Patent ID: 7482720

Claim:
An electrical generator comprising: a rotor comprising a central hub, a rim radially spaced therefrom and generally concentric therewith, and a plurality of elongate tension members extending generally between the hub and the rim, said tension members pre-stressed to be maintained in tension so as to maintain the rim substantially in compression, and a plurality of magnetic elements disposed substantially fully around the rim and generally evenly spaced thereon; at least one stator co-operatively arranged relative to said rotor such as to generate electrical energy from mechanical energy attributable to rotation of the rotor, wherein said stator comprises a central hub, a rim radially spaced therefrom, and a plurality of tension members maintained in tension extending generally between the hub and the rim so as to maintain the rim substantially in compression; and a turbine remotely spaced from said rotor, said turbine comprising a wind or marine current turbine; wherein the rotor is mounted to be rotatably driven relative to said statically mounted stator by the remotely spaced turbine.