Classifications

• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
  • F01D—NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES
  • F01D1/00—Non-positive-displacement machines or engines, e.g. steam turbines
  • F01D1/02—Non-positive-displacement machines or engines, e.g. steam turbines with stationary working-fluid guiding means and bladed or like rotor, e.g. multi-bladed impulse steam turbines
  • F01D1/06—Non-positive-displacement machines or engines, e.g. steam turbines with stationary working-fluid guiding means and bladed or like rotor, e.g. multi-bladed impulse steam turbines traversed by the working-fluid substantially radially
  • F01D1/08—Non-positive-displacement machines or engines, e.g. steam turbines with stationary working-fluid guiding means and bladed or like rotor, e.g. multi-bladed impulse steam turbines traversed by the working-fluid substantially radially having inward flow
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
  • F01D—NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES
  • F01D1/00—Non-positive-displacement machines or engines, e.g. steam turbines
  • F01D1/02—Non-positive-displacement machines or engines, e.g. steam turbines with stationary working-fluid guiding means and bladed or like rotor, e.g. multi-bladed impulse steam turbines
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
  • F01D—NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES
  • F01D1/00—Non-positive-displacement machines or engines, e.g. steam turbines
  • F01D1/02—Non-positive-displacement machines or engines, e.g. steam turbines with stationary working-fluid guiding means and bladed or like rotor, e.g. multi-bladed impulse steam turbines
  • F01D1/06—Non-positive-displacement machines or engines, e.g. steam turbines with stationary working-fluid guiding means and bladed or like rotor, e.g. multi-bladed impulse steam turbines traversed by the working-fluid substantially radially
• • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
  • F01—MACHINES OR ENGINES IN GENERAL; ENGINE PLANTS IN GENERAL; STEAM ENGINES
  • F01D—NON-POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT MACHINES OR ENGINES, e.g. STEAM TURBINES
  • F01D15/00—Adaptations of machines or engines for special use; Combinations of engines with devices driven thereby
  • F01D15/06—Adaptations for driving, or combinations with, hand-held tools or the like control thereof

Definitions

• This invention relates to air turbine motors.
• the invention has been particularly developed for use in a pneumatic starter motor and will be primarily described with reference to this application.
• the motor is however suitable for use in other applications where pneumatic motors are used due to the nature of the operating environment or otherwise.
• Pneumatic starter motors are used for cranking internal combustion engines for starting purposes and are typically used for large engines and engines operating in environments where electric starting systems can be hazardous such as in mines.
• Some known pneumatic starter motors have utilised a arrangement in which a flow of air generally parallel to the axis of rotation of a turbine wheel interacts with turbine elements to drive the wheel in rotation.
• air is directed radially with respect to the axis of rotation of a turbine wheel to interact with radially oriented elements which drive the wheel in rotation. Whilst both arrangements have been used to provide satisfactory air motors for pneumatic starters and other applications, improvements in output and operating characteristics are continuously sought.
• this invention provides an air turbine motor including a turbine wheel mounted for rotation about an axis, a first set of elements displaced around said turbine wheel and arranged to drive said turbine wheel in rotation about said axis in a first direction in response to an axial flow of air generally parallel to said axis, a second set of elements displaced around said turbine and arranged to drive said turbine wheel in rotation about said axis in said first direction in response to a radial flow of air generally perpendicular to said axis, and means to direct drive air to said first set of elements in an axially directed flow and to direct drive air to said second set of elements in a radially directed flow.
• the drive air is firstly directed to the first or axially driven set of elements and is subsequently directed to the second or radially driven set of elements.
• the axially driven set of elements is arranged around an outer circumferential edge of the turbine wheel and the radially driven set of elements is arranged on a face of said turbine wheel.
• the radially driven set of elements are preferably arranged in two consecutive stages whereby the drive air passes through one stage and then the other stage.
• the consecutive stages are preferably formed by arranging the elements in two concentric circular arrays.
• the turbine wheel is preferably mounted between two stator arrangements.
• the first of the stators directs drive air axially toward said axially driven elements whilst the second stator re-directs air emerging from said axially driven elements in a radial direction to said radially driven elements.
• This preferred turbine stator configuration prevents a high side thrust loading on the turbine wheel. This is because the inlet air through the first stator exerts force which is opposite to the axial force developed by the air passing through the radially driven elements on the remote side of the turbine wheel. Additionally, the configuration allows a very compact and easily assembled air turbine motor to be produced.
• the air turbine motor according to this invention has been found to provide a superior power output for a given drive air input. This allows a corresponding reduction in the size of the motor to produce a given power output.
• the air turbine motor of this invention also as a higher stall torque, that is, torque at zero ⁇ m. This is particularly important for applications to pneumatic starter motors since start load is frequently very high.
• Figure 1 is a schematic sectional view of an air turbine motor according to this invention
• Figure 2 is an elevation of the turbine forming part of the air motor of Figure 1 ; and Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the turbine shown in Figure 2.
• the air turbine motor 1 comprises a housing 2 in which a turbine wheel 3 is mounted for rotation between an air inlet stator 4 and a second stator 5.
• An air inlet manifold 6 is provided in the housing in a known way.
• Stator 4 has a series of sequentially arranged elements or vanes 7 which direct air flow from manifold 6 toward turbine wheel 3.
• the outer circumference of turbine wheel 3 supports an array of axial turbine elements 8 evenly distributed around the circumference of the turbine wheel.
• Two concentric rings of radial turbine elements 9, 10 are formed on a face 11 of wheel 3 remote from the inlet stator 4.
• the second stator 5 is provided with circular arrays of elements or vanes 12, 13 which respectively fit between axial elements 8 and 9 and radial elements 9 and 10.
• An exhaust manifold 14 is provide in housing 2.
• Stators 4 and 5 support turbine wheel 3, for rotation about its axis.
• the turbine 3 is supported by the interengaging formations and does not require the use of supporting bearings. This is made possible by the above configuration in which the turbine wheel 3 is similarly loaded in opposing axial directions by the drive air pressure thus avoiding any axially longitudinal loading.
• Arrows 15 show the path of the air through the air turbine motor.
• the air is admitted to manifold 6 by an appropriate control valve (not shown) in the known manner.
• the air passes through elements 7 of stator 4 which direct the air generally axially into axially driven elements 8.
• the air exiting elements 8 is turned through 90° by elements 12 of stator
• the air exiting elements 9 is directed into the second stage of radially driven elements 10 (or third stage of the motor) by elements 13 of stator 5. The air then passes into exhaust manifold 14 for exhaust to the atmosphere in the usual manner.

Landscapes

• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
• General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Connection Of Motors, Electrical Generators, Mechanical Devices, And The Like (AREA)
• Lens Barrels (AREA)
• Control Of Electric Motors In General (AREA)
• Separation By Low-Temperature Treatments (AREA)
• Valve Device For Special Equipments (AREA)
• Supercharger (AREA)
• Turbine Rotor Nozzle Sealing (AREA)

Priority Applications (4)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=3804309

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (5)

Families Citing this family (1)

Citations (1)

Family Cites Families (8)

• 1997
  • 1997-10-27 AU AUPP0033A patent/AUPP003397A0/en not_active Abandoned
• 1998
  • 1998-10-27 AT AT98952402T patent/ATE335124T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 1998-10-27 DE DE69835439T patent/DE69835439T2/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1998-10-27 WO PCT/AU1998/000890 patent/WO1999022117A1/en active IP Right Grant
  • 1998-10-27 EP EP98952402A patent/EP1027530B1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime

Patent Citations (1)

Non-Patent Citations (3)

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