The invention relates to an auxiliary drive device (1) comprising an electric motor (10, 11); and a mechanical clutch, wherein the electric motor (10, 11) and the mechanical clutch have the same axis of rotation (R), the mechanical clutch is designed as a fluid-friction clutch (20), and the electric motor (10, 11) and the fluid-friction clutch (20) are mechanically connected to one another.

The invention relates to a method for operating a functional element (1) which can be driven by a main drive (2) via a slip clutch (3) and/or by an auxiliary drive (4) which is coupled to the clutch (3), comprising the following method steps: determining the efficiency curve (.sub.K) of the clutch (3); determining the efficiency curve (.sub.HA) of the auxiliary drive (4); superimposing the efficiency curves (.sub.K, .sub.HA); deriving an operating zone diagram (7) from the physical limits (n.sub.E, n.sub.Kmax, n.sub.HAmax, n.sub.I, G.sub.IK) of the clutch (3) and the auxiliary drive (4); and optimizing the interplay of clutch (3) and auxiliary drive (4) determined by the superimposition of the efficiency curves (.sub.K, .sub.HA) with respect to an optimized overall efficiency curve (.sub.opt) of the auxiliary drive (4) and the clutch (3) and/or a minimized heat generation of the clutch (3).

A volumetric expander (20) configured to transfer a working fluid and generate useful work includes a housing. The housing includes an inlet port (24) configured to admit relatively high-pressure working fluid and an outlet port (26) configured to discharge to a relatively low-pressure working fluid. The expander also includes first and second twisted meshed rotors (30,32) rotatably disposed in the housing and configured to exp/and the relatively high-pressure working fluid into the relatively low-pressure working fluid. Each rotor has a plurality of lobes, and when one lobe of the first rotor is leading with respect to the inlet port, one lobe of the second rotor is trailing with respect to the inlet port. The expander additionally includes an output shaft (38) rotated by the relatively high-pressure working fluid as the fluid undergoes expansion. A system for generating work using the expander in a Rankine cycle is also disclosed.

A system including: at least one accessory device connected to an accessories drive shaft; a motor/generator including an input/output shaft; a first clutch arranged to receive torque from an engine and connected to the accessories drive shaft; a second clutch connected to the input/output shaft; and first and second torque transfer elements. The first torque transfer element is connected to the input/output shaft and the accessories drive shaft to reduce a rotational speed of the input/output shaft. The second torque transfer element is arranged to connect to a transmission input shaft, is connected to the second clutch, and is arranged to increase a rotational speed of the transmission input shaft. For a generator mode, the first clutch is arranged to be opened, the second clutch is arranged to be closed; and the transmission input shaft is arranged to rotate the input/output shaft via the second torque transfer element.

A coolant diverter system and method of controlling coolant flow are provided. The coolant diverter system includes a coolant diverter body having a coolant inlet opening, a driveline retarder outlet opening and a bypass outlet opening. The coolant diverter system also includes a valve positioned in the coolant diverter body. The valve is configured in a first valve orientation to fluidly couple the coolant inlet opening to the driveline retarder outlet opening in isolation from the bypass outlet opening. The valve is configured in a second valve orientation to fluidly couple the coolant inlet opening to the driveline retarder outlet opening and the bypass outlet opening. The coolant diverter system also includes a valve controller configured to place the valve in the first valve orientation in response to activation of a driveline retarder coupled to the driveline retarder outlet opening for braking.

A coolant diverter system and method of controlling coolant flow are provided. The coolant diverter system includes a coolant diverter body having a coolant inlet opening, a driveline retarder outlet opening and a bypass outlet opening. The coolant diverter system also includes a valve positioned in the coolant diverter body. The valve is configured in a first valve orientation to fluidly couple the coolant inlet opening to the driveline retarder outlet opening in isolation from the bypass outlet opening. The valve is configured in a second valve orientation to fluidly couple the coolant inlet opening to the driveline retarder outlet opening and the bypass outlet opening. The coolant diverter system also includes a valve controller configured to place the valve in the first valve orientation in response to activation of a driveline retarder coupled to the driveline retarder outlet opening for braking.

The invention relates to a hydrogen storage power plant (1) comprising: in order to produce hydrogen (H.sub.2) from methane or natural gas, a pyrolysis device for methane pyrolysis and/or natural gas pyrolysis and/or a plasmalysis device (6) for methane plasmalysis and/or natural gas plasmalysis;-a storage device (11), which is coupled on the output side to the pyrolysis device, for storing the hydrogen (H.sub.2) or a storage device (11), which is coupled on the output side to the plasmalysis device (6), for storing the hydrogen (H.sub.2); and a hydrogen combustion engine (12) which is coupled on the outlet side to the storage device (11) and has a closed noble gas circuit (12.1) for circulating noble gas, which noble gas circuit leads from an outlet channel (12.2) of the hydrogen combustion engine (12) via a circulation path to an inlet channel (12.3) of the hydrogen combustion engine (12) and guides a noble gas (EG) from the outlet channel (12.2) via the inlet channel (12.3) into a combustion chamber of the hydrogen combustion engine (12). The invention also relates to a method for operating such a hydrogen storage power plant (1).

The invention relates to a hydrogen storage power plant (1) comprising: in order to produce hydrogen (H.sub.2) from methane or natural gas, a pyrolysis device for methane pyrolysis and/or natural gas pyrolysis and/or a plasmalysis device (6) for methane plasmalysis and/or natural gas plasmalysis;-a storage device (11), which is coupled on the output side to the pyrolysis device, for storing the hydrogen (H.sub.2) or a storage device (11), which is coupled on the output side to the plasmalysis device (6), for storing the hydrogen (H.sub.2); and a hydrogen combustion engine (12) which is coupled on the outlet side to the storage device (11) and has a closed noble gas circuit (12.1) for circulating noble gas, which noble gas circuit leads from an outlet channel (12.2) of the hydrogen combustion engine (12) via a circulation path to an inlet channel (12.3) of the hydrogen combustion engine (12) and guides a noble gas (EG) from the outlet channel (12.2) via the inlet channel (12.3) into a combustion chamber of the hydrogen combustion engine (12). The invention also relates to a method for operating such a hydrogen storage power plant (1).

The present invention relates to the field of energy recovery from hot exhaust gases, a type of system that is widely used in industrial generator assemblies to produce steam used in industrial processes or cold to cool perishables or to cool environments. The system according to the present invention applies to the recovery of energy from exhaust gases in small generator assemblies, smaller than 10 MW, and comprises a turbo (1) connected to the exhaust gas outlet (2) in a small power plant generator assembly (3) and in which said turbo (1) is connected to a hydraulic pump (4), which generates pressure and transmits this pressure to a hydraulic pressure accumulator (5) which, in turn, sends hydraulic fluid under pressure for a hydraulic motor (6) of constant speed, which moves a pulley (7), and said pulley (7), in turn, moves another pulley (8), installed directly on the alternator shaft (9) of the generator assembly (3). In addition to pulleys (7,8), the movement can be done through a gear/clutch system or through a torque converter.

The present invention relates to the field of energy recovery from hot exhaust gases, a type of system that is widely used in industrial generator assemblies to produce steam used in industrial processes or cold to cool perishables or to cool environments. The system according to the present invention applies to the recovery of energy from exhaust gases in small generator assemblies, smaller than 10 MW, and comprises a turbo (1) connected to the exhaust gas outlet (2) in a small power plant generator assembly (3) and in which said turbo (1) is connected to a hydraulic pump (4), which generates pressure and transmits this pressure to a hydraulic pressure accumulator (5) which, in turn, sends hydraulic fluid under pressure for a hydraulic motor (6) of constant speed, which moves a pulley (7), and said pulley (7), in turn, moves another pulley (8), installed directly on the alternator shaft (9) of the generator assembly (3). In addition to pulleys (7,8), the movement can be done through a gear/clutch system or through a torque converter.