Patent ID: 8197206

Claim:
An Apparatus for generating electrical power from a flow of water, including: a housing having a water inlet and water outlet, a turbine mounted in the housing for rotation about an axis and having a turbine shaft and a set of blades, the housing being adapted to be mounted within the body of water and being so configured that water flows into the housing via the inlet, and is principally directed into a driving flow for the turbine, and is then directed for discharge via the outlet, wherein the turbine is provided with a blade angle control mechanism configured to control the angles of the blades with respect to the driving flow such that each blade rotates about a respective axis at half the rotational speed of the turbine shaft, whereby a large blade surface area is presented to incoming water flow for driving the turbine in a predetermined direction of rotation and a small blade surface area is presented to the incoming water flow in a direction opposite to the driving direction, the apparatus further including a baffle positioned such that the set of blades rotates therearound, for directing the driving flow to a peripheral part of the turbine.