Powertrain Matching

John Bucknell
DaimlerChrysler
Powertrain Systems Engineering

September 30, 2006


What is Powertrain Matching?
Selecting the right engine and gearing for
a given application
Not just performance, but giving the driver
the expected response to pedal inputs
In automotive applications delves deeper
into transmission shift schedules as fuel
economy is heavily impacted
A little side story
to
get you in the right mindset

which illustrates the difference
between
motorheads and everyone else
The Story of
Power

and the Power Paradigm
(the early life of Electronic Throttle Control at Chrysler)
The Beginning
Driver pushes on Pedal to move vehicle
Pedal formerly known as Gas Pedal, and
before that, Accelerator Pedal

Pedal Driver
Driver Intent Relates to Pedal
Position
Pedal Position
Foot off
Pedal
Floored
Slow
down
Maintain
speed
Speed up
a little
Speed up
a lot
D
r
i
v
e
r

I
n
t
e
n
t

Driver Intent
Driver Intent is essentially acceleration
rate (+ or -)
Since pedal position is related to driver
intent, pedal position is related to desired
vehicle acceleration.
Acceleration Relates to Pedal Position
Pedal Position
Foot off
Pedal
Floored
V
e
h
i
c
l
e

A
c
c
e
l
e
r
a
t
i
o
n

Vehicle Acceleration
Newtons First Law:
F=ma
Vehicle mass is constant (ignoring fuel
usage, washer solvent spray, and any fluid
leaks)
So, Force is proportional to
acceleration
Force Relates to Pedal Position
Pedal Position
Foot off
Pedal
Floored
F
o
r
c
e

A
p
p
l
i
e
d

t
o

V
e
h
i
c
l
e

Where Does the Force Come From?
Engine produces some torque, at a
speed:

Transmission:







Ignoring Losses, of Course

engine engine, T e
( )( )
trans
engine
trans
trans engine trans
n
n T T
e
e =
=
Where Does the Force Come From?
Axle:









Ignoring Losses, of Course

( )( ) ( )( )( )
( )( ) axle trans
engine
axle
trans
axle
axle trans engine axle trans axle
n n n
n n T n T T
e
=
e
= e
= =
Where Does the Force Come From?
Tire:








Ignoring Losses, of Course
Interesting, but not the end of the Story.
( ) ( )( )( )
( )
|
.
|

\
|
e =
|
.
|

\
|
=
|
.
|

\
|
=
2
er TireDiamet
2
er TireDiamet
2
er TireDiamet
axle vehicle
axle trans engine axle
vehicle
V
n n T T
F
Where Does the Force Come From?
Note:
axle trans engine
axle trans engine T T T
e e e = =
= =
Where Does the Force Come From?
Power- the rate at which work is done:
Power is Force times Velocity (linear)




Power is Torque times Rotational Speed
(rotary)
( )( )
( )( ) V F
Velocity Force Power
=
=
( )( )
( )( ) e =
=
T
Speed Rotational Torque Power
Where Does the Force Come From?
Engine produces power:
( )( ) engine engine engine T P e =
Where Does the Force Come From?
Transmission:










Ignoring Losses, of Course

( )( )
( )( ) | |
( )( )
engine trans
engine engine
trans
engine
trans engine
trans trans trans
P P
T
n
n T
T P
=
e =
(

e
=
e =
Where Does the Force Come From?
Axle:










Ignoring Losses, of Course

( )( )
( )( ) | |
( )( )
engine trans axle
trans trans
axle
trans
axle trans
axle axle axle
P P P
T
n
n T
T P
= =
e =
(

e
=
e =
Where Does the Force Come From?
Tire:










Ignoring Losses, of Course

( )
( )
( )
( )
( )( )
engine trans axle vehicle
axle axle
axle
axle
vehicle vehicle vehicle
P P P P
T
T
V F P
2
er TireDiamet
2
er TireDiamet
= = =
e =
(

|
.
|

\
|
e
|
.
|

\
|
=
=
Where Does the Force Come From?
Power is conserved:


POWER IS ABSOLUTE

Torque is relative (depends on gear
ratio)

Ignoring Losses, of Course
vehicle axle trans engine P P P P = = =
Where Does the Force Come From?
The force comes from engine power:




At a given vehicle velocity, force, and
therefore acceleration, depends on power
produced by the engine

vehicle
engine
vehicle
V
P
F =
Force Relates to Pedal Position
Pedal Position
Foot off
Pedal
Floored
F
o
r
c
e

A
p
p
l
i
e
d

t
o

V
e
h
i
c
l
e

Engine Power Relates to Pedal
Position
Pedal Position
Foot off
Pedal
Floored
E
n
g
i
n
e

P
o
w
e
r

0
25
50
75
100
0
25
50
75
100
-40
-30
-20
-10
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
P
o
w
e
r

D
e
m
a
n
d
e
d

(
%

o
f

m
a
x

p
o
w
e
r
)
Vehicle Speed (% of max speed)
Pedal Position (%)
Engine Power Relates to Pedal Position
Implications of the Power
Paradigm
Powertrain Control
Vehicle Performance
Engine Performance Optimization Criteria

Powertrain Control
Should provide the power level
demanded by the driver as efficiently as
possible
Efficiency could be based on:
minimum fuel consumption
minimum emissions
best NVH
some combination of these or other
considerations
Should use the best combination of:
engine speed (gear ratio)
throttle position (ETC)
spark advance
fuel flow rate
EGR rate
cylinder deactivation
variable valve timing
active manifold
external charge motion
devices
Powertrain Control Example
Example: minimize fuel consumption at
a driver commanded power level
pedal position indicates driver wants 100
hp delivered (based on power required vs.
pedal position and vehicle speed)
need to find engine speed and MAP
(throttle position) for best fuel
consumption
assume Electronic Throttle Control
Specific Fuel Consumption vs. Speed & MAP
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
Engine Speed (rpm)
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
M
A
P

(
k
P
a
)
0.40
0.45
0.50
0.55
0.60
0.65
0.70
0.75
0.80
B
S
F
C

(
l
b
/
h
p
-
h
r
)
0.41
0.45
0.50
0.55
0.60
0.60
0.65
0.70


Engine Power vs. Speed & MAP
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
E
n
g
in
e

S
p
e
e
d

(
r
p
m
)
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
M
A
P

(
k
P
a
)
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
P
o
w
e
r

(
b
h
p
)
10.00
10.00
10.00
25.00
25.00
50.00
75.00
100.00
150.00
200.00
250.00
300.00


Specific Fuel Consumption vs. Speed & MAP
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000
Engine Speed (rpm)
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
M
A
P

(
k
P
a
)
0.41
0.45
0.50
0.55
0.60
0.60
0.65
0.70


Engine Power vs. Speed & MAP
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000
Engine Speed (rpm)
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
M
A
P

(
k
P
a
)
10.00
10.00
10.00
25.00
25.00
50.00
75.00
100.00
150.00
200.00
250.00
300.00


BSFC vs. Speed & MAP with Constant Power
Lines
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000
Engine Speed (rpm)
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
M
A
P

(
k
P
a
)
0.41
0.45
0.50
0.55
0.60
0.60
0.65
0.70


10.00
10.00
10.00
25.00
25.00
50.00
75.00
100.00
150.00
200.00
250.00
300.00
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000
Engine Speed (rpm)
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
M
A
P

(
k
P
a
)


Powertrain Control Example
Any combination of MAP and rpm along
the 100 hp line will satisfy the drivers
power requirement
Low rpm and high MAP gives best BSFC
Ideally, efficient CVT sets engine speed
(1900 rpm, set MAP to 90 kPa)
Conventional transmissions with
discreet gear ratios must pick gear ratio
for combination of rpm and MAP for
lowest BSFC at a vehicle speed

Vehicle Performance
Best possible vehicle acceleration if engine
runs at peak power (not at peak torque)
requires efficient CVT to change transmission ratio
vs. vehicle speed to maintain peak power engine
speed
Transmission that allows the engine to
provide the highest average power over an
acceleration event will give best vehicle
acceleration
more transmission gears improves vehicle
acceleration by keeping engine speed in range that
makes more power
Simulated Vehicle Performance with
Different Transmissions
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
0 10 20 30 40 50 60
Time (s)
V
e
h
i
c
l
e

S
p
e
e
d

(
m
p
h
)
100% Efficient CVT
90% Efficient CVT
4 Speed Automatic
Engine Performance Optimization Criteria
Typically engine program goals are a
peak torque value and a peak power
value
Assuming different sets of engine
hardware could meet the program
goals, only one set of hardware will
perform the best in a vehicle
The best performing vehicle will have
the highest average power delivered to
the wheels during an acceleration event,
which is dependent on transmission
capability
Engine Optimization Example:
Which Engine Performs Better in a Vehicle?
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 5000 5500 6000
Engine Speed (rpm)
T
o
r
q
u
e

(
l
b
-
f
t
)
,

P
o
w
e
r

(
b
h
p
)
engine A
engine B
engine A engine B
Peak Torque (lb-ft) 400 400
Average Torque (1200-5600rpm) (lb-ft) 362 351
Peak Power (bhp) 350 350
Average Power (1200-5600rpm) (bhp) 234 231
Engine Optimization Example:
Which Engine Performs Better in a Vehicle?
200
220
240
260
280
300
320
340
360
1000 1500 2000 2500 3000 3500 4000 4500 5000 5500 6000
Engine Speed (rpm)
A
v
e
r
a
g
e

P
o
w
e
r

f
r
o
m

x

r
p
m

t
o

5
6
0
0

r
p
m

(
b
h
p
)
engine A
engine B
Engine Optimization Example
Engine A & Engine B both meet program
objectives
Which one is better?
It depends on the transmission
Engine B will perform better if transmission
keeps engine speed above 3200 rpm during
an acceleration event
This is true for any of the typical vehicle
performance metrics:
5 sec. Distance
0-60 time
1/4 mile time
Summary
The Story of Power
Pedal Position relates to driver demanded
power output
The Power Paradigm
Power is Absolute
Powertrain (engine/transmission)
matching is crucial to maximize vehicle
performance

Closing Remarks
Powertrain Matching makes best use of
your engine potential
Torque & Power shaping can give optimal
performance for a given set of gearing
Optimal gearing can make your car faster for
no changes in engine performance


Q & A