Paddle wheel with useful mechanical output - is driven by high density steel balls dropping from high level and returned by turbine projecting them into vertical tube

摘要

A large wheel (1) has radial paddles (2). A stream of fine polished steel balls (16) falls onto the paddles from a high level tank (15) and sets the wheel in rotation. Because of the high density of the steel the output is greater than could be obtained from a corresponding water wheel. At the bottom of the wheel the balls are guided down a chute (18) into the centre of a turbine (8) which is driven by the wheel through a series of gears (5). The turbine projects the balls into a vertical tube (14) with sufficient velocity to return them to the high level tank.