hydraulic transmission, device employing a liquid to transmit and modify linear or rotary motion and linear or turning force (torque). There are two main types of hydraulic power transmission systems: hydrokinetic, such as the hydraulic coupling and the hydraulic torque converter, which use the kinetic energy of the liquid; and hydrostatic, which use the pressure energy of the liquid.
The hydraulic coupling is a device that links two rotatable shafts. It consists of a vaned impeller on the drive shaft facing a similarly vaned runner on the driven shaft, both impeller and runner being enclosed in a casing containing a liquid, usually oil (see ). If there is no resistance to the turning of the driven shaft, rotation of the drive shaft will cause the driven shaft to rotate at the same speed. A load applied to the driven shaft will slow it down, and a torque, or turning moment, that has the same magnitude on both shafts will be developed. In a properly designed hydraulic coupling, under normal loading conditions, the speed of the driven shaft is about 3 percent less than the speed of the drive shaft. By means of a scoop tube, the quantity of liquid in a coupling and the speed of the driven shaft can be varied. Since there is no mechanical connection between the impeller and the runner, a hydraulic coupling does not transmit shocks and vibrations.
The hydraulic torque converter is similar to the hydraulic coupling, with the addition of a stationary vaned member interposed between the runner and the impeller. All three elements are enclosed in a casing containing a liquid, usually oil. The effect of the stationary member is to make the torque, or turning moment, on the driven shaft greater than the torque on the drive shaft. When the driven shaft is stopped (stalled), the torque on it is a maximum and may be as much as 3.5 times the drive-shaft torque. A hydraulic torque converter acts like an infinitely variable speed transmission, delivering its higher torques when the output speed is low. In automatic transmissions for automobiles, it can be used as a partial or total substitute for a gearbox and clutch.
Hydraulic transmissions of the hydrostatic type are combinations of hydraulic pumps and motors and are used extensively for machine tools, farm machinery, coal-mining machinery, and printing presses. The motor and pump can be widely separated and connected by piping. Such a system, using pressurized water, was built in London in 1882 and is still used to drive machinery to lift bridges and operate hoists.