Simply ingenious ingenious simple: self-synchronizing hydrodynamic start-up coupling TurboSyn

Dipl.-Ing. Harald Hoffeld Head of Technology Department in the Start-up Components product group at Voith Turbo GmbH & Co. KG in Crailsheim Special print from antriebstechnik 4/2006

Figure 1: Continued development of 75 years of a proven invention: Voith Turbo uid coupling with integrated lock-up clutch, type TurboSyn.

Figure 2: Motor load for different coupling types having the same size. The characteristic 2a occurs through additional emptying of the working circuit around the retaining space 1a (Figure 3) in the delay chamber 2 (Figure 3).

E-motor KL 10 / 13

1 2 2a 3

Basic requirements for uid couplings

When machines are started or stopped, a slipping transmission between the motor and the driven machine is often desired. However at rated operation a slip-less i.e. lock-up device is preferred. Up to now both of these conditions soft start and synchronous lock-up at rated operation could not be met with hydrodynamic couplings.

The Fttinger principle on which hydrodynamic couplings are based has been known for 100 years. After the invention in 1905 by Dr. Hermann Fttinger, it took 25 years before a hydrodynamic coupling called uid coupling was installed in a pumped storage power station. For the 100th anniversary of the Fttinger principle and 75 years of Voith drive technology, Voith presents a new hydrodynamic coupling which eliminates losses and slip at rated operation in an ingeniously simple way (Figure 1).

Typically a uid coupling is used to transmit power between a motor and a driven machine. The characteristic curve of the coupling can be adapted to suit the requirements. This provides a proven, easy to handle, and reliable option for optimizing the drive line. Direct on line started asynchronous motors, often preferred because of their simple construction, can only be used for a relatively brief start-up time due to their speed-dependent current consumption. Start-up is possible only of relatively small masses and always leads to loading of the drive dependent on the characteristics of the motor. To overcome these limitations uid couplings are commonly used for:

Table: Symbols used. Symbols and description DP DFriction F FG T m n nP p q Prole diameter Friction diameter Force Fill level Torque Mass Speed Pump wheel speed Contact pressure Specic friction consumption Re * P S Reynolds number Performance coefcient Coefcient of friction Relative coefcient of friction Speed ratio Density Angular velocity Angular velocity of the pump Switching angle velocity

Figure 3: Hydrodynamic coupling in different types with nozzle screws. TVV: design with delay chamber TVVS: design with delay and annular chamber Section drawing Type TVV 1b 1a 1c

Nozzle screw Section drawing Type TVVS 3

Options with conventional uid couplings

Heavy-duty start-up: Soft start of the motor and subsequent loading of the driven machine with a torque somewhat below the pull out torque of the motor. This allows the maximum possible acceleration power of the motor to be used during the entire start-up time. Soft-duty start-up: Soft start of the motor and subsequent acceleration of the driven machine with minimum acceleration torque, which is signicantly below the motor pull out torque during the entire start-up time for the driven machine. In both cases the motor is only lightly loaded during its acceleration. After it has reached its rated speed, the driven machine is accelerated up to the rated speed, and the motor is always operating above the stall speed in the stable nominal current range.

There are various parameters available to adapt the coupling function or characteristic to the drive: The coupling size, the coupling type, and the ll level, FG. In Figure 2 the load of an electric motor is shown for differing types of uid couplings using the same ll level. The different primary characteristics of the uid coupling are due to the different chambers. Figure 3: retaining space 1 (1a, 1b, 1c), delay chamber 2 and annular chamber 3. The transmission capability of uid coupling is described by the equation for torque:
5 2 T = Dp p

With this, the transmitted torque and slip can be adjusted by changing the ll level FG. For uid couplings with delay chambers, the torque build up can be further adjusted over time by changing the nozzle cross-section using removable nozzle screws (Figure 3). Based on the principle of operation of a uid coupling, a slip between pump and turbine wheel occurs during rated torque transmission. Typically slip is about 3%.

(1)

where the following applies for the performance coefcient : = f (geometry, Re, , FG) (2)

Figure 4: Geometry and applications of force on the turbine wheel segment.

Figure 5: The effect of spring relief on a centrifugal body.

Flift (FG min.) Fhydro (FG max.) a FBolt Fcent b

c F

FN

1.0

Shifting force

Fmax

[1]

0.8 0.6 0.4 0.2

Compensation m+m for the shifting force loss due to additional mass m

DP Dfriction 0 FSpring Fmax FHub (FG max.) -0.2 -0.4 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.53 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 Shifting force reduced by restoring spring s [1]

Requirements for the TurboSyn Working principle

In the following, a lock-up clutch integrated in the uid coupling is shown, which only slightly affects the essential characteristics of the uid coupling. The development goals for this lock-up clutch were specied together with the characteristics of the hydrodynamic Voith coupling: The machines connected should be protected as much as possible for both the heavy-duty start-up as well as for the soft-duty start-up. Synchronization should not reduce the masses to be accelerated. There should be no reduction of the torque transmission. A stall of the driven machine should result in load limitation by disengaging the lock-up and thus leading to a purely hydrodynamic torque transmission.

The lock-up functions close and open should be self-engaging. Lock-up should not require any additional auxiliary power source. The characteristics should be input speed independent, to simplify the engineering. The installation dimensions of the existing uid couplings are to be retained to offer a drop in replacement and still offer compact drive solutions. The interface connections to motor and driven machine side should be retained, so that the existing connecting technology (connecting coupling, anges) can be used.

Start-up and TurboSyn lock-up clutch lead to a centrifugal force controlled friction clutch, whose centrifugal bodies rotate at the output speed. To fulll the requirement for compactness, a centrifugal clutch was not just simply coupled to the uid coupling, instead, it was integrated completely. The existing mass of the turbine wheel is used as a centrifugal body (Figure 1, red and blue segments). To do this, the turbine wheel is now split into multiple segments. On the inner diameter, all segments receive a pivot bolt bearing assembly in the coupling housing. The segments are connecting with the hub so that only one angular motion is possible. This is minimal and is approximately 1 mm between free running and engaged TurboSyn position. The force is introduced into the turbine wheel segments via friction from the shell of the turbo coupling. The force is transferred to the hub via the bolt

Figure 6: Dependence of beginning of shifting on the mass ratios of a springrelieved shift coupling.

0.7 0.6 0.53 0.5 0.4 0.3 0.2 0.1 0 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 m m [1]

s [1]

connections (Figure 4). Because of the segmented turbine wheel design, there is now the opportunity to use the hydrodynamic peripheral forces directly to control the engagement of the clutch. The torque transmission was selected so that the turbine wheel segments are loaded in a trailing manner by the friction force, when the motor is operational. This means that the friction force supports the clutch disengaging. Therefore, it is also possible to use the hydrodynamic peripheral force for the disengaging of the clutch. The hydrodynamic force operates like the spring of a conventional centrifugal clutch, however with the advantage that the force becomes smaller with decreasing slip and does not act in the engaged state. This makes it possible to move the starting point of the engagement to higher output speeds without in-

creasing the centrifugal body mass, which would be necessary if continuously-acting springs were used. The inuence of a continuously acting spring for moving the engagement point of a rotating mass is shown in Figure 5. The spring counteracting the centrifugal force reduces the effective engaging force. To compensate for this loss of engaging power, an additional mass m is necessary. The relationship between the beginning of engagement and the mass ratios is shown in Figure 6. Geometry and masses of the turbine wheel segments were matched with the hydrodynamic peripheral force so that the reduction of the hydrodynamic spring leads to a signicant movement of the engagement point. This hydrodynamic disengagement force, as well as the trailing of the centrifugal body with the output speed, results in the

acceleration energy primarily being applied hydrodynamically, hence the loading on the friction lining is very small. The forces shown in Figure 4 correspond to the maximum occurring forces. The hydraulic force the sum of the single ow forces applied to each individual blade. The speed-dependent force ratios are shown in Figure 7. The transmittable torque of the coupling can be calculated from these force characteristics and the geometric relationships, along with knowledge of the coefcient of friction. Figure 8 shows the hydrodynamic torque transmission of the TurboSyn, and the portion of the torque transmitted by friction. The relative coefcient of friction used as the basis of this calculation is also indicated.

Figure 7: Speed-dependent force ratios on the turbine wheel segment. nP = 1,500 rpm 100,000 80,000 60,000 40,000 F [N] 20,000 0 -20,000 -40,000 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 [1] Flift FHydro (FG max) FHydro (FG min) Fcentr.

Figure 8: Torque transmission of the TurboSyn. nP = 1,500 rpm 7,000 6,000 5,000 T [Nm] *[1] * Tfriction 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 [1] 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 0 Ttotal THydro

Three turbine wheel versions

Characteristic curves

In order to implement the clutch characteristic for different loads optimally, three different turbine wheel versions are available: Version A: For lower loads, a design in accordance with Figure 4 is selected. The friction linings can be found on the side of the turbine wheel segments which are leading the links on the hub. Version B: For medium loads, the friction linings are applied on the center of the segments. Version C: For high loads, the friction linings are also applied on the center of the segments, however, heavier turbine wheel segments are used.

The loadings of the friction linings are similar for all turbine wheel versions, because not only the synchronous torque is modied, but the hydrodynamic torque as well. The coupling shell without annular chamber is connected to the pump wheel and encloses the turbine wheel so that the operating medium remains within the working circuit. In addition to containing the oil, the shell must accommodate the centrifugal forces of the turbine wheel segments and also serve as the contact surface for the friction linings. This requires the use of a ferrous material with sufcient surface hardness on the friction surface.

The geometric ratios of the lock-up clutch lead to the same dependence of torque on prole diameter DP and on the angular velocity of the output, which is the same as for a purely hydrodynamic coupling. Since the coupling series has a similar design, both geometrically and hydraulically, the loading of the TurboSyn can also be shown by the power coefcient as a specic characteristic. The following relationship results from equation 1 and 2: T = = f(, FG) 5 2 Dp p Figure 9 shows the calculated characteristic for the turbine wheel version C. The load on the friction linings is characterized by the contact pressure and the specic frictional force.

Figure 9: Calculated characteristic of the TurboSyn coupling for high load, as well as for friction contact load.

Figure 10: Portions of the hydrodynamic input power and centrifugal force coupling friction force dependent on the speed ratio between input and output. The effect of the synchronous coupling is implemented starting at a speed ratio of approximately 0.55.

5 4.5 103 [1]; p [N/mm2]; q [W/mm2] 4 3.5 3 2.5 2 1.5 1 0.5 0 0 p q Q [W] Hydro 103 total 103

600,000 500,000 400,000 QHydro 300,000 200,000 100,000 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 [1] 0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9 1.0 [1] QFriction

Example application

Summary

The power transmitted hydrodynamically and by friction are shown in Figure 10 for the start-up of a coal mill. During start-up, a part of the drive energy is transformed into heat and stored in the mass of the TurboSyn. More than 95% of this heat is generated hydrodynamically. During operation the coupling is cooled down to ambient temperature, because there are no losses due to slip. This means that after a system stop, there is a signicantly higher heat capacity available to restart, compared to a conventional slipping hydrodynamic coupling.

The use of this type of coupling is ideal for drives requiring a soft start, but which do not require the characteristics of a uid coupling under normal operation. For last 1.5 years, the drive system of a coal mill at the Frimmersdorf power plant has been successfully in operation using a TurboSyn 750 TV-X with an input power of 450 kW at a speed of 1,480 rpm. Currently a TurboSyn 562 TV is being commissioned on a coal charging conveyor with an input power of 108 kW at a speed of 1,480 rpm.

Using existing uid coupling components, a look up clutch can be integrated into the uid coupling without adding additional parts, simply by modications to both the inner wheel and shell. The turbine wheel was segmented and linked so that it fullls the function of an additional centrifugal body. Force is transmitted from the turbine wheel segments to the hub via pivot bolts which replace the previous rigid hub connection. The coupling shell is used as friction drum. The hydrodynamic force is initiated in such a way as this fullls the function of a reset spring for discharge the friction contact. All other parts of the uid coupling remain unchanged.

Voith Turbo GmbH & Co. KG Start-up Components Voithstr. 1 74564 Crailsheim, Germany Tel. +49 7951 32 -409 Fax +49 7951 32 -480 startup.components@voith.com www.startup-components.com

Cr 601 en, MSW/K&E, 05.2007, 1000. Dimensions and illustrations without obligation. Subject to modications.