US 5,667,051 A · Hydraulic control and lubrication system with compressed air pre-heat circuit for rapid response at low ambient temperatures

Abstract

In a power transmission or generation apparatus having a source of heated pressurized air, the problem of achieving rapid controlled engagement of a hydraulically actuated clutch at low ambient temperatures is solved by utilizing a portion of that heated pressurized air for heating only that small control volume of hydraulic fluid within a clutch control circuit needed to achieve rapid actuation and stable control of the hydraulic clutch. Our invention is thus particularly applicable in a power transmission or generation apparatus having a gas turbine engine, or a turbocharged piston engine as the prime mover. With gas turbine engine powered units, our invention contemplates the use of compressor discharge air, rather than exhaust products for heating the hydraulic fluid. Similarly, for piston engines our invention contemplates the use of turbocharger discharge air rather than exhaust products. In one embodiment a clutch and a control circuit are provided in which the fluid volume of the control circuit is minimized, and fluid removal features are provided to effectively drain all residual fluid from a portion of the control circuit following disengagement of the clutch. On subsequent start-up from cold ambient temperatures, the drained portion of the control circuit is filled with pre-heated fluid prior to engagement of the clutch thus eliminating problems of slow response and controllability encountered due to cold viscous fluid in prior clutch control circuits.

Claims13

Dependent claims

In an apparatus having a prime mover including means for providing both a supply of heated compressed air and shaft power selectively couplable through a hydraulically actuated clutch to a driven device, a clutch control system for providing rapid actuation and stable control of the clutch, said clutch control system comprising:

a) clutch actuator means operably connected to said hydraulically actuated clutch for selectively actuating said clutch to couple said prime mover to said driven device, said clutch actuator means defining a control volume of fluid therein;
and
b) heat exchange means operably connected in a heat transfer relationship between said prime mover and said clutch actuator means for directing a flow of said heated compressed air from said prime mover to said actuator means for heating said control volume of fluid.

In an apparatus having a prime mover selectively couplable through a hydraulically actuated clutch to a driven device, and wherein said prime mover includes means for providing a supply of heated compressed air, a clutch control system comprising:

a) clutch actuator means operably connected to said hydraulically actuated clutch for selectively actuating said clutch to couple said prime mover to said driven device, said clutch actuator means defining a control volume of fluid therein;
b) heat exchange means operably connected in a heat transfer relationship between said prime mover and said clutch actuator means for directing a flow of said heated compressed air from said prime mover to said actuator means for heating said control volume of fluid;
and
c) fluid removal means operably connected between said clutch and said clutch actuator means for removing fluid from said control volume in said clutch actuator means upon disengagement of said clutch.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Hydraulic control and lubrication system with compressed air pre-heat circuit for rapid response at low ambient temperatures

Life of this patent

Hydraulic control and lubrication system with compressed air pre-heat circuit for rapid response at low ambient temperatures

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims13