Drive Line News Issue 12009
Drive Line News Issue 12009
Drive Line News Issue 12009
vectors torque for superior stability 7 Transmission strategies: Hyundai and Ford outline ambitious plans 8 Supersports driveline: Mercedes SLS flagship has seven-speed DCT transaxle
DriveLine News
DriveLine News is a Lubrizol publication produced on a quarterly basis by TwoTone Media Ltd. The content is drawn from a number of industry sources including Ricardos Transmission & Driveline News, a monthly newsletter of references compiled by the Ricardo library and information team
Dual-clutch transaxle
The CVT presents a big challenge not just for the mechanical engineer but for the lubricant specialist too, for one of the biggest drawbacks of the dominant pushbelt type is the energy consumed in
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Customers for the top sDrive35i, with its 306 hp twin-turbo engine, can specify BMWs seven-speed dual clutch transmission, similar to that fitted to certain 3-series coup models. The DCT results in an improvement in the Z4s performance, shaving 0.1 seconds off the sixspeed cars 0-100 km/h acceleration time and trimming CO2 emissions from 219 to 210 grams per kilometer.
against one another, so you dont want a high metal friction there. The elements ride on the bands or rings that hold the belt together, and if theres a high friction contact there, the belt could fail. Some belts had actually broken under high-metal friction testing, he revealed. So the challenge, says Sumiejski, is to get a good metal friction characteristic between the belt and the pulley, but to try to minimize that metal friction when it comes to the belt elements. One way
clamping the belt to the pulleys. Clamp the belt too hard and the hydraulic energy goes to waste, harming the transmissions overall efficiency; clamp the belt with insufficient force and it will slip, causing frictional heat and risking mechanical damage. The force has to be exactly right for the prevailing conditions something that will soon be possible with the advent of slip-sensing feedback control systems. Yet, says Lubrizol Driveline Technology Manager Jim Sumiejski, the correct formulation of
transmission fluid can be of major benefit too. When were looking at the interface between the pulley and the belt in the CVT, we want the metal friction to be as high as possible, explains Sumiejski. That enables you to reduce your clamping force and thus improve efficiency. However, continues Sumiejski, there are other parts of that system that do not want high metal friction. All those metal elements in the belt are really pushing
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of the most powerful front-drive cars ever produced. Harnessing the power is an automatic torque biasing differential from Quaife, which allows more torque to be fed to the outside wheel under cornering. The entirely mechanical unit uses helical planetary gears on each side to deliver power to a sun gear mounted on each drive shaft.
Engine 100%
FTP72
of doing this could be to ensure good wear protection for the other parts of that system, he notes. The second difficulty, says Sumiejski, is the torque converter lock-up clutch and the challenge of maintaining good wet friction characteristics there. These characteristics are diametrically opposed to having high metal friction between the belt and pulley. But that is not all, continues Sumiejski. A CVT is probably one of the most effective shearing mechanisms in the world: it rips that fluid apart. The fluid is being splashed up into the belt and pulley, he explains, so there is a lot of churning going on; there is a pump forcing the fluid through the system, too. All that tends to tear apart the components in that fluid, so the viscosity would tend to drop. For this reason, CVT fluids are designed to be very shear-stable; they also need anti-foaming and wear protection ingredients, too.
CVT HoW THe LoSSeS MounT up Just 67 percent of engine power fed into a typical CVT reaches the road, according to calculations made by Bosch for a technical paper presented to the Sae in 2007. The CVTs internal losses during the FTp72 emissions test cycle are as follows: pump: 13.8 percent Torque converter: 5.7 percent Variator (pulleys): 10.1 percent Forward-reverse mechanism: 3.2 percent The Bosch paper explains that conventional hydraulic pumps have to be over-dimensioned in order to be have learned over the years to provide different chemistry systems which push the metal friction higher, explains Sumiejski. Each automaker has its own dedicated CVTF catering for the characteristics of its own transmissions, he says. Audis chain has metal-to-metal friction characteristics like the pushbelt, but a lot of the time it requires stronger anti-wear protection that chain is in a much harsher
Pump 13.8%
T/C 5.7%
Variator 10.1%
DNR+gears 3.2%
able to cope with one key critical event: an emergency stop. The transmission needs to be able to shift in an instant from overdrive to the lowest possible ratio so as to permit full braking effort. The high hydraulic pressure required by the pulleys has a large impact on overall CVT efficiency, says Bosch. The pressure demanded by torque converter, the forward-reverse mechanism, and the lubrication circuits is much lower. environment. Its pretty much a unique fluid among CVT fluids. Honda, with its wet-clutch launch system, requires yet another different solution.
Most owe their origins to ATF, or automatic transmission fluid, but so many changes have been made to the friction modifier system, the dispersant system, and other components that CVTF is to all intents and purposes a completely different fluid. We
Signs of deterioration
DCT aMT
4aT
3aT
Temperatures within a CVT can run between 80 and over 100 Celsius, depending on driving conditions, the most demanding being a launch from rest with a trailer being towed. Components must be thermally stable, stresses Sumiejski: You dont want that additive deteriorating because once it begins deteriorating, things go downhill fast. In the field, say Lubrizol experts, the first signs of deterioration are felt in the torque converter or the launch clutch. The friction modifiers get used up or they arent durable enough over time, which shows itself in shudder issues (see page 6). CVT fluids are not that durable, says Sumiejski, because to get better durability means losing your metal friction characteristic. And if the metal friction characteristic starts to deteriorate, the transmission is going to try to start compensating for that by applying
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Advanced formulations
While mechanical engineers at the automakers and transmission suppliers are developing strategies to minimize pulley clamping pressures in order to eliminate wasted energy, their counterparts on the lubrication side are busy in parallel with new core chemistries that will improve metal-tometal friction, and new lower-viscosity fluids that promise to reduce internal losses. Lubrizols goal is always to raise the metal friction so as to allow lower clamping forces and thus improved fuel efficiency. The other thing that is starting to happen now, says Sumiejski, is to look at low-viscosity versions of CVTF, again in the interests of fuel economy. However, says Sumiejski, some are concerned about the thinner lubricant film between belt and pulley, and the possible wear issues that might arise. At Lubrizol we are trying to see if we can apply our Generation 3 technology to CVTs. Right now, it looks interesting: there may not be sufficient data yet, but our preliminary findings show that we may be able to raise the metal friction. The new friction modifiers we developed for ATFs look like they may be able to help with shudder control without hurting the metal friction and along with that we will improve the wear characteristics. One of our goals is to develop a new core chemistry and then see if we can put it into a low-viscosity application.
10-15
94%
4.5%
JC08
99%
4.2%
FTP72
91%
4.0%
VW Golf 1.4 TSI DDCT: 15.4 km/ltr Toyota Allion A20: 15.6 km/ltr CVT: 1.3% better 28 Toyota allion VW golf V 4/5aT 6aT CVT belt CVT chain DCT wet 16 DCT dry aMT 12 Remarks: Japan, 10-15 cycle Applications beyond 2002 FWD, gasoline 8 DCT: (twin) charged 750 engines 2015 target
better
fuel consumption (km/ltr)
24
20
1000
1750
2000
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The intelligent, active system continuously distributes engine torque evenly between front and rear axles, says GM, and is also capable of transferring torque between the left and right wheels on the rear axle. An innovative pre-emptive engagement of the rear wheels improves acceleration performance compared with conventional vehicle 4WD systems which first have to detect fron-wheel slip before activating the rear axle.
FueL ConSuMpTion oF CVT equippeD VeHiCLeS Fuel consumption 10-15 cycle by vehicle weight
Source: Bosch
more pressure. This could then lead to greater forces being put on the metal components, which will eventually lead to wear and other issues. After that, he observes, the CVT will probably not operate very well or shift properly. Most CVT fluids today are made from good group III base stock oil, with perhaps some PAO synthetic added; nevertheless, they need good high temperature and oxidation characteristics to try and keep the fluid from building up sludge or anything that will interfere with the belt/pulley system.
The chemistry will incorporate more phosphorus in order to boost metal friction, reveals Sumiejski.
Benefits
With his new formulations still in the development phase, Sumiejski is understandably reluctant to predict precise performance or efficiency gains. One of the most promising ways of reducing the energy wasted through excessive pulley clamping forces is to implement a real-time feedback control strategy. The system is able to detect any slip of the belt on the pulleys, the strategy being to relax clamping pressure until the belt is just on the point of slipping. On a test Mercedes A190, Bosch found a fuel consumption reduction of between 5 and 6.7 percent, with even more expected on vehicles with larger engines. The average clamping force over the US FTP72 and European NEDC test cycles had decreased by 45 and 49 percent respectively, with a 69 percent drop at a steady 50 km/h. More sophisticated fluids could also help increase the torque capacity of CVTs,
We have learned over the years to provide different chemistry systems which push the metal friction higher
FueL ConSuMpTion reDuCTion aS a reSuLT oF SeLF-opTiMiZing ConTroL oF BeLT CLaMping ForCe
CVT operating principle: in low-ratio mode (left) the primary pulley (top) on the engine side expands, giving a smaller radius for the chain or belt; the secondary pulley, connected to the wheels, has contracted, forcing the belt to adopt a larger radius. in the overdrive mode (right) the positions are reversed.
possibly allowing them to be used on bigger cars, especially diesels. This experience leads Sumiejski to suspect that there may be a ceiling beyond which metal friction increases are ineffective. Thats why were looking at lower viscosities, just as they are on ATFs. Maybe that will improve fuel economy by reducing drag. Automakers, observes Sumiejski, want the highest metal friction, the best fuel economy, the lowest clamping forces, riding as close as they can to the slip limit; they want anti-shudder durability like an ATF but they dont want any compromises, and wont give up anything they already have. Well see what we can do, is Sumiejskis confident response. WHaT iS SHuDDer? Shudder in a CVT occurs when the torque converter clutch (damper clutch) attempts to engage but is not able to do so smoothly, causing a vibration feeling. This is due to a stick-slip phenomena during the period of clutch engagement. This problem usually occurs at cruising speeds and could damage the torque converter beyond repair. Shudder is almost always caused by the transmission fluid - the fluid may be beyond its usable life or the wrong fluid is installed into the CVT.
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Honda has not revealed which model the new transmission will first feature on, but has said it will launch a new V4 model in 2010. UK transmission innovator ZeroShift has, in the meantime, confirmed to the influential publication Motorcycle News that it is working on a version of its novel quick-shifting transmission for motorcycles. The ZeroShift system, which effectively replaces synchromesh, allows instantaneous, low-effort shifts.
of a conventional automatic transmission. The 6F-55 automatic transmission is a development of the current unit and, despite its higher torque capacity of 475 Nm, is able to improve its efficiency. Key measures, says Ford, are thicker transfer and final drive gears, a more responsive torque converter, and improved fluid flow paths for a reduction in overall clutch drag losses.
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Supercar chassis
In an atypical move, Daimler has released technical details of its new supercar more than a year ahead of its 2010 production launch. But, while the external photography shows only camouflaged and mule vehicles on hot and cold weather location testing, the images of the driveline and chassis components are for real. They reveal a potent, mid-front engined GT with a seven-speed, dual-clutch rear transaxle. Every aspect of the design is geared toward reducing weight and lowering the center of gravity.
Torque tube construction gives rigid connection between engine and rear transaxle assemblies. ultralight carbon fiber driveshaft spins at engine speed over 7,000 rev/min.
Seven-speed, dual clutch transmission is mounted in unit with the rear axle. Doubleclutch assembly sits ahead of the rear axle line, with drive passing below the axle to the gearbox and then forward at a higher level to the differential. Differential has an integrated locking mechanism to ensure maximum traction under acceleration.
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