1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hydraulic turbines and more particularly pertains to a new hydraulic turbine assembly for deriving extra energy out of a conventional hydroelectric power generating system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of hydraulic turbines is known in the prior art. More specifically, hydraulic turbines heretofore devised and utilized are known to consist basically of familiar, expected and obvious structural configurations, notwithstanding the myriad of designs encompassed by the crowded prior art which have been developed for the fulfillment of countless objectives and requirements.
Known prior art hydraulic turbines include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,437,017; 4,963,780; 4,219,303; 4,816,697; 4,443,707 and 4,284,899.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a new hydraulic turbine assembly. The inventive device includes a vertical water inlet pipe being extended into the water reservoir of a dam to deliver water to the conventional hydroelectric generating system. The vertical water inlet pipe has a water inlet point being positioned in the water reservoir to create an inlet free vortex formation. An outer housing tube having an inlet cone for collecting water from said inlet free vortex formation and an outlet draft in fluid communication with the vertical water inlet pipe to permit water to pass through the outer housing tube to the vertical water inlet pipe. A rotor and turbine assembly having a rotor unit and at least one generator unit for creating electrical energy is disposed within the outer housing tube to permit rotation of the rotor unit within the outer housing unit by water passing through the outer housing tube. Each of the generator units is operationally coupled to the rotor unit so that the rotational energy of the rotor unit is transferred by the generator units into electrical energy.
In these respects, the hydraulic turbine assembly according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of deriving extra energy out of a conventional hydroelectric power generating system.