The water fall from a higher to a lower elevation is through an annular passageway having one or more turbines driven by the water as it flows through the column. The water flow is preferably a siphon action entry to the annular column being by way of an inverted U-tube with the inlet thereto immersed below the water level. The column is designed with offset portions whereby a plurality of turbines can be located downstream from one another in the column and laterally offset so that the turbines rotate about axes spaced apart horizontally from one another, each turbine or series of turbines driving an electric generator. The annular column is provided by two concentric shells or conduits spaced apart from one another, the flow of water being in the space between the shells.

An energy conversion device which benefits from forces associated with angular momentum. A mass such as fluid is directed through a conduit from one elevation to a lower elevation with the conduit configured to conform to a decreasing cross-sectional area and oriented in a spiral of substantially conical shape so that fluid entering into the conduit accelerates both by virtue of the decreasing cross-sectional area of the conduit and by the velocity added to the fluid by successively constricting the fluid to an ever tighter spiral path of lesser radius ultimately to an output of the conduit which is in communication with a converter such as a turbine. The converter has an interior passageway in axial alignment with an outlet of the conduit and includes an interior vane which coacts against the fluid exiting from the outlet of the conduit imparting rotation to the rotor which circumscribes the passageway. The rotor is supported on a bearing block and operatively couples to a stator for power output.

A portable, self-contained power conversion unit is disclosed that is attached to an outlet for a pressurized fluid system, such as the nozzle for a garden hose. An impeller mounted in the body of the unit and is rotated by the discharge of pressurized fluid through the unit. The rotational energy of the impeller is converted into electrical energy by a generator, and/or used directly in rotating tools attached to the impeller, such as grinding wheels, rotary saws, rotary brushes, drill bits, and the like.

An energy conversion apparatus includes a turbine-like structure for converting water pressure to rotary motion. A vortex is set up within the structure and is used to enhance the power output of the device. The apparatus includes a drum for receiving water from a plurality of nozzles, and a plurality of lugs disposed on an interior surface of an upper portion of the drum. The lugs presenting a reaction surface to the water supplied by the nozzles from a pressure line for rotating the drum. The drum is elongated to provide an opportunity for a vortex to develop. The vortex is enhanced by the shape of the drum which presents a cross-section having a tapered portion which narrows progressively downwardly. The resultant vortex applies further rotational force to the interior surface of the drum, and more specifically to vanes provided within the drum for reacting with the vortex. Some of the lugs are connected to a central shaft by radial arms at a top opening of the drum. The drum rotates along with the central shaft, the radial arms providing a downdraft thereby to minimize frothing, foaming and the like. Upon exiting through a narrow bottom opening of the drum, the water is propelled against an augmentor, which includes a substantially inverted-dish shape having a plurality of stays connecting its periphery to the bottom opening of the drum. The stays are upwardly pitched in the forward direction, as are the upper radial arms of the drum, thus providing a further downdraft within the apparatus. Additional vanes are provided on the upper surface of the inverted dish, in order further to utilize on the vortex action. The dished portion of the augmentor, as well as the upper arms of the drum, are connected to a portion of the shaft, thereby rotating the shaft which is mounted by tapered bearings in a support structure therefor. A pulley is mounted on the external portion of the shaft for driving an external device by the motive power generated therein. In an alternative embodiment, additional nozzles are provided for directing water against a second plurality of lugs disposed on the outer periphery of the outer portion of the drum. For such a structure, the surrounding tailings box includes an inner surface shaped similarly to the outer shape of the drum, thereby enhancing a vortex action which also directs expended water from the external lugs also against the augmentor.

This device utilizes a helical baffle inside of generally cylindrical housing to convert potential energy of a fluid to kinetic and/or mechanical energy that can be captured for productive use. The housing's axis is positioned at an angle from horizontal and the fluid is entered into the high end of the device. The helical baffles convert the gravity-induced pressure of the water into a torque moment around the axis of the cylinder causing the helix to rotate. Mechanical energy is then extracted from this rotation and utilized in a productive manner, typically by driving an electrical generator. The implementation of this concept in hydroelectric applications provides substantial benefits over traditional turbine generation in efficiency and reducing environmental concerns.