4.2. Speed Converter for Moving Off Internal combustion engines have a minimum rotational speed. The speed difference be- tween the lowest engine operating speed and the stationary transmission input shaft has to be bridged by a speed converter. Frictional engaged clutches are always used as moving. off elements. Figure 4.3 shows a systematic classification of master clutches [4.1]. The main moving-off elements to have established themselves in motor vehicles are: O the dry clutch where is = 1.0 is standard for manual transmissions, © the torque converter where is 2 1.0 is standard for conventional fully automatic transmissions. Less common is the magnetic powder clutch in which a magnetisable powder transmits the power by frictional engagement, Magnetic powder clutches, and also wet multi-dise clutches, are used as automatic clutches in continuously variable transmissions, for exam. ple. In dry clutches the pressure force is produced by a spring. A distinction is made be- {ween coil spring clutches and membrane spring clutches depending on the type of spring used. A distinction is also made between clutches activated by pulling and by pushing, Shiftable, master controlled, frictionally engaged Frictiona || Hydro: Hydro || Electro: | Electro Magnetic dynamic static dynamic | static See 1 Magnetic powder foo Clutch [converter | Dy Wet Figure 4.3. Systematic classification of master clutches on the basis oftheir characteristics‘The characteristic features of a speed converter are (Figure 4.4) (O the output torque 73 is equal to the input torque T} h=N © the output speed ny is tess than or equal to the input speed my: nem (© the input power P) is reduced by the power loss Py: Pre Pi oD SPEED => Pe=Pi-Py CONVERTER: 17> -> b=" Pe Pee Figure 4.4, Speed converter input and output va Figure 4.5 shows an idealised clutch operation sequence when moving off. The input ‘output speeds converge in the course of the clutch operation sequence, Some of the in power is converted into waste heat during the continuous slip phase. The efficiency of clutch 7c is given by Equations 4.2 and 4.3 and is. Py_T2an, Ba ee ve. as R T2anm “ve Ty vice, a= 1, then hn ove asi ny Reduction of Engine speed _engine speed Speed of gearbox input shaft Disengaged | Engagingphase | Engaged Time t Figure 4.5. Idealised moving-off sequence with a friction clutch43, Total Ratio and Overall Gear Ratio 81 The slip 5 is defined as the ratio of the difference between the input and output speeds to the input speed nan: 46) Equations 4.5 and 4.6 give the following relationship between efficiency, slip and speed ratio s Yes an The master clutch must be so designed that it both transmits the maximum output torque with sufficient reliability, and tolerates the thermal stress arising in repetitive “stop end 20” use [4.2]. 4.3 Total Ratio and Overall Gear Ratio ‘The power train has to offer ratios between engine speed and road wheel speed enabling the vehicle to: O move off under difficult conditions, Q reach the required maximum speed, and © operate in the fuel-efficient ranges of the engine performance map. The maximum ratio required ia, max is fixed by the first condition. The second condition ives the maximum road speed ratio ia(Uimx,s)- The smallest power-train ratio tn, min is given by the third condition. Figure 4.6 shows the speed spread of a transmission in diagram of velocity against engine speed. The engine speed range (primary side) is (Spread” by the transmission to the speed range of the secondary side. The operating range extends between the ratio boundaries, Gearbox speed spread (secondary side) Velocity v Engine speed n |+——— Engine speed spread ———»| (primary side) max Fieure 4.6, Velocity/onaine-cpeed dingram, overall gear ratio ncreasing legal constraints and traffic density are reducing the importance of maximum Peeds of passenger cars. By the same token, acceleration performance is gaining in portance,A wide overall gear ratio is particularly important for heavy passenger cars with powerful engines and a low drag coefficients [4.3]. They need: Q ahigh stall torque ratio is, max for moving off and accelerating, © a low minimum ratio ia, min for low engine speeds at high road speeds to reduce fuel consumption 4.3.1 Overall Gear Ratio ‘The overall gear ratio of the transmission, often referred to as the range of ratios, is the ratio between the largest and smallest ratio. ig. max _ ft with the gears fcr Lup toz (48) fc.min fe ‘The overall gear ratio depends on: Q the specific power output of the vehicle (Prax / (me + Mpaytead) in KW/), Q the overall gear ratio of the engine, (see Section 3,3.2), and. O the intended use. Vehicles with a low specific power output, such as commercial vehicles, need a larger overall gear ratio. The same applies for vehicles with diesel engines, which have a small ‘engine speed spread. Reference values for overall gear ratios of Various vehicles are shown in Figure 4.7. Truck> 16t fi 1) Truck < 16 i ] Bus, long-distance | Pass. car: ace. & consumpt. opt. Fut? 1 [_ 1] Pass. car, diesel engine; transporter (| Passenger car, spark ignition engine GS Passenger car: automatic [EGEF Bus, urban: automatic 0 2 4 6 8 0 12 4 16 18 Ratio spread ig op Figure 4.7. Reference values for overall gear ratios for various types of vehicle. In the cease of automatic transmissions, the conversion of the torque converter (Lmax = 2-3) has tobe added For passenger cars in particular itis necessary to consider that: O However great the overall gear ratio is, the transmission can only move the ‘operating point on the demand power hyperbola (see also Figure 3.17). The most fuel-efficient range cannot be exploited by a passenger car with a powerful en- gine travelling on the level at moderate speeds since there is “insufficient power | required”. The engine and all power-train components have to fit together: | power-train matching, see Chapter 5 | Q Overdrive gears (ic <'1.0) result in reduced gear efficiency. |