# US 5,346,364 A · Very high speed hydraulic turbine drive > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,346,364 A - Document ID: US5346364A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 08/104,196 - Filed: 1993-08-10 - Granted: 1994-09-13 - Earliest claimed: 1990-12-24 - Inventors: Davorin Kapich - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5346364A ## CPC - F01D 15/08: Adaptations for driving, or combinations with, pumps - F02B 39/14: Lubrication of pumps; Safety measures therefor - F03B 1/00: Engines of impulse type, i.e. turbines with jets of high-velocity liquid impinging on blades or like rotors, e.g. Pelton wheels; Parts or details peculiar thereto - F04D 25/04: the pump being fluid-driven {(pumps driven by exhaust gases F02B37/00, F02B39/00; turbochargers F02C6/12)} - F02B 2275/32: Miller cycle - Y02E 10/20: Hydro energy - Y02P 70/50: Manufacturing or production processes characterised by the final manufactured product - Y02T 10/12: Improving ICE efficiencies - F01D: NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES (machines or engines for liquids F03; non-positive displacement pumps F04D) - F02B: INTERNAL-COMBUSTION PISTON ENGINES; COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL (gas-turbine plants F02C; hot-gas or combustion-product positive-displacement engine plants F02G) - F03B: MACHINES OR ENGINES FOR LIQUIDS (positive-displacement engines for liquid F03C; machines for liquids and gases F01; positive-displacement machines for liquids F04, rotary fluid gearing of the hydrokinetic type F16H41/00) - F04D: NON-POSITIVE-DISPLACEMENT PUMPS (engine fuel-injection pumps F02M; ion pumps H01J41/12; electrodynamic pumps H02K44/02) - Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS - Y02T: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO TRANSPORTATION ## Abstract A small, compact, relatively low cost, long life and very high speed hydraulic turbine drive. Typical power of this turbine is in the range of 5 to 20 horsepower with operating speeds of 50,000 to 200,000 RPM. The turbine blades are produced at low cost as a part of a thermoplastic turbine wheel and the strength needed for very high centrifugal forces is provided by compressing substantially all of the plastic turbine wheel, except for the blades, within a metal sleeve. A preferred embodiment is driven by a hydraulic pump geared mechanically to a motor vehicle engine and drives a compressor for supercharging the engine. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A very high speed axial hydraulic turbine drive comprising: (a) a housing; (b) a shaft defining a shaft axis; (c) a turbine nozzle body defining a turbine nozzle body outlet surface comprising a hydraulic fluid cavity and a plurality of nozzles each of said nozzles providing a passageway for hydraulic fluid to pass from said hydraulic fluid cavity to said outlet surface and defining a nozzle centerline, where each of said nozzle centerlines: (1) intersects said turbine body outlet surface at points of intersection on a circle defining a nozzle exit circle which circle is concentric about said shaft axis and defines a nozzle exit plane which is perpendicular to said axis and (2) forms an angle of about 10 to 30 degrees with said nozzle exit plane; (d) an axial flow hydraulic turbine wheel assemble comprising: (1) a plastic turbine wheel comprising a plurally of axial flow turbine blades on a blade circle having a diameter of less than 1.250 inch; (2) a metal confinement-compression means for confining under compression substantially all of said plastic turbine wheel except said plurality of turbine blades, said turbine wheel assembly being arranged in relation to said shaft and said turbine body outlet surface such that hydraulic fluid discharged from said nozzle impinge on said blades to cause rotation of said turbine wheel and said shaft. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A turbine drive as in claim 1 wherein said turbine wheel assembly is an integral part of said shaft. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) A turbine drive as in claim 1 wherein said turbine wheel assembly is solidly attached to said shaft. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A turbine drive as in claim 1 wherein said metal confinement-compression means comprises a cylindrical bore formed in said shaft, a metal end cap, a tubular metal spacer and a self locking steel fastener. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) A turbine drive as in claim 1, wherein said plastic turbine wheel defines an axial dimension and said metal confinement-compression means comprises a metal end cap and a metal spacer co-alligned with said axis, said spacer having an axial dimension very slightly smaller than axial dimension of said plastic turbine wheel. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) A turbine drive as in claim 1 wherein said plurality of axial flow turbine blades is at least 18 axial flow turbine blades. ### Claim 7 A motor vehicle supercharger comprising: (A) a compressor (B) a very high speed centrifugal hydraulic turbine drive driving said compressor, said turbine drive comprising: (a) a housing; (b) a shaft defining a shaft axis; (c) a turbine nozzle body defining a turbine nozzle body outlet surface comprising a hydraulic fluid cavity and a plurality of nozzles each of said nozzles providing a passageway for hydraulic fluid to pass from said hydraulic fluid cavity to said outlet surface and defining a nozzle centerline, where each of said nozzle centerlines: (1) intersects said turbine body outlet surface at points of intersection on a circle defining a nozzle exit circle which circle is concentric about said shaft axis and defines a nozzle exit plane which is perpendicular to said axis and (2) forms an angle of about 10 to 30 degrees with said nozzle exit plane; (d) an axial flow hydraulic turbine wheel assemble comprising: (1) a plastic turbine wheel comprising a plurality of axial flow turbine blades on a blade circle having a diameter of less than 1.250 inch; (2) a metal confinement-compression means for confining under compression substantially all of said plastic turbine wheel except said plurality of turbine blades, said turbine wheel assembly being arranged in relation to said shaft and said turbine body outlet surface such that hydraulic fluid discharged from said nozzles impinge on said blades to cause rotation of said turbine wheel and said shaft. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) A motor vehicle supercharger as in claim 7 wherein said turbine wheel assembly is an integral part of said shaft. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) A motor vehicle supercharger as in claim 7 wherein said turbine wheel assembly is solidly attached to said shaft. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) A motor vehicle supercharger as in claim 7 wherein said metal confinement-compression means comprises a cylindrical bore formed in said shaft, a metal end cap, a tubular metal spacer and a self locking steel fastener. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) A motor vehicle supercharger as in claim 7 wherein said plurality of axial flow turbine blades is at least 18 axial flow turbine blades.