Turbine acceleration control system

Claim 1

IN A FLUID TURBINE HAVING AN AXIAL FLOW TURBINE WHEEL, A SUPPLY OF MOTIVE FLUID UNDER PRESSURE, AND MEANS FOR DIRECTING A STREAM OF SAID MOTIVE FLUID AGAINST SAID WHEEL; MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE ACCELERATION RATE OF SAID WHEEL COMPRISING: (A) MOVABLE MOUNTING MEANS SUPPORTING SAID TURBINE WHEEL AND ADOPTED TO MOVE THE WHEEL INTO AND OUT OF THE MOTIVE FLUID STREAM TO VARY THE AMOUNT OF TORQUE GENERATED ON THE WHEEL BY THE MOTIVE FLUID STREAM, (B) MEANS CONNECTING SAID WHEEL TO A LOAD THROUGH GEARING MEANS MOUNTED IN SAID MOVABLE MOUNTING MEANS, (C) MEANS TRANSMITTING THE FORCES IMPOSED ON SAID WHEEL AND SAID CONNECTING MEANS BY THE MOTIVE FLUID STREAM AND THE LOAD TO SAID MOUNTING MEANS SUCH THAT THE NET EFFECT OF SAID FORCES ON SAID MOUNTING MEANS IS PROPORTIONAL TO THE ACTUAL NET TORQUE ON THE WHEEL AND IN A DIRECTION TO MOVE SAID WHEEL OUT OF THE MOTIVE FLUID STREAM, (D) AND MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE PRESSURE OF SAID MOTIVE FLUID SUPPLY IMPOSING A REFERENCE FORCE PROPORTIONAL TO A DESIRED NET TORQUE ON THE WHEEL ON SAID MOUNTING MEANS IN A DIRECTION TO MOVE SAID WHEEL INTO THE MOTIVE FLUID STREAM, (E) WHEREBY SAID MOUNTING MEANS IS MOVED TO AN EQUILIBRIUM POSITION IN WHICH THE ACTUAL NET TORQUE ON THE WHEEL IS EQUAL TO THE DESIRED NET TORQUE SPECIFIED BY THE PRESSURE OF SAID MOTIVE FLUID SUPPLY.