This looks like a pretty cool “green” design idea:
“This is a floating waterwheel that can generate electricity when suspended over a river or other flowing water regardless of the depth and speed of flow.
The unique chevron shaped paddle treads give the barrel the ability to rotate about its horizontal axis in fast flowing water, entering the water smoothly and re-surfacing without lifting water.
The merit of this design is the significant reduction of any down force and the elimination of the bow wave in front of the barrel as it rotates at the same speed as the flow of water, thus increasing the efficiency of the machine. This would be an ideal product for todays demands for cheap re-newable energy and would be a cost effective product for the pico hydroelectric or micro hydroelectric energy market.”
It also can work with tidal actions:
The HEB could be used to produce both wave energy and energy from tidal current at the same time. The barrel rolls on the waves, rising and falling to drive both hub and linear permanent magnet generators. Energy could be produced simultaneously by the tidal current rotating the barrel.
In this way the HEB would provide a more constant energy output being dormant only at slack tide when the surface is flat calm.
from developer Hydro Electric Barrel Generator and Treehugger.
Hat tip Polizeros
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