Fluid-driven power plant

Abstract

A fluid-driven power plant for harnessing power from a fluid flowing in a preselected direction has a shaft mounted for rotation about a primary axis substantially perpendicular to the preselected direction and at least three blades attached to the shaft, each of the blades having a frame and at least one panel hingedly attached to the frame, with no more than two of the blades attached to the shaft at any particular axial position along the shaft. In specific embodiments, each of the at least three blades is attached to its frame at a location radially outwardly from the shaft for rotation about an axis substantially parallel to the primary axis. Two of the blades may be attached to the shaft at a first axial location along the shaft and two other blades may be attached to the shaft at a second axial location along the shaft.

1 . A fluid-driven power plant for harnessing power from a fluid flowing in a preselected direction, comprising:
 a shaft mounted for rotation about a primary axis substantially perpendicular to the preselected direction;   at least three blades attached to the center shaft, each of the blades comprising a frame and at least one panel hingedly attached to the frame;
 wherein no more than two of the blades are attached to the shaft at any axial position along the shaft; and 
   a structure for connecting to the center shaft.   
     
     
         2 . The fluid-driven power plant of  claim 1  wherein
 each of the at least three blades is attached to its frame at a location radially outwardly from the shaft for rotation about an axis substantially parallel to the primary axis.   
     
     
         3 . The fluid-driven power plant of  claim 2  further comprising at least four of the blades,
 two of the blades being attached to the shaft at a first axial location along the shaft; and   two of the blades being attached to the shaft at a second axial location along the shaft.   
     
     
         4 . The fluid-driven power plant of  claim 3  wherein
 the two blades attached to the shaft at the first axial location are displaced 180 degrees from one another about the shaft.   
     
     
         5 . The fluid-driven power plant of  claim 4  wherein
 the two blades attached to the shaft at the second axial location are displaced 180 degrees from one another about the shaft and are displaced 90 degrees from the respective blades attached to the shaft at the first axial location.   
     
     
         6 . The fluid-driven power plant of  claim 1  further comprising
 a coupling mechanism on the shaft and configured to couple more than one fluid-driven power plant for common rotation.   
     
     
         7 . The fluid-driven power plant of  claim 6  wherein
 the coupling mechanism is configured to stack a plurality of fluid-driven power plants for rotation together about the primary axis.   
     
     
         8 . The fluid-driven power plant of  claim 1  further comprising
 a cage supporting the fluid-driven power plant.   
     
     
         9 . The fluid-driven power plant of  claim 8  further comprising
 a cage linkage mechanism configured to connect the cage of the fluid-driven power plant to the cage of another fluid-driven power plant.   
     
     
         10 . The fluid-driven power plant of  claim 1  wherein the primary axis of the fluid-driven power plant is tilted away from the preselected direction of fluid flow.