While the concept of saving automobile's intake of fuel or electricity by converting kinetic energy of an automobile into some form of potential energy, usually either electrical potential or compressed gas potential, in order to later convert that energy back into kinetic energy, has been well recognised over the years, and while the number of regenerative braking techniques and devices have been introduced over the years, with the exception of an electrical engine/generator, these techniques have not been well adapted. That was caused in part by either not a very simple implementation of those devices or by a necessity to completely re-engineer automobile powertrain in order to use those techniques. Present invention introduces a method of regenerative braking where no components of an automobile are to be replaced or removed and none of their functionality is modified. The new component described here is implemented as an additional, one piece, complete device, placed onto the existing automobile wheel's hub, and covered by the automobile's wheel. This method of regenerative braking is therefore applicable to all the automobiles, independent of their power source, to newly built automobiles and the automobiles already on the road.

While the concept of saving automobile's intake of fuel or electricity by converting kinetic energy of an automobile into some form of potential energy, usually either electrical potential or compressed gas potential, in order to later convert that energy back into kinetic energy, has been well recognised over the years, and while the number of regenerative braking techniques and devices have been introduced over the years, with the exception of an electrical engine/generator, these techniques have not been well adapted. That was caused in part by either not a very simple implementation of those devices or by a necessity to completely re-engineer automobile powertrain in order to use those techniques. Present invention introduces a method of regenerative braking where no components of an automobile are to be replaced or removed and none of their functionality is modified. The new component described here is implemented as an additional, one piece, complete device, placed onto the existing automobile wheel's hub, and covered by the automobile's wheel. This method of regenerative braking is therefore applicable to all the automobiles, independent of their power source, to newly built automobiles and the automobiles already on the road.

A method for controlling a hydrodynamic retarder in a motor vehicle that can be mechanically disengaged via a disconnect clutch, whereby at least one of the rotational speed of a revolving bladed rotor and the speed of a motor vehicle is monitored and a disconnect clutch is engaged below at least one of a pre-specified rotational speed of the revolving bladed rotor and a pre-specified speed of the motor vehicle, regardless of a request made by a driver assist system or by operation of an input device by the operator of the motor vehicle to turn on the hydrodynamic retarder.

A method for controlling a hydrodynamic retarder in a motor vehicle that can be mechanically disengaged via a disconnect clutch, whereby at least one of the rotational speed of a revolving bladed rotor and the speed of a motor vehicle is monitored and a disconnect clutch is engaged below at least one of a pre-specified rotational speed of the revolving bladed rotor and a pre-specified speed of the motor vehicle, regardless of a request made by a driver assist system or by operation of an input device by the operator of the motor vehicle to turn on the hydrodynamic retarder.

The present invention introduces a retrofit method of regenerative braking where no components of an automobile are to be replaced or removed and not of their functionality is modified. The recovering energy system is implemented as an additional, one piece, complete device, placed onto the existing automobile wheel's hub, and covered by the automobile's wheel. The system includes a housing, turbines, accumulators, and valves which act to both store and dispel energy as needed. This method of regenerative braking is therefore applicable to all the automobiles, independent or their power source, to newly built automobiles and those already on the road.

The present invention introduces a retrofit method of regenerative braking where no components of an automobile are to be replaced or removed and not of their functionality is modified. The recovering energy system is implemented as an additional, one piece, complete device, placed onto the existing automobile wheel's hub, and covered by the automobile's wheel. The system includes a housing, turbines, accumulators, and valves which act to both store and dispel energy as needed. This method of regenerative braking is therefore applicable to all the automobiles, independent or their power source, to newly built automobiles and those already on the road.

A variable-speed speed increaser includes: an electric driving device which is configured to generate a rotational driving force; and a transmission device which is configured to change the speed of the rotational driving force generated by the electric driving device and transmit the changed rotation driving force to a driving target. The transmission device includes: a sun gear which is configured to rotate about an axis; a sun gear shaft which is fixed to the sun gear and extends in an axial direction around the axis; a planetary gear which is configured to mesh with the sun gear, revolve around the axis and rotate about a center line of the planetary gear; an internal gear which includes a plurality of teeth aligned annularly around the axis and is configured to mesh with the planetary gear; a planetary gear carrier; and an internal gear carrier.

A speed retarding device for a rotary nozzle includes a hollow cylindrical housing and a rotatable tubular shaft rotatably carried by the housing. The shaft has an enlarged drag sleeve portion carried in the housing and a shaft end extending through at least one end of the housing to receive a rotary nozzle thereon. A pair of support bearings support the drag sleeve portion of the shaft in the housing. An annular inner seal between each of the support bearings and the drag sleeve portion defines a cavity within the housing receiving a viscous fluid confined within the cavity. The support bearings are separated from the cavity confining the viscous fluid and an outer annular seal on the shaft adjacent each support bearing prevents environmental contamination such as water and debris from entry into the support bearings.

A speed retarding device for a rotary nozzle includes a hollow cylindrical housing and a rotatable tubular shaft rotatably carried by the housing. The shaft has an enlarged drag sleeve portion carried in the housing and a shaft end extending through at least one end of the housing to receive a rotary nozzle thereon. A pair of support bearings support the drag sleeve portion of the shaft in the housing. An annular inner seal between each of the support bearings and the drag sleeve portion defines a cavity within the housing receiving a viscous fluid confined within the cavity. The support bearings are separated from the cavity confining the viscous fluid and an outer annular seal on the shaft adjacent each support bearing prevents environmental contamination such as water and debris from entry into the support bearings.

A rotational speed control device includes a housing containing a viscous fluid and a shaft disposed in the housing and rotatable relative to the housing. A rotor may be movable axially on the shaft depending on the rotating speed of the shaft. The rotor is biased in a low torque direction. A braking torque between the rotor and the housing and/or between the rotor and a drive control ring is varied according to an axial position of the rotor on the shaft. The device may incorporate bypass channels to control a circulating pressure of the viscous fluid.