to one another via said driveshafts; whereby the torque of said rotor systems are combined using the function of said differential gearboxes, thereby causing the rotational speed and torque of said driveshafts to increase with each incremental said rotor system, thus ultimately producing a greater mechanical energy than can be harnessed in a system without differential gearing; b. said support structure; c. a rudder having means for attachment to said rotor systems or said support structure; and d. a power station.