C O V E R S T O R Y ELECTRIC VEHICLES

TRANSMISSIONS FOR
ELECTRIC VEHICLES
A new family of multi-speed transmissions from Oerlikon Graziano, based on the principles of dual clutch trans-
missions, provides an alternative approach to increasing the efficiency, performance and range of electric vehicles.

32 www.autotechreview.com
 AUTHOR
DR.-ING. CLAUDIO TORRELLI
is Head of Product Development at
Oerlikon Graziano in Rivoli (Italy).
autotechreview A p r il 2 013
MOTOR EFFICIENCY
Conventional thinking on electric vehicle
(EV) drivelines is to use a single-speed
transmission, relying on the torque
spread of the electric motor to provide
adequate performance under all operat-
ing conditions. Though simple to exe-
cute, this arrangement cannot achieve
the best vehicle efficiency because, for
much of the time, the traction motor is
operating at loads and speeds that do not
yield optimum efficiency.
At the lowest and highest vehicle
speeds, and under conditions of light
loading, motor efficiency typically falls
to between 60 and 70 %. Under opti-
mum speed and load conditions, it
increases to around 90 %, ➊. Detailed
simulation has indicated that an overall
improvement in vehicle efficiency and
energy consumption of around 15 %
can be achieved over the NEDC (New
European Driving Cycle) by using a
four-speed transmission with a pair of
small electric motors.
The eDCT (electric Dual Clutch
Transmission) allows for a total of seven
gear combinations from the four distinct
gear ratios through a combination of
single-motor driving (first, second, third
and fourth gear) and dual-motor driving
combinations (first and second, second
and third, third and fourth gear).
Reducing the energy consumption of
an electric vehicle helps to overcome a
key issue for many users – range anxiety
– by providing greater operational range
❶ Trajectory of motor efficiency
Vo lu m e 2 | Is su e 4
from an existing battery pack. Alterna-
tively, the vehicle can be provided with
increased performance, or existing per-
formance can be maintained using
smaller, lighter battery packs and motors.
REPLACING CLUTCHES
WITH MOTORS
The transmission concept of the eDCT
from Oerlikon Graziano is based on the
principles of a dual clutch transmission
(DCT), providing seamless shifting
between ratios without torque interrup-
tion, yet using no clutches or synchronis-
ers. The configuration is similar to a DCT
but using two motors in place of the twin
clutches. One motor drives a shaft carry-
ing first and third gears (the “odd”
shaft); the other drives a shaft carrying
second and fourth (the “even” shaft).
This allows pre-selection of the next gear
before the previous one has been disen-
gaged, using the two motors to synchro-
nise shaft speeds so that no synchronis-
ers are needed.
The first generation design was pro-
duced for a high-performance GT car,
using two 240 Nm electric motors.
Designed with splash lubrication and
minimal numbers of meshes and bearings
for maximum efficiency, the gearbox is
arranged in two-stages with helical gears.
A limited slip differential is incorporated
into the final drive and electro-hydraulic
actuators for the shift mechanism are inte-
grated into the assembly.
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C O V E R S T O R Y ELECTRIC VEHICLES

❷ Transmission with opposed motor arrangement ❸ Transmission with parallel motor arrangement

DEVELOPMENT AND ARRANGEMENT tric motor and barrel cam, and an open wheel drive (4WD) hybrid, while city bus
OF THE TWO GENERATIONS OF differential. or truck applications have also been
TRANSMISSION catered for. Even a series or parallel
hybrid arrangement with only two driven
The first generation transmission was VARIABILITY THANKS wheels can be accommodated by the
developed quickly, with detailed design TO MODULARITY inclusion of a single clutch within the
completed within four weeks of start-up combined powertrain.
and prototype assembly achieved during Use of a modular concept also makes the The shift control system was devel-
the 11th week. Simultaneous develop- design highly scalable to suit a wide range oped by UK controls specialists, Vocis
ment of software enabled functional test- of other vehicle types. Compact low-cost Driveline Controls, which is part-owned
ing and vehicle commissioning began by electric city cars can use an electric front by Oerlikon Graziano. Using expertise
the 13th week. Four months after the or rear axle configuration, potentially from previous DCT applications, Vocis
project started, the shift performance had based on a 48 V architecture. The addi- used a range of existing algorithms from
been developed sufficiently for demon- tion of an electrically driven axle assem- their software library to cover driver strat-
stration purposes. bly to performance cars, luxury cars and egy, shift sequencing, gear actuation and
A second generation design, for A supercars can create a desirable four- safety functions complying with OBD-II
and B class cars, uses a pair of motors,
each with between 64 and 75 Nm
torque and peak power output between
50 and 70 kW. By using a modular
architecture for the transmission, the
motors can be installed parallel to each
other or on opposite sides of the trans-
mission, to suit vehicle installation pri-
orities. Both parallel and opposing
arrangements share high levels of com-
ponent commonality, including input
shafts, gear selection actuation and dif-
ferential assemblies.
➋ shows the opposed motor arrange-
ment, ➌ the parallel arrangement. The
A/B class car application uses electro-
mechanical shift actuation, via an elec- ❹ Software components of the shift control system compared to previous DCT applications

34 www.autotechreview.com
❺ Full sequence of a shift event
requirements. The software is simpler
than for a DCT application because the
engine interface is replaced by a motor
interface while the clutch and synchron-
iser control algorithms are unnecessary
and are deleted entirely, ➍. The first gen-
eration prototype used a Vocis TMS-20
controller that, in addition to direct inputs
and outputs, allows robust CAN commu-
nication with other controllers on the
vehicle to ensure seamless shifting and
intuitive control.
ANALYSIS OF A SHIFT EVENT
Although gear shifting appears seamless
to the vehicle occupants, there is a
defined sequence of individual events,
each one scheduled and controlled by the
software. ➎ shows the full sequence for a
typical power-on upshift during dual-
motor driving.
Initially, the vehicle is accelerating
with first gear and second gear driving.
The required torque is provided by motor
1 (blue line) and motor 2 (red line). As
autotechreview A p r il 2 013 Vo lu m e 2 | Is su e 4
the torque from motor 1 rolls-off, the
torque from motor 2 increases until it pro-
vides all the driving torque, compensating
for the loss in torque from motor 1, as the
motor 1 torque reduces to zero. At this
point, first gear is disengaged, neutral is
selected on the odd shaft and the speed of
motor 1 is commanded to the synchro-
nous speed associated with third gear.
The vehicle accelerates in second gear
under the increased torque from motor 2,
the speed of motor 2 increasing in line
with vehicle speed. When the speed of
motor 1 matches the required speed to
select third gear, the odd shaft is shifted
from neutral to third.
With the third gear pre-selected, the
torque output from motor 1 increases and
that from motor 2 falls until driving
torque is shared by motor 1 and motor 2.
The vehicle is now driving in second and
third gear, achieving a synchronous shift
without the need for clutch or synchronis-
ers. A corresponding sequence is then
used for the transition to third and fourth
gear. The gear selector cam tracks corre-
spond to the shift sequences described.
CONCLUSION
A subset of the sequence described is also
applicable for single-motor driving or
transitions between single-motor and
dual-motor driving, giving a full comple-
ment of control strategies that can priori-
tise economy or performance, and the
transitions between the two, as appropri-
ate to the particular application.
Direct control of the input shafts using
two electric motors provides enhanced
response, compared to an internal com-
bustion engine driving through a DCT.
Shift strategies have even been imple-
mented that make some gearshifts imper-
ceptible to the test drivers, requiring close
examination of logged data to analyse the
shift event.
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