Abstract: An axial torque coupling between a pair of adjacent rotating machine wheels comprising a first wheel having a first plurality of axially extending knuckles, the first plurality of knuckles spaced circumferentially in an annular array with first slots therebetween, and a second wheel having a second plurality of axially extending knuckles, the second plurality of knuckles spaced circumferentially in an annular array with second slots therebetween; and wherein the first plurality of knuckles are received in the second slots and the second plurality of knuckles are received in the first slots, each of the first plurality of knuckles engaging an adjacent one of the second plurality of knuckles only on a single radial surface.

Abstract: A compressor flowpath includes circumferentially spaced apart airfoils having axially spaced apart leading and trailing edges and radially spaced apart outer and inner ends. An outer wall bridges the airfoil outer ends, and an inner wall bridges the inner ends. One of the walls includes a flute adjacent the leading edges for locally increasing flow area thereat.

Abstract: An annular radially disposed split ring diffuser for a centrifugal compressor includes an inner ring and an outer ring. A drive positioning mechanism includes a pinion gear on a pinion axle driven by an actuator. A rack gear is mounted to the inner ring and adapted to engage in meshing arrangement with the pinion gear. The actuator is operable to position the inner ring between a fully open position and a partially closed position with respect to the outer ring. A travel limiter is provided to positively limit the travel of the inner ring at the fully open and the partially closed positions. A compliant mechanical stop on a side of the rack gear touches an outer ring stop on the outer ring when the inner ring is in the fully open position to prevent the gear teeth from being stripped by the actuator torque output.

Abstract: A hydrostatic continuously variable transmission includes a fixed capacity hydraulic pump and a variable capacity hydraulic motor, connected by a hydraulic closed circuit. A control system and method for the variable transmission provides a good deceleration feeling when going downhill. In accordance with the control system and method, a range of a selected gear is determined. Next, it is determined whether the vehicle is in an automatic gear shift mode. If these conditions are met, it is then determined whether or not certain criteria for descent control are satisfied. The certain criteria may include: (1) whether the throttle is closed; (2) a speed or acceleration of the vehicle; (3) whether the acceleration exceeds a threshold; and (4) whether simultaneous satisfaction of conditions (1)-(3) exist for a period of time exceeding a fixed time. If all of the criteria are satisfied, the gear ratio is shifted by a specified amount towards a LOW side.

Abstract: A multiple-type pump has a simple construction and superior durability. The multiple-type pump has the capacity to perform air evacuation at high velocities in the atomospheric pressure zone to high vacuum zone range. The multiple-type pump includes: a screw type pump air transfer portion arranged at a downstream portion of the outer surface of a rotor and has a plurality of screw threads and screw grooves with a width of 5 mm or more; a turbo-molecular type pump air transfer portion arranged at an upstream portion and has a plurality of vanes and air transfer grooves; vanes having vane widths of 3 mm or less at the upstream edge, and formed so that the downstream edge is continuous with the upstream edge of the screw threads; a downstream edge of the base of the air transfer grooves formed so as to be continuous with the upstream edge of the base of the screw grooves.

Abstract: An electric fuel pump for supplying fuel by rotationally driving an impeller (30) within a pump flow path (13) with the aid of a motor section (3), wherein vane segments (31A, 31B) of the impeller (30) are staggered by a prescribed distance (d) at the front and rear and circumferentially of the impeller (30), guiding faces (31a, 31b) which extend from the sides of the end faces to the outermost periphery of the impeller (30) are formed in the staggered portions, and partitions (32) are provided between the a adjacent vanes (31), each of the partitions having guiding faces (32a, 32b) on the sides of the end faces of the impeller (30) and an outermost peripheral face (32c) located more inwardly than the outermost peripheral face (31c) of the vane (31). In such a configuration, the vane segments (31A, 31B) do not simultaneously collide with the end face (9b) of the radial sealing portion (9a) so that the noise due to fuel collision can be reduced and the pumping efficiency can be improved.

Abstract: A power plant and method for the generation of power from flowing air utilizes a generally vertically extending duct having an inlet open to atmosphere at an elevation above an outlet. A spray system is mounted adjacent the inlet for spraying droplets of a predetermined amount of water into the air causing the air and droplet mixture to become cooler and denser than the outside air to create a down draft of fluid within the duct. A power system mounted adjacent the outlet recovers energy from the downdraft of fluid passing through it. The predetermined amount of water sprayed is greater than the amount of water that would theoretically and potentially evaporate in the air throughout the entire elevation over an unlimited time period using fresh water droplets. The power plant can also be synergistically combined with desalination systems and aquaculture.

Abstract: A blower housing having a resilient bottom piece and a rigid top piece assembling with the bottom piece is provided. The top piece includes a plurality of depending legs which are urged against a matching plurality of flanges formed in the resilient bottom piece to cushion mount the top piece to a furnace or the like. A plurality of mechanical fasteners such as screws or the like extend through a plurality of lugs on the top piece and through the flanges to urge the depending legs against the flanges and the furnace. Through this construction, a generally rigid connection between the motor mounting plate and the furnace is achieved while providing the sound and vibration attenuation of a resilient housing.

Abstract: A gas turbine engine rotor assembly including a rotor having a radially outer rim with an outer surface shaped to reduce circumferential rim stress concentration between each blade and the rim. Additionally, the shape of the outer surface directs air flow away from an interface between a blade and the rim to reduce aerodynamic performance losses between the rim and blades. In an exemplary embodiment, the outer surface of the rim has a concave shape between adjacent blades with apexes located at interfaces between the blades and the rim.

Abstract: A diffuser for a centrifugal compressor includes an inner ring and an outer ring. An actuator drives a pinion gear which interfaces with a rack gear which is mounted to the inner ring. The actuator is operable to position the inner ring between a fully open position and a partially closed position with respect to the outer ring. In the fully open position, the rack gear is offset from an outer ring stop a distance equivalent to five degrees of actuator movement. The control logic of the actuator is modified so that the open position of the actuator moves the pinion gear so that the rack gear stops at or near the offset distance, leaving five degrees as the margin for error. Any overtravel by the actuator does not cause the rack gear to impact the outer ring stop, thus avoiding possible stall of the actuator.

Abstract: In one aspect, a vacuum processing system comprising a vacuum processing chamber and a turbo-molecular pump disposed on the vacuum processing chamber is provided. The turbo-molecular pump comprises a casing having an inlet port and an outlet port, a stator disposed on an inner wall of the casing, a rotor disposed in the stator, and a motor extending coaxially with the rotor, wherein at least the first stage of the pump is enlarged with no correspondingly larger pump components other than the corresponding upper portion of the housing.

Abstract: A hydraulic recovery system for a construction machine comprises a recovery valve for supplying at least a part of a hydraulic fluid from a rod-side line, through which the hydraulic fluid is drained from a rod-side hydraulic chamber of an arm hydraulic cylinder, to a bottom-side line through a variable throttle, and a throttle valve for returning the remaining part of the hydraulic fluid, which is not recovered, from the rod-side line to a hydraulic reservoir through a variable throttle. Opening areas of those variable throttles are controlled depending on an arm flow rate supplied from hydraulic pumps to the arm hydraulic cylinder.

Abstract: Accurate and effective antisurge control for turbocompressor stages is augmented by measuring the flow rate of fluid entering or leaving the stage of compression. On the other hand, turbocompressors with sidestreams, such as ethylene, propylene, and propane refrigeration compressors, pose unique antisurge control challenges; in particular, measurements for the flow rate entering (or leaving) the compressors' middle stages are not available in most cases. Furthermore, the methods used to cope with this lack of flow measurements are prone to introducing errors and producing false transients, as well as being cumbersome and difficult to implement. For these reasons, this disclosure relates to a method for protecting turbocompressors with sidestreams from the damaging effects of surge.

Abstract: In one aspect of the invention, the hydraulic system provided with the hydraulic pressure source and at least one meter-in spool valve. Each Spool valve has an inlet and an outlet. A hydraulic actuator is fluidly coupled with the spool valve outlet. A load hold check valve fluidly interconnects the pressure source with at least one spool valve inlet. The load hold check valve has a pressure control chamber. A three way valve has a first port in fluid communication with the pressure control chamber, a second port in fluid communication with at least one spool valve inlet, and a third port in fluid communication with the pressure source. Proved pressure and flow control to an actuator are provided, and make-up and line relief are provided without the use of an additional spool valve.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a hydro-transformer including a hydraulic machine, a switching valve and a control means. A work port of the switching valve, which may optionally be connected hydraulically with a pressure port of the switching valve or a drain port of the switching valve, is connected with a first port of the hydraulic machine. The second port of the hydraulic machine is in hydraulic connection with a drive member. The switching valve is driven by the control means in response to a signal characterizing the volume flow into the hydraulic machine. Where the driver member is a cylinder, its extension may be carried out at a constant velocity and independently of a load, and energy may be recovered upon retraction. Due to the provision of a further switching valve between the second part of the hydrostatic motor and the drive member, a higher pressure may be generated at the drive member in the presence of a low pressure at the pressure port of the switching valve.

Abstract: The present invention 10 discloses a wheel-like member 30 consisting of a central circular body member 18 having a plurality of spokes 22 radiating from its outside perimeter that attach to the inside perimeter of an outer circular body member 24. On the outside perimeter of the outer circular body member a plurality of hinges 26 with paddles 16 are attached thereto that can only open to a pre-determined angle “A” from the wheel 30 that ensures water current 14 is caught by the paddles on only one side of the wheel which causes the wheel to rotate in only one direction. The kinetic energy stored in the wheel 30 while rotating is harnessed through a drive shaft 34 connected to the central circular body member 18 that connects to a generator 36 placed perpendicular to the central circular body member 18.

Abstract: An automatic transmission for automobiles is disclosed. In the automatic transmission, a housing (1) is filled with transmission fluid. A pump (2), having an input shaft (6), is positioned at one side within the housing (1), while a turbine (3), having an output shaft (7), is positioned at the other side within the housing (1) while being opposed to the pump (2). Pluralities of turbine blades (3a), regularly arranged around the turbine (3), are changeable in their inclination angles relative to the axis of the output shaft (7) so as to allow the rotating speed to be changeable. A hydraulic pressure control unit controls the inflow and out flow of the transmission fluid for the housing (1) while controlling the hydraulic pressure within the housing. An air control valve (5) controls the inflow and outflow of air relative to the housing (1) in response to the inflow and outflow of the transmission fluid relative to the housing (1).

Abstract: A vortex generating apparatus has the capability of attracting and removably adhering one or more solid objects. The apparatus comprises an impeller housed within a shell. The vortex attractor generates a vortical fluid flow generally in the form of a helical or spiral shaped flow. The fluid flow creates a low pressure region extending from the impeller end of the device. This low pressure region is contained by the walls of the fluid flow, thus directing the attractive forces toward a surface and minimizing effects of ambient fluid on the system. When the surface is part of a stationary object, wall, floor or ceiling, the vortex attractor may move toward and adhere to the surface. When the surface is part of a movable object, the vortex attractor may attract the object and maintain the attracted position.

Abstract: A method of repairing a turbine rotor wheel having a damaged dovetail includes removing the damaged dovetail from the turbine wheel, leaving a turbine wheel body and welding a ring about the turbine wheel body in place of the removed damaged dovetail. During the welding process, including during preheating, welding or stress relieving, the temperature of the wheel body and ring is differentially controlled to introduce residual stresses in the ring. After welding a dovetail is formed in the ring for receiving turbine bucket dovetails. As a result, the ring has residual compressive stresses in a cold condition of the turbine whereby reduced net stresses in the ring in the location of the new dovetail during hot turbine operating conditions are reduced.

Abstract: A pneumatic brake booster (10) comprises a control valve (22) for controlling a pneumatic pressure difference, a force input element (24) for actuating the control valve (22), a force output element (38) for transmitting the braking force, a reaction disk (34) made of elastomeric material disposed between the force output element (38) and the force input element (24), and a device, which is disposed between the reaction disk (34) and the force input element (24) and acts upon the reaction disk (34), for varying the force transmission ratio between force input element (24) and force output element (38) in dependence upon the force exerted on the force input element (24). For a less expensive design and greater ease of assembly, the device for varying the force transmission ratio is designed as a preassembly unit in the form of a cartridge (30), which after preassembly is insertable into the control valve (22).