Patent ID: 7270513

Claim:
Apparatus for generating power from a water current in a body of water, said apparatus comprising: (a) a longitudinally extending flotation platform for maintaining said apparatus afloat in said body of water, said platform comprising: (i) a forward part having opposed diverging sides extending outwardly and rearwardly from a forward end apex to first and second elongated rearward parts, said first rearward part extending longitudinally rearwardly from said forward part to a distal end of said first rearward part, said second rearward part extending longitudinally rearwardly from said forward part substantially parallel to said first rearward part to a distal end of said second rearward part; and, (ii) a longitudinal opening extending downwardly through said platform between said first and second rearward parts; and, (b) a water turbine operatively carried by said platform for generating power in response to the water current in said body of water, said turbine comprising: (i) a turbine rotor longitudinally extending transversely across said opening between opposed ends of the rotor, said rotor rotatably mounted to said platform for rotation about a rotor axis; and (ii) a plurality of relatively narrow, flexible elongated turbine blades arranged in circumferentially spaced rows extending along said rotor and extending outwardly from said rotor for operative communication with said water current through said downward opening, the blades in each of said rows being distanced from each other in succession by a space, wherein said blades have lengths which vary substantially smoothly from relatively short lengths for those ones of said blades positioned towards said opposed ends of said rotor to relatively long lengths for those ones of said blades positioned towards the center of said rotor between said opposed ends.