Patent ID: 8210771

Claim:
In an open aqueduct system having an elongated water conveyance structure with opposite, spaced walls that contain water between the walls wherein water is conveyed in the water conveyance structure, the improvement comprising: a membrane system for reducing evaporation of water in the elongated water conveyance structure, the membrane system having: a plurality of floating membrane segments covering the water in a part of the water conveyance structure, the membrane segments being fabricated of a durable vapor impervious material in the form of sheets having an upstream leading edge and a downstream trailing edge; a cable connected to the leading edge of each of the sheets forming the membrane segments, the cable for each sheet having ends and a length sized to span the space between the walls of the water conveyance structure; and, an anchor connected to each end of each cable with the anchor at one end of the cable fastened to one of the opposite walls of the water conveyance structure and the anchor at the other end fastened to the other of the opposite walls of the water conveyance structure with the cable spanning the space between the opposite walls, wherein the sheets of the plurality of floating membrane segments are arranged along the elongated water conveyance structure with the lead edge of one sheet overlapping the trailing edge of the adjacent sheet, such that the sheets are interleaved and substantially cover the water in the part of the water conveyance structure on which the membrane system is installed, and wherein the sheets of the membrane segments are fabricated with an electric energy collection surface that collects and feeds electrical power to electrical energy collectors.