Chapter 6

Torque
Converter s and
Hydraulic
Couplings

A L Gatiss
Brockhouse Engineering Ltd

The term torque converter is a misnomer, since any mechan-

ism which changes the speed/torque characteristic of a
given power is a 'torque converter'. By general use, however,
the term has become adopted for that particular form which
completes the conversion hydrokinetically.

Both torque converters and fluid couplings transmit by

transferring their mechanical power by means of a centri-
fugal pump to a fluid and passing the fluid on to a turbine
wheel or wheels for reconversion to mechanical power.
The fluid thus gains kinetic energy in the pump and loses
it in the turbine. There is no mechanical connection between
the input and output and therefore both devices have a
certain looseness of connection which is not present in, say,
a gear drive or a hydrostatic transmission. Both devices
slip to a certain extent and although the slip represents a
loss of power it can be useful. If slip is induced for a pur-
pose, the heat generated can be conveniently extracted by
means of an oil cooler and not left in the device to cause
breakdown by overheating, as can happen in ega mechani-
cal clutch which is caused to slip.

Both fluid couplings and torque converters have their

fields of application in the transmission of mechanical
power, and these are discussed later.

FLUID COUPLING ACTION

The two parts of a fluid coupling rotate together as shown
in Fig. 1. The impeller rotates with the prime mover and
the turbine drives the load; the whole unit is full, or nearly
full, of oil. Because a fluid coupling always slips when
driving, when a load is being transmitted the turbine runs at
a slower speed than the impeller. The centrifugal pressure
created at (A) is therefore always greater than that developed
at (B) and a circulation of oil in the direction of the arrow is
thus induced. The circulation (at a rate of many kg/s) is the
medium by which energy is transferred from the impeller
to the turbine, but it is not the main driving force.
55

P. C. Bell (ed.), Mechanical Power Transmission

© Palgrave Macmillan, a division of Macmillan Publishers Limited 1971
 OIL BEING SPEED OF FLOW
PUSHED BY TH ROUGH CIRCUIT
VANE

IMPEL LER TURBI NE

Fi~;. I. A ction of a fluid coup/in~. Fig. 2. Impeller and lltrhine of'a.fluid coupling.

The oil absorbs energy from the prime mover during its C to A is identical to the change from A to C and thus input
passage from C to A and gives up that energy during its torque always equals output torque and no torque conversion
subsequent passage through the turbine from A to C. It can be obtained from a fluid coupling.
is wrong to assume that the drive takes place because oil
from the impeller impinges on to and drives the turbine. Flow through the circuit, ie from A to BC and to A, in-
Such impingement does take place (due to slip) but it is creases with pressure difference at A and B and decreases
an adverse feature involving shock losses and is not the with circuit resistance to flow. The latter term can include
main motive force. Further, the hydrostatic pressure viscous losses, shock losses at blade entry, and turbulence.
difference at A and B due to the slip plays its part in causing
oil to circulate in sufficient quantity. Apart from this, it At low turbine speeds and corresponding rather low input
plays no part in transmitting drive. The drive is due almost speeds, the velocity differences V Pw and VTw tend to be low
solely to the rapid change in velocity of the oil in the path and therefore for equal torque transmission the mass flow
of impeller rotation (known as the velocity of whirl) as must be high. This calls for larger pressure differences
distinct from the velocity around the circuit. between A and B while the individual pressures tend to be
low at low speeds. Thus at zero turbine speed (stall) slip
An impeller of a fluid coupling resembles a saucer with a is high (eg 700 rev/min) and the input runs at this speed. On
number of flat radial vanes (Fig. 2). Assume that the impel- the other hand at high turbine speeds (say 2 000 rev/min)
ler is rotating at 1 000 rev/min and is supplied with oil at the slip may be only of the order of 2% to 3% (Fig. 3). This
its centre D; the circumference of the impeller at D is 1 m fact is possibly the main justification for including a fluid
and the circumference at A is 2 m. Then all the oil passing coupling in a drive line. It enables a vehicle to stand with
from D to A would have its velocity of whirl accelerated the engine idling without too much driving effort, or a cage
from 1000 m/min to 2 000 mjmin, and the accelerating electrical motor to be started up on load with no, or much
force would be supplied by a force acting on the oil from reduced, starting resistance.
the vanes. This force has to be supplied from the prime
mover driving the impeller. The opposite action takes place Figure 1 shows a central torus to the oil circuit. This torus
in the turbine where the decelerating force acting on the oil is usually omitted from fluid couplings and the oil is
provides the driving force on the turbine vanes. allowed to form its own circuit through the bladed members.

Force is proportional to change of momentum; force

multiplied by radius of action= torque. The torque acting
on the impeller is therefore due to the total change in Fig. 3. Slip characteristics of a fluid coupling.
moment of momentum of the mass of oil flowing from the
time it leaves the turbine to the time it leaves the impeller.
2000 IMPELLER
1950 (OR ENGINE)
SPEED·AT FULL
Let Np be speed of impeller (rev/min) and NT the turbine ENGINE TORQUE
speed; RP the outlet radius of the impeller (major radius); IMPELLER
TURBINE
AND
RT the outlet radius of the turbine (minor radius); Q TURBINE (OR OUTPUT)
SPEED ~---rSPEED
quantity of oil flowing through the circuit per second.

The velocity of whirl VPw at impeller outlet is proportional

to NpRp and whirl velocity VTw at turbine outlet to NTRT.
Impeller torque oc Q(NTR2- NpR2)
. T p
Turbme torque oc Q(NpR2 -NTR2)
P T TURBINE SPEED
1950
From this it is obvious that the change of moment of momen-
tum (Fig. 1) as it affects the impeller for fluid travelling from
56