CVT

Continuously Variable Transmission

Presentation by Abhishek Ghosh Sixth Semester (2012) Under the guidance of G. C. Chell Asstt. Professor Deptt. Of Mechanical Engineering Jalpaiguri Govt. Engineering College

Transmission Basics

The job of the transmission is to change the speed ratio between the engine and the wheels of an automobile. The transmission uses a range of gears - from low to high - to make more effective use of the engine's torque as driving conditions change.
The gears can be engaged manually or automatically.

Conventional Gearbox
Gear 1

Able to accelerate well from complete stop Able to climb Top speed is limited
Very slow when acceleration from a complete stop Cant climb Top speed relatively high

Gear 3

A five-speed transmission applies one of five different gear ratios to the input shaft to produce a different rpm value at the output shaft. Here are some typical gear ratios with Engine at 3000 RPM:
Gear 1st 2nd Ratio 2.315:1 1.568:1 RPM 1,295 1,913

3rd
4th

1.195:1
1.000:1

2,510
3,000

5th

0.915:1

3,278

Problems in Manual & Automatic Transmission

Speed Ratio limitations with respect to optimum power and efficiency
Fuel Economy, especially while driving in bumperto-bumper traffic

What is CVT
A Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) is a transmission that can change steplessly through an infinite number of effective gear ratios between maximum and minimum values. This contrasts with other mechanical transmissions that offer a fixed number of gear ratios. The flexibility of a CVT allows the driving shaft to maintain a constant angular velocity over a range of output velocities.

Why CVT
Feature
Constant, step less acceleration from a complete stop to cruising speed Works to keep the car in its optimum power range regardless of how fast the car is traveling Responds better to changing conditions, such as changes in throttle and speed Less power loss in a CVT than a typical automatic transmission Better control of a gasoline engine's speed range Can incorporate automated versions of mechanical clutches

Benefit
Eliminates shift shock makes for a smoother ride Improved fuel efficiency

Eliminates gear hunting as a car decelerates, especially going up a hill

Better acceleration
Better control over emissions Replace inefficient fluid torque converters

A Timeline of CVT innovation

1490 - Da Vinci sketches a stepless Continuously Variable Transmission 1886 - First Toroidal CVT patent filed 1935 - Adiel Dodge receives U.S. patent for Toroidal CVT 1939 - Fully Automatic Transmission based on planetary gear system introduced 1958 - DAF (Netherlands) produces a CVT in a car 1989 - Subaru Justy GL is the first US - sold production automobile to offer a CVT 2000 - Fiat & BMW offer CVT in their models 2002 - Saturn Vue with a CVT debuts - first Saturn to offer CVT technology; GM introduces CVT 2004 - Ford begins offering CVT 2007 - Dodge Caliber, Jeep Compass and Jeep Patriot employ a CVT 2008 - Mitsubishi Lancer model is available with CVT 2009 - SEAT Exeo is available with a CVT automatic transmission 2010 - the US Patent Office issued patent number 7,647,768 B1 for a series of hydraulic Torque Converters that use hydraulic friction rather than mechanical friction as a CVT.

Austin 18 (1934)

One of the earliest cars to use CVT

Types of CVT
Frictional o Pulley-based or Metal Push Belt CVT o Toroidal CVT o Cone CVT Hydrostatic CVT

Metal Push Belt CVT

Uses a pair of axially adjustable sets of pulley halves called Variators Both pulleys have one fixed and one adjustable pulley halve The transmission ratio is varied by adjusting the spacing between the pulleys in line with the circumference of the tapered pulley halves A V-belt is used to transfers the engine's power from one shaft to another The Variators are adjusted hydraulically When one pulley is varied, the other pulley must adapt itself inversely since the length of the belt is fixed

Metal Push Belt CVT:

Speed Ratios

Gear Ratio

Metal Push Belt CVT:

Belt Design (Van Doorne Steel Belt)
Almost all of todays belt driven CVTs use this design invented by Dutch CVT specialist Van Doorne. Maximum torque it can withstand is around 190hp. Used in:
Honda Civic HX

Nissan Primera
Toyota Prius

Honda Insight
BMW Minicooper Saturn Vue

Metal Push Belt CVT:

Simplified Mathematical Model
+ = - + = -

+ = -

In which Ie is the rotary inertia of engine; Is is the rotary inertia of the active pulley of CVT; Iq is the rotary inertia of the passive pulley of CVT; Be, Bs and Bq represent the equivalent damping coefficient of each axis respectively; i is the speed ratio of CVT and is the transmission efficiency of CVT. Tr is the equivalent resistance torque of car weight and load converted to the output axis of CVT.

Williams/Renault FW15C CVT

This prototype introduced in F1 racing in 1993. But FIA banned CVTs from F1 in 1994 due to concerns that the best-funded teams would dominate if they managed to create a viable F1 CVT transmission.

CVT Power Transmission

Audi Multitronic CVT

Used in Audis 1.8L A4 and 3.0L A8.

Uses a multi-plate clutch as the torque converter. The electronics detect uphill and downhill gradients, and assist the driver by compensating for the added load or boosting engine braking torque accordingly.

Metal Push Belt CVT in Action

Animated video of a Dodge Caliber CVT

Toroidal CVT

Uses rollers to transmit torque between the input disc (which connects the crankshaft) and output disc (which connects the driveshaft). A viscous fluid with high shear strength properties is fundamental in transmitting torque between rollers and discs. Rollers and discs never touch. The angle of the rollers changes relative to shaft position resulting in a change in gear ratio. The change in angle by a roller must be mirrored by the opposing roller.

Toroidal CVT: Mechanism

Case I
Driving Shaft (Top)
Driven Shaft (Bottom)

Faster
Slower

Toroidal CVT: Mechanism

Case II
Driving Shaft (Top)
Driven Shaft (Bottom) Equal Speed

Toroidal CVT: Mechanism

Case III
Driving Shaft (Top)
Driven Shaft (Bottom)

Slower
Faster

Cone CVT

Made of one or more conical bodies. Function along their respective generatrices. Torque transmitted via friction from a variable number of cones to a central, barrelshaped hub Only one contact point between each cone and the hub.

Cone CVT in Action

Working video of a Cone CVT

Hydrostatic CVT
Uses variable-displacement pumps to vary the fluid flow into hydrostatic motors. The rotational motion of the engine operates a hydrostatic pump on the driving side. The pump converts rotational motion into fluid flow. With a hydrostatic motor located on the driven side, the fluid flow is converted back into rotational motion. Used in: Lawn mover, garden tractor, heavy equipment, etc.

MT vs. CVT
The Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) proved 35% more efficient than the Manual Transmission (MT). With same car and engine, the CVT takes only 75% of the time to accelerate to 100km/h, compared to the MT.

0 - 100 Km/h
CVT MT

8.8 sec

11.9 sec

1991 FIAT UNO

Mass = 1250 kg
Torque = 101.2 N-m

@ 5700rpm

AT vs. CVT
Power transmission efficiency of a typical fivespeed automatic: Average efficiency of 86%. Gear 1 2 3 4 5 Efficiency Range 60 - 85% 60 - 90% 85 95% 90 95% 85 94%

Efficiency ranges for several CVT designs:

CVT Mechanism
Rubber Belts

Efficiency Range
90 - 95%

These CVTs each offer improved efficiency over conventional automatic transmissions, and their efficiency depends less on driving habit than manual transmissions.

Steel Belts
Toroidal Traction

90 - 97%
70 94%

Variable Geometry

85 93%

CVT: The Good & the Bad

Advantages
Decreases engine fatigue Allows for an infinite number of gear ratios, maintaining the engine in its optimum power range More mechanically efficient than Automatic transmissions Greater fuel efficiency than both manual and automatic transmissions (Fuel savings of more than 17% have been achieved) Cheaper and lighter than Automatic transmission Smooth, responsive and quiet to drive Newer CVTs have a manual option, giving the driver more control, simulating a MT CPU can be configured to suit a wide range of driving modes and styles

Disadvantages

Limited torque capacity when compared with manual transmissions Larger and more costly than manual transmissions Slipping in the drive belt or pulleys (No longer an issue due to new advances) Rubber band effect (Solved) Complacency by the automobile industry, unwilling to discard billions of dollars in development in MT & ATs

The Future of CVT

The internal combustion (IC) engine is nearing both perfection and obsolescence; advancements in fuel economy and emissions have effectively stalled.
CVTs could potentially allow IC vehicles to meet the first wave of new fuel regulations.

As CVT development continues, costs will be reduced further and performance will continue to increase.
This cycle of improvement will ultimately give CVTs a solid foundation in the worlds automotive infrastructure.

References
JOURNALS o Dynamic Performance of a Metal V-belt CVT during Rapid Shift-Ratio Conditions for Control Applications by Rohan Bhate & Nilabh Srivastava
BOOKS o Clutch Turning Handbook by Olay Aaen o "No More Gears by Fischetti Mark o Popular Mechanics by McCosh LINKS o http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuously_variable_transmission o http://auto.howstuffworks.com/cvt.htm o http://www.sae.org/pdevent/WB1002 o http://cars.about.com/od/thingsyouneedtoknow/a/CVT.htm o http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=cvt o http://cvt.com.sapo.pt/why/why_cvt.htm

Thank You!