Hydrodynamic double brake

Abstract

A hydrodynamic double brake includes two working chambers, each defined between a respective stator bucket wheel and a respective rotor bucket wheel. Each of the bucket wheels including buckets that extend into the respective working chambers and the bucket wheel buckets all are oriented at the same tilt angle with respect to the axis of the brake. An inlet line enters the rotor bucket wheels and then branches into the respective working chambers. Outlet ducts exit from each of the working chambers. A shell is defined around the bucket wheels and the brake and includes a valve arrangement which selectively opens the outlet ducts of one working chamber while closing the outlet ducts of the other working chamber, and vice versa. Fluid pressure responsive elements extend into the working chambers so that fluid in the one working chamber intended to be the active chamber impinges on the fluid responsive elements and thereby moves both of the valve arrangements to open the outlet ducts of only one of the working chambers. An appropriate separating wall arrangement is associated with the shell for reducing leakage between the utlet ducts of the two working chambers. The valve arrangement includes a cylindrical shell which is shiftable circumferentially around the working chambers and the shell in one embodiment or is shiftable axially of the brake in another embodiment for selectively opening and closing the working chamber outlet ducts.