Specialists from the General Khrulev Military Academy of Logistics developed a new device to improve the efficiency of the boost unit of a tank power plant. The solution is designed to accelerate the spin-up of the turbocharger during the acceleration of armored vehicles.
The system is based on a hydraulic drive with a Pelton turbine, a high-pressure pump, an electronic control unit, and a set of nozzles with electromagnetic valves.
The key design element is an overrunning clutch between the Pelton turbine and the compressor shaft. It makes it possible to temporarily connect the additional drive only at the moment of acceleration, without increasing the shaft inertia during normal engine operation.
When the fuel supply pedal is pressed, sensors transmit a signal to the control unit. After processing, the system feeds working fluid through the nozzles onto the blades of the Pelton turbine. The resulting jet spins up the turbocharger shaft and accelerates the engine's rise to rated revolutions.
In steady-state mode, the fluid supply stops, and the overrunning clutch automatically disconnects the hydraulic drive. This reduces rotational resistance and decreases mechanical losses.
The system eliminates delays in the supply of working fluid characteristic of previous designs and shortens the response time of the power plant during sudden acceleration.
Compared with prototypes, the new device makes it possible to increase boost efficiency, improve tank dynamics, and reduce the load on the main engine components. The solution can be used on advanced and modernized combat vehicles with diesel power plants.