04CVT-8

Design of an Electromechanical Ratio and Clamping Force Actuator for a Metal V-belt Type CVT
K.G.O. van de Meerakker, P.C.J.N. Rosielle, B. Bonsen, T.W.G.L. Klaassen
Technische Universiteit Eindhoven
Copyright 2004 SAE International

ABSTRACT
Apart from enabling continuous ratio change under load, the Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) offers, between limits, the ability to choose engine rotational speed independently of vehicle speed. Here lies a potential efficiency benefit, because the engine can operate more fuel efficiently. There are unfortunately considerable power losses within the CVT itself, causing many CVT equipped cars to be less fuel-efficient than cars with a manual transmission. The internal losses are caused for a substantial part by the CVTs hydraulic actuation. An electromechanical CVT pulley actuation system was designed to overcome the hydraulic power loss and hence improve CVT efficiency. Spindles are driven from the fixed world through epicyclic gearings by electric motors that are placed outside the transmission housing in a cool environment. A mechanical link between the adjustment mechanisms on the two shafts provides energy exchange, thus lowering shifting power demand and actuator size. Because of this, only one electric motor actuates pulley movement on both shafts for ratio change. A second actuator keeps the belt tensioned and controls belt clamping force. A high degree of independency between ratio- and clamping force actuation can be established. A prototype was designed as a modification on a commercially available belt type CVT, which is currently in the realization phase. After trials on a test rig, the transmission will be built in to a vehicle to further evaluate the new concept.

a short description of the belt type CVT, energy loss in the hydraulic actuation system will be discussed. As an alternative to conventional hydraulic actuation, an electromechanically actuated CVT design will be presented as a means for improving CVT efficiency. Design- and test considerations will be presented.

THE CONVENTIONAL BELT TYPE CVT

The belt type CVT has two parallel shafts with pulleys. Torque is transmitted between the shafts by means of a segmented steel V-belt, which runs between the pulleys. The assembly of belt and pulleys is called variator. A pulley consists of two conical halves called sheaves, which can be moved axially relative to each other to adjust the radius on which the belt runs. Coordinated adjustment of sheave distance on both shafts creates a transmission ratio between the shafts, whilst keeping the belt clamped to prevent excessive slippage. Most belt type CVTs on the market are actuated hydraulically. In these CVTs, oil is pumped into cylinders on the pulley shafts to move the pulley sheaves and clamp the belt. To provide oil pressure and flow, a hydraulic pump is most often coupled to the engine crankshaft, either directly or with a fixed transmission ratio. Cylinder actuation pressures are usually controlled electronically by means of solenoid valves.

HYDRAULIC POWER LOSS

Hydraulic power loss is one of the main losses in a belt type CVT. (1) The pump that provides oil pressure and flow is dimensioned for a situation when maximum shifting speed and therefore high oil flow is demanded while the engine is idling and pump speed is low. Higher engine speeds thus lead to excessive oil flow, which are drained to sump. The oil still has to be kept pressurized to provide belt-clamping force. This drainage of pressurized oil is a direct power loss that negatively influences the vehicles fuel efficiency. Particularly at partial load, this loss is significant.

INTRODUCTION
Apart from enabling continuous ratio change under load, the CVT offers, between limits, the ability to choose engine rotational speed independently of vehicle speed. Here lies a potential efficiency benefit, because the engine can operate more often in fuel-efficient operating points. There are unfortunately considerable power losses within the CVT itself, causing many CVT equipped cars to be less fuel-efficient than cars with a manual transmission. The internal losses are caused for a substantial part by the CVTs hydraulic actuation. After

ALTERNATIVES
There already are alternatives available to prevent the excessive oil flow. Use of a pump with multiple stages can reduce power loss. Until a pump that has a continuously variable flow is used, this loss will always be present to some extent in hydraulically actuated CVTs, together with leakage loss. Bradley and Frank (2) propose a hydraulic actuation where electric servo pumps provide the desired oil flow. This can largely eliminate excessive oil flow. The pumps need to deliver enough flow to compensate for seal leak. There already is an electromechanically actuated belt type CVT on the market: the dry hybrid belt CVT (3). Dry refers to the absence of oil lubrication. Because the friction coefficient between the composite belt and the pulleys is high without lubrication and because the transmitted torque is low, belt-clamping forces can be kept low. However, this CVT is for low power applications.

fixed to the transmission housing to prevent its rotation. If the adjustment ring gear is also not rotating, the shaftfixed sun gear and the planetary nut sun gear have the same speed, thereby maintaining the pulley position. If the adjustment ring gear is rotated relative to the transmission housing, a rotation difference between the sun gears is established and the spindle axially moves the moveable pulley sheave. On the secondary shaft, there is a similar mechanism to adjust the moveable sheave position. Primary and secondary mechanisms are coupled, as will be described below. A fundamental disadvantage of the belt type CVT is that ratio shifting requires movement of the sheaves in the direction of the clamping force. With high clamping forces, this involves considerable power. However, during ratio change, one moveable sheave moves in the direction of the clamping force, while the other moves opposite to this force. It is possible to have energy exchange between the two moveable sheaves and hence reduce power needed for ratio change. In the electromechanical concept described in this paper, this energy exchange is realised not in the electric domain, where it is substantially reduced in the various conversions, but in the mechanical domain, by coupling the two moving ring gears of the adjustment mechanisms on the two shafts, which thereto are provided with an external gear. These external gears mesh directly. (See fig. 1, meshing gears.) To facilitate this coupling of the ring gears, the choice was made to build a central pull rod in the secondary shaft. Now, the adjustment mechanisms on both shafts are on the same side of the transmission. This has the inherent advantage of accessability behind a single cover, which is particularly important in prototype design. Also the simplicity of the two-shaft layout is maintained. If the mechanisms were on opposite sides, as is necessary for the moveable sheaves, connecting the ring gears would be more difficult. The meshing gears not only provide energy exchange, now the adjustment of both moveable sheaves can be done by a single electric motor. This electric motor drives a worm gear on the ratio adjustment ring gear. It can be placed outside the transmission housing with its centerline tangential to the pulley shaft. It only rotates when ratio change is required, while the pulley shaft is rotating at variable (engine) speed. Because the electric motor is mounted outside the transmission housing, it is in a cooler environment and can easily be additionally cooled if needed. An alternative, transfer of electric energy to on board the rotating pulley shaft itself is neither necessary nor practical, because in a transmission, temperatures as high as 115 C cause considerable down rating of servomotors due to limitations on coil insulation temperature. The placement of the motor outside the transmission housing allows a wide choice of motor size, shape, and position to be considered, which is practice in the automotive industry. Access for motor maintenance is of course also improved. Because the spindle must be able to rotate whilst transmitting clamping force, an axial thrust bearing is

SYSTEM DESCRIPTION
Planetary nut Worm gear on ratio adjustment ring gear Housing-fixed ring gear Shaft-fixed sun gear Double epicyclic gear set Meshing gears

Moveable sheaves

Primary

Secondary
Planetary nut

Pull rod

Clamping force adjustment ring gear

Fig. 1

Section view of parts of the electromechanically actuated variator

At one end of the primary shaft, there are two epicyclic gear sets closely together. One sun gear is fixed to the pulley shaft. The other sun gear can rotate around the centerline of the shaft. This latter sun gear is connected to the planetary spindle nut. The concentric spindle bush is integral to the moveable pulley sheave, which can only translate axially and not rotate with respect to the fixed pulley sheave. The planet gears of both above mentioned epicyclic gear sets are supported on needle bearings on a common carrier. One sets ring gear is

needed. In the dry hybrid belt CVT (3), the spindle nut only rotates during ratio change. This has the disadvantage that the thrust bearings are always rotating under load with the shaft rotational speed causing continuous power loss. At high clamping forces, to the level needed in high power lubricated CVTs, power loss in the axial thrust bearings would become so large as to be significant at partial load. If the double epicyclic gear set arrangement is used, the spindle rotates at pulley shaft speed. The thrust bearing only rotates slowly with adjustment velocity and only during ratio change. (Fig. 2.)

b
Fig. 3 Primary and secondary moveable sheave translation difference plotted against CVT transmission ratio for a typical commercial CVT in a mid-size car at 11 pulley angle

MODELING
Thrust bearing Fig. 2 Two thrust bearings to the transmission housing (left, a), or a single thrust bearing rotating with the shaft (right, b). Thrust bearing rotation is now only with adjustment velocity and only during ratio change.

With the meshing gears linking the mechanisms on the primary and secondary shaft, both moveable sheaves will make the same translation. However, there has to exist a translation difference to keep the belt tensioned, as will be explained below. When the variator is in the 1:1 ratio, there is a symmetric situation. The wrapped angle of the belt on both shafts is the same, approximately 180. If the variator shifts out of the 1:1 ratio, the wrapped angle becomes different for both shafts. Axial displacement of the opposite moveable sheaves is in the same direction, but not of exactly the same magnitude. See fig. 3. The clamping force adjustment ring gear from fig. 1 is supplied with a torque by an electric motor through a cable to keep the belt tensioned. In doing so, the ring will rotate slightly during ratio change and will thereby compensate for the moveable sheave translation difference as depicted in fig. 3, caused by the inequality of the wrapped angles.

To be able to compare various stiffnesses and choose optimal transmission ratios in the design, it is useful to construct a model. In fig. 4 a lumped momentary model of the electromechanically actuated variator is depicted. Inertia effects are not taken into account. The abovementioned translation difference between the moveable sheaves is neglected in the model. The clamping force actuator is represented by Fclamp. In the centre of the figure, a line can be seen that divides the figure in a primary and a secondary part, referring to the primary and the secondary shaft of the transmission. On the outer left and right sides of the figure, representations of double epicyclic gear sets are shown. In each epicyclic gear set, there are three planets. Therefore, tooth contact stiffness Tr at the ring and Ts at the sun, as well as stiffness of the needle bearing N at the carrier may be multiplied by three. In the top centre, a stiffness Tc indicates the tooth contact stiffness of the meshing gears which link the primary shaft epicyclic set to the secondary shaft set. Below this stiffness Tc, the ratio control motor can be seen, which drives a worm gear on the moveable ring gear of the epicyclic set on the primary shaft. Stiffness W represents the stiffness of the tooth contact between worm and worm gear, as well as stiffness of an axial worm shaft support bearing. Further down in the figure, there are the transmission ratios of the planetary nuts and the stiffnesses Cthr, which represent the combined stiffnesses of the belt clamping loops, e.g. the axial needle thrust bearings that support the planetary nuts, axial stiffness of the nuts, the bending stiffnesses of the pulley shafts and axial stiffnesses of the pulley shafts and pull rod. The first and third are governing. Finally, in the bottom centre of the figure, we find the tensional stiffness of the belt, Cbelt.

Coupling gears mesh radius Ring gear mesh radius Worm gear mesh radius

Fclamp

Planet carrier 3Tr 3N 3Ts 3Tr

Tc
W

3Tr 3N 3Ts

3Tr 3N 3Ts

3N planet 3Ts

1 1 2 2

Fclamp
Ratio control motor Secondary Primary 410 /2 (spindle)

11

1 2
Summation mechanism (See fig. 6a)
1

-3

2 1
Double epicyclic gear set

11

1
Cthr
1

Cbelt

Cthr

Ratio control motor

1 2
tan 11
1

410 /2

-3

Fig. 4

Lumped momentary model of the electromechanically actuated variator

1
Cthr

(spindle 1 1 Cbelt
1

2 1

Cthr

tan 11

Fig. 5

When judging effectiveness of a mechanical design, parts with very poor stiffness tend to be considered inadequate. To be able to compare various stiffnesses of needle bearings and gear tooth contacts in the rotation part of the actuation mechanism to the stiffnesses of parts in the clamping force loop, e.g. thrust bearing stiffness, pulley and belt stiffness and spindle nut stiffness, the ratio between these tracts has to be eliminated in a way shown simplified in fig. 6b. In between the stiffnesses Tr , Ts , N , Tc and Ccable and the stiffnesses Cthr and Cbelt, there is the small transmission -3 ratio of the spindle, ispindle = 410 /2 [m/rad]. For the spindle chosen in this design, the stiffnesses in the 6 rotation part can be measured 2.510 times higher at the belt than before the spindle reduction ispindle. In fig. 5 they are therefore considered rigid, hereby reducing the number of degrees of freedom in the model.

Reduced lumped momentary model of the electromechanically actuated variator

1 1

1 2

A+B

b
i = y/x C
2

Now, a situation where the CVT transmission ratio is kept constant is considered. A simplified model for the clamping action can be established, see fig. 7a. The model is reduced by eliminating the transmission ratio of the pulley angle. This is further simplified to fig. 7b and eventually to fig. 7c, where C is an estimate of the stiffness as measurable at the cable, pulled by the clamping force motor.

C/i

Fig. 6

Summation mechanism (above, a) and elimination of a transmission ratio (below, b)

PROOF-OF-CONCEPT APPROACH
Fclamp On top of simulations (4), it is essential to build a prototype transmission to evaluate simulation results in a real world environment. A detailed 3D CAD prototype design was made (fig. 8), which is currently in the construction phase. From mid 2004 onward, the prototype transmission with its electromechanically actuated variator will be evaluated on a test rig. The electromechanically actuated variator will be built into an existing CVT transmission, the JATCO CK2, provided by JATCO TransTechnology Co., Ltd. The outer cover of the original transmission is removed, as well as the two pulley shafts. Modified shafts are installed. A new cover contains the new actuator parts. On the test rig, the hydraulics will be disabled. DNR couplings and torque converter will initially be mechanically locked. Oil from an external electric pump will be used for lubrication only. In this way, power that is used for lubrication can be measured easily. When in- and outgoing torques and speeds are also measured, the in- and outgoing energy flows of the transmission can be calculated. A complete picture of the transmission efficiency can then be established.

Rsun

C 1 2

b
Rcable Rring

Rsun

Fclamp

c
C

Fclamp

Fig. 7

Model of the clamping action of the electromechanically actuated variator at constant ratio (above, a). Further simplification in b and c Fig. 8 CAD model of parts of the electromechanically actuated variator

C '= C

i 2
thr

2 spindle

(tan
C

11
belt

)2
R ring i spindle R sun R cable
2

CONCLUSION
Because of the relative freedom in choice of engine operating points, a CVT equipped car has a great fuel economy potential. However, because of internal losses in the CVT, many cars with a CVT are not as fuelefficient as cars with a manual transmission. A large part of these losses is caused by the oil pump that provides pressure and flow needed for actuation of the CVTs moveable pulley sheaves. As an alternative, an electromechanical way of actuation is designed as a means to improve CVT efficiency. Pulley sheaves are

C ''= C

2
thr

(tan
C

11 )
belt

actuated from one side of the transmission through planetary spindles, driven by actuators placed outside the transmission housing in a cool environment. CVT transmission ratio can be position controlled. Control of ratio and clamping force is done by two separate actuators. Since steel has an elastic modulus 140 times higher than that of oil, the all steel actuator will be very stiff compared to its hydraulic counterpart. A major contributor for this high stiffness is that the rotating components of the ratio and clamping force control mechanisms are followed by the planetary nut rotationto-translation transmission ratio. At 4 [mm] pitch this ratio -3 becomes 410 /2 [m/rad] and therefore results in a 6 2,510 times higher stiffness for these rotating parts. The translation stiffness in the clamping force loop e.g. thrust needle bearing stiffness, belt stiffness and pulley shaft bending stiffness are governing.

Apart from simulations (4), it was also felt necessary to design a proof-of-concept prototype, which is currently under construction. The prototype was designed as a modification on a commercially available CVT. After test rig efficiency and functionality evaluation, road tests will be performed in a passenger car equipped with the prototype transmission.

REFERENCES
(1) T. Ide, Effect of Power Losses of Metal V-Belt CVT Components on the Fuel Economy, proceedings of CVT 99 Congress, pp. 93-98, Eindhoven, The Netherlands, 1999 T.H. Bradley, A. A. Frank, Servo-Pump Hydraulic Control System Performance and Evaluation for CVT Pressure and Ratio Control, proceedings of VDI CVT 2002 Congress, pp. 3541, Munich, Germany, 2002 Takahashi, M. et al., Design and Development of a Dry Hybrid Belt (BANDO AVANCE) for CVT Vehicles, proceedings of CVT 99 Congress, pp. 254-259, Eindhoven, The Netherlands, 1999 Klaassen, T.W.G.L., Vroemen, B.G., Bonsen, B., Meerakker, K.G.O. van de, Steinbuch, M., Simulation of an Electromechanically Actuated Push Belt Type Continuously Variable Transmission, to appear in the proceedings of AVEC 2004, Arnhem, The Netherlands, 2004

(2)

(3)

(4)

Fig. 9

Under construction: secondary pulley shafts (above), and parts of the epicyclic gear set (below)