Power transmitting mechanism for starting a high inertia load and having retarder means for auxiliary starting motor

A power transmitting mechanism for starting a gas turbine and comprising, a main power input shaft adapted for connection to a main power source;

• main drive transmitting means including a hydraulic torque converter connected at its input side in driven relation with said main poweer input shaft, and a disconnect clutch connected with the output side of said torque converter, an auxiliary power input shaft adapted for connection with an auxiliary starting motor, a one-way overrunning clutch operatively located between said auxiliary power input shaft and said disconnect clutch;
• a hydraulic fluid coupling having a first portion stationarily anchored and a second portion connected with and driven by said auxiliary power input shaft, and fluid control means including a first valve having a shiftable valve element for maintaining said fluid coupling full of fluid during initial operation of said auxiliary starting motor and for regulating the amount of pressure fluid which enters said coupling, whereby said coupling can act as a retarder for said auxiliary starting motor, said fluid control means also including a fluid dump valve in communication with said coupling and also with said first valve, said dump valve being of the normally open type to permit continual bleeding of said coupling, said dump valve being modulatable by pressure fluid from said first valve to thereby regulate dumping of fluid from said coupling.

A power transmitting mechanism for starting a load and comprising, a main power input shaft adapted for connection to a main power source;

• main drive transmitting means connected at its input side in driven relation with said main power input shaft, and a disconnect clutch connected at the output side of said drive transmitting means;
• an auxiliary power input shaft adapted for connection with an auxiliary starting motor, and one-way drive establishing connecting means operatively interposed between said auxiliary power input shaft and said main drive transmitting means, a hydraulic fluid coupling having a first portion stationarily anchored and a second portion connected with and driven by said auxiliary power input shaft, and fluid control means for controlling the amount of fluid fill of said hydraulic coupling whereby said coupling can act as a retarder for said auxiliary starting motor, fluid control means including (1) a first valve having a shiftable valve element for maintaining said fluid coupling full of fluid during initial operation of said auxiliary starting motor and for regulating the amount of pressure fluid which enters said coupling, and (2) including a fluid dump valve in communication with said coupling and also with said first valve, said dump valve being of the normally open type to permit continual dumping of said coupling, said dump valve being modulatable by pressure fluid from said first valve to thereby regulate bleeding of fluid from said coupling.

A power transmitting mechanism for starting a gas turbine and comprising, a main power input shaft adapted for connection to a main power source;

• main drive transmitting means including a hydraulic torque converter connected at its input side in driven relation with said main power input shaft, and a disconnect clutch connected with the output side of said torque converter;
• an auxiliary power input shaft adapted for connection with an auxiliary starting motor, and one-way drive establishing connecting means operatively interposed between said auxiliary power input shaft and said disconnect clutch;
• a hydraulic fluid coupling having a first portion stationarily anchored and a second portion connected with and driven by said auxiliary power input shaft, and fluid control means for controlling the amount of fluid fill of said hydraulic coupling whereby said coupling can act as a retarder for said auxiliary starting motor;
• said fluid control means including a first valve having a shiftable valve element for maintaining said fluid coupling full of fluid during initial operation of said auxiliary starting motor and for regulating the amount of pressure fluid which enters said coupling;
• said fluid control means also including a fluid dump valve in communication with said coupling and also with said first valve, said dump valve being of the normally open type to permit continual bleeding of said coupling, said dump valve being modulatable by pressure fluid from said first valve to thereby regulate dumping of fluid from said coupling.