5.3.4 Torque converter device
Simple torque converter consists of three impellers with blades (Figures 5.19 and 5.20): rotating pump, turbine wheels and a stationary impeller-reactor. From the inside, the impeller blades are closed with round walls. Thus, an annular cavity of circular cross-section with a small diameter is formed inside the blades. In case if all three wheels with blades are located close to each other, an annular closed cavity is formed in which the working fluid (special oil), which is poured into the torque converter, circulates (as shown by the arrow in Figure 5.19).
The pump wheel is connected to the casing (rotor) and through it to the crankshaft of the engine. The turbine wheel is connected to the gearbox via the driven shaft. The reactor is fixed stiffly on a bushing, which is connected to the crankcase (or mounted on a freewheel*, as shown in Figure 5.19). The torque converter rotor with impellers that are located inside of it is mounted on bearings inside a closed crankcase.
Figure 5.19 Torque converter layout.
Figure 5.20 Simplified view of torque converter.
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