Marine propulsion – Hydraulic fluid drive for propelling means
Patent
1993-06-18
1995-01-24
Swinehart, Ed
Marine propulsion
Hydraulic fluid drive for propelling means
440 38, B63H 2112
Patent
active
053838017
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
The present invention relates to devices designed to produce thrust from a flow of fluid accelerated to form a hollow jet whose inside space is fed with pressure.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Such devices are illustrated in particular, by Document EP 270 544, which corresonds to U.S. Pat. No. 4,902,254. Such devices possess high thrust efficiency and also offer the possibility of placing all of the rotor drive mechanisms in the space available behind the turbine inside the hollow portion of the thrust jet.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The invention thus provides an improvement to a device for producing thrust from a flow of accelerated fluid; said device including: fluid acceleration means fitted with drive vanes and rotated inside a stator about an axis of revolution; a circularly symmetrical stationary web portion centered on the axis and comprising a plurality of fins shaped to rectify the trajectory of the fluid coming from the acceleration means in order to form a hollow jet; and means for feeding pressure to the space inside said hollow jet. The improvement lies in the fact that the drive members for the acceleration means are housed in the inside volume of the hollow jet. One of the advantages of this disposition is that it enables the suction orifice to be disengaged, thereby making it possible to provide a proper fairing for the entire turbine portion (rotor and stator), thereby making it possible to avoid producing parasitic hydrodynamic noise. In addition, since the amount of space available at the rear of the thruster device is large, it is possible to accept rotor drive mechanisms that are voluminous and of various shapes, regardless of whether they make use of a drive shaft and gearing, an electric motor, or a hydraulic motor.
These drive members are supported by an arm that passes through the jet-forming tubular wall by means of a streamlined section that serves to minimize the disturbance to the jet as caused by the arm.
The drive member support arm may also constitute the support for the stator of the device.
Advantageously, the arm may include an element that is substantially perpendicular to the axis of rotation of the rotor, and that is rotatably and steerably mounted in a bearing secured to a vehicle that is propelled by the thruster device.
Advantageously, the arm constitutes the fairing for all of the electrical or fluid connections used for powering the rotor drive members and also for one or more ducts for feeding the space inside the hollow jet with a gas under pressure.
Finally, the arm may constitute the support of a grille or "strainer" in front of the thruster device.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Other characteristics and advantages appear from the following description of an embodiment of the invention given by way of example and made with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:
FIG. 1 is a section view through a thruster device fitted with the improvement of the invention; and
FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of said device.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
In conventional manner, the thruster carries a first water-acceleration stage constituted by a rotor 1 essentially comprising a frustoconical annular passage 2 formed between a central nose 3 and an outer rotor wall 4, said frustoconical conical annular passage being fitted with vanes 5 for accelerating the water passing through said passage from the thruster inlet 6 to a web portion 7 having stationary fins 8 that shape the outlet jet into a tubular and rectilinear jet 9.
The stationary web portion 7 is secured to a stator 10 in which the rotor 1 is rotatably mounted and is supported by a hydrodynamic cushion 11 that may be implemented between the stator 10 and the tubular wall 4 of the rotor.
The rotor 1 is driven by drive means 12 represented in this case as a hydraulic motor. The stator, the stationary web portion, and the motor 12 are supported by a support arm 13, and in FIG. 2 it can be seen that the support arm 13 is streamlined so as to minimize its resistance to forward motion through the water.
REFERENCES:
patent: 3587511 (1971-06-01), Buddrus
patent: 4023353 (1977-05-01), Hall
patent: 4680017 (1987-07-01), Eller
patent: 4897995 (1990-02-01), Guirguis
patent: 4929200 (1990-05-01), Guezou et al.
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