Patent ID: 7147428

Claim:
A water driven turbine for converting the energy of an underwater current, the turbine comprising: an elongate tubular housing having an opening extending therethrough in a longitudinal direction from an entry end for receiving water to an exit end for releasing the water; a shaft rotatably supported within the opening in the housing; blade means supported on the shaft for rotation therewith to rotate the shaft when impacted with water passing through the opening in the housing; connection means on the shaft for operatively linking the shaft to a generator such that rotation of the shaft generates electrical power; a divergent cone coupled to the exit end of the housing having an increasing diameter with increasing distance in the longitudinal direction from the exit end of the housing upon which it is supported to a free end of the cone; and a diverter surrounding the free end of the cone and defining an annular space therebetween, the diverter being sloped to extend in the longitudinal direction away from the exit end of the housing at an inward incline; the diverter terminating at a trailing edge spaced downstream from the divergent cone at a point where the diverter is sloping inwardly as the diverter extends in the longitudinal direction away from the exit end of the housing.