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1 TRANSMISSION
Transmission is the mechanism through which the driving torque of the engine is transmitted to the driving wheel of the vehicle so that the motor vehicle can move on the road. The reciprocating motion of the piston turns a crankshaft rotating a flywheel through the connecting rod .The circular motion of the crankshaft is to be now transmitted to the rear wheels .It is transmitted through the clutch, gear box, universal joints, propeller shaft or the drive shaft, differential and axles extending to the wheels. The application of the engine power to the driving wheels through all these parts is called POWER TRANSMISSION .The power system is usually the same on all modern passenger cars and trucks, but its arrangement may vary according to the method of drive and type of transmission units.
1.3 CLUTCH
In all vehicles using a transmission (virtually all modern vehicles), a coupling device is used to separate the engine and transmission when necessary. The clutch accomplishes this in manual transmissions. Without it, the engine and tires would at all times be inextricably linked, and anytime the vehicle stopped the engine would perforce stall. BCET, ME Dept Dual clutch transmission Page 1
Without the clutch, changing gears would be very difficult, even with the vehicle moving already: deselecting a gear while the transmission is under load requires considerable force, and selecting a gear requires the revolution speed of the engine to be held at a very precise value which depends on the vehicle speed and desired gear. In a car the clutch is usually operated by a pedal; on a motorcycle, a lever on the left handlebar serves the purpose. 1. When the clutch pedal is fully depressed, the clutch is fully disengaged, and no torque is transferred from the engine to the transmission (and by extension to the drive wheels). In this uncoupled state it is possible to select gears or to stop the car without stopping the engine. 2. When the clutch pedal is fully released, the clutch is fully engaged, and practically all of the engine's torque is transferred. In this coupled state, the clutch does not slip, but rather acts as rigid coupling, and power is transmitted to the wheels with minimal practical waste heat. 3. Between these extremes of engagement and disengagement the clutch slips to varying degrees. When the clutch slips it still transmits torque despite the difference in speeds between the engine crankshaft and the transmission input because this torque is transmitted by means of friction rather than direct mechanical contact. 4. Considerable power is wasted as heat (which is dissipated by the clutch). Properly applied, slip allows the vehicle to be started from a standstill, and when it is already moving, allows the engine rotation to gradually adjust to a newly selected gear ratio. 5. Learning to use the clutch efficiently requires the development of muscle memory and a level of coordination analogous to that required to learn a musical instrument or to play a sport.
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Fig 2.3 (6-Speed Basic Design of DCT) BCET, ME Dept Dual clutch transmission Page 5
A dual-clutch gearbox, by contrast, uses two clutches, but has no clutch pedal. Sophisticated electronics and hydraulics control the clutches, just as they do in a Standard automatic transmission. In a DCT, however, the clutches operate independently. One clutch controls the odd gears (first, third, fifth and reverse), while the other controls the even gears (second, fourth and sixth). Using this arrangement, gears can be changed without interrupting the power flow from the engine to the transmission. Sequentially, it works like this: A car travelling in second gear is controlled by the inner clutch .Power is sent to second gear along the outer transmission shaft As the car increases speed, the computer detects the next gearshift point and the third gear is pre-selected. When the driver changes gears, the inner clutch disengages and the outer clutch is activated. The power is transferred along the inner transmission shafts to the preselected gear. Drivers can also choose a fully automatic mode that relinquishes all gear-changing duties to the computer. In this mode, the driving experience is very similar to that delivered by a conventional automatic. Because a DCT transmission can "phase out" one gear and "phase in" a second gear, shift shock is reduced. More importantly, the gear change takes place under load so that a permanent flow of power is maintained. An ingenious two-shaft construction separating the odd and even gears makes all of this possible.
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Fig 2.5(a) (Basic Multi-Plate Wet Clutch Design) Like torque converters, wet multi-plate clutches use hydraulic pressure to drive the gears. The fluid does its work inside the clutch piston, seen in the diagram above. When the clutch is engaged, hydraulic pressure inside the piston forces a set of coil springs part, which pushes a series of stacked clutch plates and friction discs against a fixed pressure plate. The friction discs have internal teeth that are sized and shaped to mesh with splines on the clutch drum. In turn, the drum is connected to the gearset that will receive the transfer force. Audi's dual-clutch transmission has both a small coil spring and a large diaphragm spring in its wet multi-plate clutches.
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Fig 2.5 (b) (Basic Dual Wet Clutch Design) To disengage the clutch, fluid pressure inside the piston is reduced. This allows the piston springs to relax, which eases pressure on the clutch pack and pressure plate.
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Fig 3.1. Audi TT Roadster One of several Audi models available with a dual-shift transmission
Perhaps the most compelling advantage of a DCT is improved fuel economy. Because power flow from the engine to the transmission is not interrupted, fuel efficiency increases dramatically. Some experts say that a six-speed DCT can deliver up to a 10 percent increase in relative fuel efficiency when compared to a conventional five-speed automatic.
3.2 DISADVANTAGES
Many car manufacturers are interested in DCT technology. However, some automakers are wary of the additional costs associated with modifying production lines to accommodate a new type of transmission. This could initially drive up the costs of cars outfitted with DCTs, which might discourage cost-conscious consumers. In addition, manufacturers are already investing heavily in alternate transmission technologies. One of the most notable is the continuously variable transmission, or CVT. A CVT is a type of automatic transmission that uses a moving pulley system and a belt or chain to infinitely adjust the gear ratio across a wide range. CVTs also reduce shift shock and increase fuel efficiency significantly. But CVTs can't handle the high torque demands of performance cars.DCTs don't have such issues and are ideal for high-performance vehicles. In Europe, where manual transmissions are preferred because of their performance and fuel efficiency, some predict that DCTs will capture 25 percent of the market. Just one percent of cars produced in Western Europe will be fitted with a CVT by 2012.
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4.2 PRESENT Commercialization of the dual-clutch transmission, however, has not been feasible until recently. Volkswagen has been a pioneer in dual-clutch transmissions, licensing BorgWarner's DualTronic technology. European automobiles equipped with DCT include the Volkswagen Beetle, Golf, Touran, and Jetta as well as the Audi TT and A3; the Skoda Octavia; and the Seat Altea, Toledo and Leon.
Fig 4.2. Volkswagen Jetta 2.0 Ford is the second major manufacturer to commit to dual-clutch transmissions, made by Ford of Europe and its 50/50 joint venture transmission manufacturer, GETRAG-Ford. It demonstrated the Powershift System, a six-speed dual-clutch transmission, at the 2005 Frankfurt International Motor Show. However, production vehicles using a first generation Powershift are approximately two years away.
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APPLICATIONS
5.2 MOTORCYCLES
In addition to the Hondamatic system noted above, Yamaha Motor Company introduced a semi-automatic transmission on its 2007 model year FJR1300 sport-touring motorcycle in 2006. Notably, this system can be shifted either with the lever in the traditional position near the left foot, or with a switch accessible to the left hand where the BCET, ME Dept Dual clutch transmission Page 14
C0NCLUSIONS
New environmental and fuel efficiency legislation coupled with advances in electronics and manufacturing techniques have triggered new automated transmission technologies. The most likely winner that will replace traditional automatics and boost market penetration of automated transmissions will be the dual clutch transmission (DCT).
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REFERENCES
1. Automobile engineering by R.B. Gupta
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