Very high speed radial inflow hydraulic turbine

A hydraulic system for a motor vehicle driven by an internal combustion engine comprising:

• (a) a hydraulic pump,
• (b) a supercharger,
• (c) an electric generator,
• (d) an air conditioning compressor, wherein said supercharger, said electric generator and said air conditioning compressor are each driven by a high speed radial inflow hydraulic turbine comprising:
• i) a shaft defining a shaft axis and supported by bearings,
• ii) a turbine nozzle body defining a turbine nozzle body outlet surface and comprising a hydraulic fluid cavity and a plurality of nozzles, each of said nozzles providing a passageway for hydraulic fluid to pass inwardly from said hydraulic fluid cavity to said outlet surface and defining a nozzle centerline, where each of said nozzle centerlines:
• (A) intersects said turbine nozzle body outlet surface at a point of intersection on a circle which is concentric about said shaft axis and defines a nozzle exit circle and
• (B) forms an angle of 8 to 30 degrees with a tangent to said nozzle exit circle at said point of intersection,
• iii) a radial inflow hydraulic turbine wheel assembly comprising a plurality of radial flow turbine blades on a blade circle having a diameter of less than 2 inches;
• 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 impinges on said blades to cause rotation of said turbine wheel and said shaft,
• (e) a venturi unit defining a venturi main inlet, and a venturi outlet,
• (f) a main hydraulic piping means providing a hydraulic circulation loop for hydraulic fluid to flow from said pump, to drive said hydraulic turbine drives, to said venturi main inlet, through said venturi unit, to said venturi outlet and back to said pump,
• (f) a supercharger bypass system comprising a controlled bypass valve and a piping means to permit a portion of said hydraulic fluid flow to bypass said supercharger turbine drive.

A very high speed radial inflow hydraulic turbine drive comprising:

• (a) a shaft defining a shaft axis;
• (b) a turbine nozzle body defining a turbine nozzle body outlet surface and comprising a hydraulic fluid cavity and a plurality of nozzles, each of said nozzles providing a passageway for hydraulic fluid to pass inwardly from said hydraulic fluid cavity to said outlet surface and defining a nozzle centerline, where each of said nozzle centerlines:
• (1) intersects said turbine nozzle body outlet surface at a point of intersection on a circle which is concentric about said shaft axis and defines a nozzle exit circle of less than 2.2 inches and
• (2) forms an angle of 8 to 30 degrees with a tangent to said nozzle exit circle at said point of intersection;
• (c) a radial in-flow hydraulic turbine wheel assembly comprising a plurality of radial flow turbine blades with the blade tips defining a blade circle having a diameter of less than 2 inches;
• 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 impinges on said blades to cause rotation of said turbine wheel and said shaft;
• wherein said turbine wheel is comprised of plastic, said plurality of blades being comprised of plastic, and a metal confinement means for confining substantially all of said plastic turbine wheel except said plurality of turbine blades.