Retired Air Force Officer invents Flapping Turbine

A retired officer of the Ghana Air Force has been granted patent by the European Patent Office for inventing a flapping turbine, a letter issued by the European Patent Office said.

A flapping turbine is a novel turbine system for harnessing the energy of the natural flow of fluid such as flowing river and sea tide. It is designed to generate hydro-power from sea tide or flowing rive to drive electric generators and other devices.

According to the letter, the patent grant would be published in the European Patent Bulletin.

Group Captain Kwabena Jackson told newsmen that in 1991, he realised that Ghana's electricity from hydro-power sources was rapidly becoming inadequate.

Therefore, he worked out a system for harnessing the energy of the natural flow of rivers in the country.

He subsequently applied for a patent for his invention from the UK Patent Office in 1992 which published the application in 1994, accepted the flapping turbine technology as a novelty and that it has an industrial application.

Group Captain Jackson is in private energy conversion technologies research looking for new technologies and how existing technologies may use energy resources more economically and generate less pollution.

He is also searching for new and renewable energy sources and said "I have a number of inventions ready for presentation for patenting. My immediate task is to try and have the flapping turbine technology developed for the benefit of all".