Reversible hydraulic turbo-clutch for ship propulsion - uses intrusion stator blades to vary sense of oil flow and reverse sense of rotation of output wheel

摘要

The turbo-clutch has a fixed housing (20) containing input (21) and output (22) turbine wheels capable of rotation about a common axis (A). During normal operation e.g. forward drive, the blades of the input wheel (21) cause a circular oil vortex (30, 32) which transmits power to those of the output wheel (22). The housing also provides wells locating retractable stator blades (32a) which may be displaced by rams in a hydraulic circuit. The stator blades move in a radial sense whilst being fixed against rotation about the axis (A). They are retracted during forward drive, and can emerge (B) to occupy positions between the blades (21, 22).