1.-56. (canceled)
57. A fluid flow meter, comprising: means for defining a fluid flow path; a rotor, with at least one blade, positioned in said fluid flow path; and a ring positioned upstream from, and adjacent to, said rotor, wherein the ring is adapted to condition the fluid flow at the leading edge of the rotor blade over a range of operating conditions.
58. A fluid flow meter according to claim 57, wherein the ring is adapted to improve flow conditions at the leading edge of the rotor blade over a range of operating conditions.
59. A fluid flow meter according to claim 57, wherein said range of operating conditions is a range of flow rates.
60. A fluid flow meter according to claim 59, wherein said range of flow rate is less than the rated range of flow rate of the fluid flow meter, but preferably, more than 25% or 33% or 50% or 75% of said rated range.
61. A fluid flow meter according to claim 58 wherein, under said range of operating conditions, the flow conditions are improved in comparison with not providing a ring upstream of the rotor blade.
62. A fluid flow meter according to claim 57, wherein, under said range of operating conditions, the ring is adapted to smooth flow.
63. A fluid flow meter according to claim 57, wherein, under at least part of said range of operating conditions, the ring is adapted to induce substantially turbulent flow at the leading edge of the rotor blade.
64. A fluid flow meter according to claim 57, wherein the radius of the ring is optimised in order to maximise the improvement in flow conditions at the leading edge of the rotor blade.
65. A fluid flow meter according to claim 57, wherein the radius of the ring is greater than the radius of the rotor hub.
66. A fluid flow meter according to claim 65, wherein the radius of said ring is greater than the radius of the rotor hub by between 40% and 60% of the distance from the hub of the rotor to the tip of the blades, preferably between 45% and 55%, more preferably 53%.
67. A fluid flow meter according to claim 57, wherein the radius of the ring is greater than the radius of the rotor hub by between 35% and 55% of the distance from the hub of the rotor to the means defining the flow path, preferably between 40% and 50%, more preferably 45%.
68. A fluid flow meter according to claim 67, wherein the means defining the flow path is substantially cylindrical in shape.
69. A fluid flow meter according to claim 68, wherein the radius of the ring is between 65% and 85% of the radius of the cylindrical means defining the flow path, preferably between 70% and 80%, more preferably 75%.
70. A fluid flow meter according to claim 57, wherein the ring is positioned centrally within said fluid flow path.
71. A fluid flow meter according to claim 57, wherein the axial distance of the ring from the rotor hub is optimised to maximise the improvement in flow conditions at the leading edge of the rotor blade.
72. A fluid flow meter according to claim 71, wherein the axial distance of the ring from the rotor hub is between 10% and 30% of the chord length of the ring, more preferably between 15% and 25%, yet more preferably 20%.
73. A fluid flow meter according to claim 71, wherein the axial distance of said ring from said rotor hub is between 1.0 mm and 3.0 mm, more preferably between 1.5 mm and 2.5 mm, yet more preferably 2.0 mm.
74. A fluid flow meter according to claim 57, wherein the leading edge of the ring is thinner than the trailing edge of the ring.
75. A fluid flow meter according to claim 74, wherein the leading edge of the ring is tapered.
76. A fluid flow meter according to claim 74, wherein the leading edge of the ring is sharp.
77. A fluid flow meter according to claim 57, wherein the trailing edge of the ring is blunt.
78. A fluid flow meter according to claim 77, wherein the trailing edge of the ring is square.
79. A fluid flow meter according to claim 57, wherein the shape of the ring is mouldable.
80. A fluid flow meter according to claim 57, wherein the ring is further adapted to throttle the fluid flow at the rotor blade.
81. A fluid flow meter according to claim 57, wherein the ring is further adapted to induce turbulent flow downstream of the rotor.
82. A fluid flow meter according to claim 81, wherein turbulent flow is induced at the exit of the flow meter.
83. A fluid flow meter according to claim 57, wherein the ring is further adapted to at least partially relieve the thrust loading on said rotor.
84. A method of substantially optimising the accuracy and flow range of a fluid flow meter, comprising: positioning a ring upstream from, and adjacent to, a rotor within a fluid flow path; and adjusting the characteristics and position of said ring to substantially optimise the accuracy and flow range.
85. The method according to claim 84, wherein the characteristics comprise at least one of: the ring radius, the ring thickness, the ring chord length; and the ring’s cross-sectional shape.
86. The method according to claim 84, wherein the position comprises at least the axial distance from the rotor.
87. A fluid flow meter, comprising: means for defining a fluid flow path; a rotor positioned in said fluid flow path; at least one inductive target on the shaft of said rotor; and at least one inductive sensor; wherein said at least one sensor is positioned adjacent said at least one inductive target.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A drive train in a motor vehicle, comprising:
an internal combustion engine; and
a starter generator,
wherein a rotational connection in power flow between the internal combustion engine on one hand and the starter generator and the transmission on the other is established by a starting clutch running in oil, and
wherein a rotor of the starter generator is mounted, at least indirectly, on a clutch cover and the clutch cover is connected in a rotationally fixed and oil-tight manner to a clutch bell of a transmission.
2. The drive train of claim 1, wherein the rotor is arranged in a rotationally fixed manner on a rotor carrier and the rotor carrier is mounted on the clutch cover.
3. The drive train of claim 1, wherein the starting clutch has an outer disc carrier and an inner disc carrier and the clutch cover is arranged between a rotor carrier and the outer disc carrier, whereby the starter generator is separated from an oil region of the starting clutch and the starter generator runs in a dry region.
4. The drive train of claim 2, wherein a seal is arranged between the rotor carrier and the clutch cover.
5. The drive train of claim 3, wherein a seal is arranged between the outer disc carrier and the clutch cover.
6. The drive train of claim 5, wherein a seal is arranged between a continuation of the outer disc carrier, a drive hub and the rotor carrier.
7. The drive train of claim 1 wherein a rotor carrier and an outer disc carrier are formed in one piece.
8. The drive train of claim 3, wherein the rotor carrier and the outer disc carrier are caulked to one another.
9. The drive train of claim 3, wherein the rotor carrier and the outer disc carrier are welded to one another.
10. The drive train of claim 1 wherein at least one vibration damper is arranged in the power flow between the starting clutch and the rotor.
11. The drive train of claim 10, wherein the power flow in the starting clutch proceeds from inside to outside, that is, an inner disc carrier constitutes a drive, and an outer disc carrier the constitutes an output, of the starting clutch.
12. The drive train of claim 3, wherein the inner disc carrier is mounted on a transmission input shaft.
13. The drive train of claim 12, wherein, on a transmission side, the starting clutch is mounted on the transmission input shaft via a spline on a driven hub.
14. The drive train of claim 3, wherein a clutch basket, formed substantially by the outer disc carrier, is stiffened by stiffening plates extending from a sheet-metal hub element.
15. The drive train of claim 3, wherein a clutch basket, formed substantially by the outer disc carrier (3), is stiffened by welding a sheet-metal hub element to the outer disc carrier.
16. The drive train of claim 1, wherein a bearing, between the rotor and the clutch cover, is pretensioned by means of a pretensioning spring, the pretensioning spring bearing against a transmission input shaft.
17. The drive train of claim 1, wherein an oil pump for supplying the oil region is present, pump drive being effected by means of a pump pinion pressed onto a transmission input shaft and the transmission input shaft serving at the same time as a mounting of the pump pinion.
18. The drive train of claim 1, wherein a torsional vibration damper is arranged in the power flow from the internal combustion engine to the starting clutch.
19. The drive train of claim 18, wherein the torsional vibration damper is a dual-mass flywheel.
20. The drive train of claim 19, wherein the torsional vibration damper is arranged in a dry space of a clutch bell.
21. The drive train of claim 1, wherein a scavenging tube, which conducts the oil from a radially outer region of an oil region to an oil pump, is arranged in the oil region.
22. The drive train of claim 2, wherein a stripping unit is arranged in an oil region.
23. The drive train of claim 2, wherein a centrifugal force region is associated with a piston, and the centrifugal force region compensates centrifugal oil pressure on the other side of the piston.