Aluminum Extruded Helical Turbine Advances Hydropower

摘要

Hydroelectric power has been around for years, but until now, hydropower has never shown so much "green" potential when it comes to generating clean efficient energy. The Gorlov Helical Turbine (GHT) is the 1996 invention of Alexander M. Gorlov, professor emeritus at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. The GHT received the Thomas A. Edison Patent Award in 2001 from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, who touted its potential to stem an international energy crisis. Lucid Energy Technologies LLC, Goshen, Indiana, is the joint venture formed in late 2006 between GCK Technology, San Antonio, Texas, and Nappanee Window, Nappanee, Indiana, that holds exclusive rights to this hydro phenomenon. GCK contributes the GHT technical intellectual property, know-how and technical expertise. Gorlov is a founding member of GCK, and his creation utilizes a twist blade helical design that performs a smooth and efficient rotation, allowing the turbine to self-start without the aid of an electric motor. Gorlov modified the Darrieus straight-blade design into his own by incorporating a slight twist into aluminum extruded blades to avoid the pulsation and vibration damage that prevented the Darrieus design from practical success. Aluminum extrusions were chosen for the blades in 2001, after extensive tests showed it was the best material for the job.