Patent ID: 8277168

Claim:
A tidal power apparatus, comprising a moored pontoon having a duct therethrough opening at opposed ends of the pontoon, the duct having a vertical axis rotor therein driving an electrical generator, and a plurality of deflector vanes being located in the duct on each side of the rotor relative to the flow direction, each deflector vane extending over, a minor part of the width of the duct and being spaced from the sides thereof, each vane being mounted for rotation about a vertical axis so as to be movable between an active position when upstream of the rotor directing water towards the active, side of the rotor, and an inactive position when downstream of the rotor; and means for measuring tidal flow adjacent to the pontoon, and control means for rotating the vane or vanes in the active position thereof in response to the measured tidal flow, whereby to optimize the Froude Number at the rotor, wherein the control means include a hydraulic cylinder associated with each vane.