Fluid system with a continuously variable transmission

A method, comprising:

• providing a mobile fluid-pumping system to a selected site proximate to a fluid source, the system including:
• (a) an internal combustion engine, (b) a pump including an impeller that is one of an axial-flow impeller, a mixed-flow impeller, a radial-flow impeller or a centrifugal impeller, the impeller is positioned within a housing defining an intake and outlet, (c) a delivery conduit in sealed engagement with the outlet, and (d) a continuously variable transmission (CVT including a power input shaft and an power output shaft;
• driving the power input shaft of the CVT with the internal combustion engine;
• rotating the impeller with the power output shaft of the CVT to operate the pump;
• mechanically governing selected operations of the system with the CVT, the CVT transferring power between the power input shaft and the power output shaft in accordance with a variable turn ratio, the CVT being responsive to change in power input shaft speed and power output shaft speed to adjust the variable turn ratio;
• and
• during the rotating of the impeller, moving fluid from the fluid source through the intake and discharging the fluid through the delivery conduit to perform at least one of:
• (a) fighting a fire with the fluid discharged from the delivery conduit, (b) wetting flammable matter with the fluid in a designated area to establish a fire break, (c) moving the fluid to abate an existing or threatened flood condition, or (d) transporting the fluid.

A method, comprising:

• providing a pumping system including:
• a rotary power source, a continuously variable transmission (CVT) with a power input shaft and a power output shaft, and a rotodynamic pump with an operative kinetic pump rotor, an intake, and an outlet;
• driving the power input shaft of the CVT with the rotary power source at an input rotational speed;
• turning the impeller with the power output shaft of the CVT to receive fluid from the fluid source through the intake and provide the fluid to the outlet at a first fluid capacity;
• delivering the fluid at the first fluid capacity through a conduit in fluid communication with the outlet;
• in response to mechanical resistance from an increase in a hydraulic head of the pump output, regulating the input rotational speed relative to a target rotational speed by adjustment of a turn ratio defined with the CVT, while the adjustment slows the turning of the rotor with the power output shaft to reduce the first fluid capacity to a second fluid capacity;
• and
• providing the fluid at the second fluid capacity through the conduit.

An apparatus, comprising:

• an internal combustion engine with a controller and an engine power shaft, the controller regulating the engine to target a desired operating speed;
• a pump including a housing and an impeller positioned in the housing, the housing defining an intake to the impeller and an outlet from the impeller;
• and
• a continuously variable transmission (CVT) including a power input shaft coupled to the engine power shaft to receive rotary engine power therefrom and a power output shaft coupled to the impeller to provide rotary power thereto, the CVT further comprising;
• a drive pulley with a first drive sheave portion fixed to the power input shaft and a second drive sheave portion movable relative to the first drive sheave portion;
• a driven pulley with a first driven sheave portion fixed to the power output shaft and a second driven sheave portion movable relative to the first driven sheave portion;
• an endless loop positioned about the drive pulley and the driven pulley and contacting each of the drive pulley and driven pulley to turn therewith;
• a first mechanism coupled to the drive pulley to move the second drive sheave portion toward the first drive sheave portion as drive rotary speed increases to increase drive pulley effective diameter and farther apart as the drive rotary speed decreases to decrease the drive pulley effective diameter;
• and
• a second mechanism coupled to the driven pulley to move the second driven sheave portion away from the first driven sheave portion as driven rotary speed increases to decrease driven pulley effective diameter and closer together as the driven rotary speed decreases to increase the driven pulley effective diameter.