DUAL CLUTCH TRANSMISSION

M.ARUNA

D.MADHUSREE

06741A0304

06741A0324
aruna _mech19@yahoo.com
+91-9490982320

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

INTEL ENGINEERING COLLEGE
ANANTAPUR.

ABSTRACT
In the development of automobiles transmission system occupy a very important
position. To get the efficient transmission system with smooth running, the present day
automobile industries are using a new technology for power transmission, which came in to light
recently.
This paper mainly focuses on the transmission system of an automobile and dealt with
the modifications made to existing transmission system for reducing the jerky motion and to
increase the efficiency of the vehicle by using the new technology called

Dual Clutch

Transmission (DCT)
This paper elucidates the concept of DCT and the mechanism behind the DCT. The
disadvantages in the automatic transmission, manual transmission and a clear cut of the
application and advantage of DCT are discussed here. The paper emphasizes on the tremendous
impacts that DCT will have in the near future.

INTRODUCTION

A few years ago no self-respecting driver would get excited about what type of gearbox
was fitted to his car. But now things have changed. Due to the abrupt changes in the automobile
technology the technically developing countries like India are mainly focused on the new

technologies like Dual clutch transmissions. For generations of drivers, the automobile
transmission has been defined by two choices: automatic or manual. Each offers its own set of
advantages: smoother and easier operation for the automatic versus better economy and more
driver control for the manual. For both of these the main basic component is the transmission
system. The transmission system consists of the clutch, differential, and couplings. Out of these
clutch plays a major role to engage and disengage the gears. It is a friction coupling. The main
principle involved in the operation of a clutch is friction. When two surfaces are brought in
contact and pressed they are united due to the friction between them. If now one is revolved the
other also revolves. When properly operated it prevents the jerky motion of the vehicle and
avoids the undue strain and the remaining parts of the power transmission system.

PRE-REQUISITES OF A CLUTCH

The clutch should be in

a position that it

should transmit

maximum torque of the engine.

The clutch should be able to dissipate large amount of heat that is generated during

the clutch operation due to friction.

It should be dynamically balanced. This is particularly required in the case of high

speed engine.

The clutch should have suitable mechanism in order to reduce noise and to damp

vibrations during the power transmission.

The clutch should be as small as possible.

The weight of the driven member of the clutch must be low, so that it will continue to

rotate for any length of time after the clutch has been disengaged.

COMPARISION OF EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS OF MANUAL AND AUTOMATIC

CLUTCHES

MANUAL
Acceleration
km/h) sec

0-60

mph

Top speed mph (km/h)

(0-100 8.9(9.4)

130(210)

AUTOMATIC
10.4(10.8)

127(205)

Performance (urban)
mpg (l/100km)
Performance
(l/100km)

(extra

22.2(12.7)
urban) 39.6(7.1)

Carbon dioxide emissions gm/kg

219

19.8(14.3)
37.9(7.4)
239

Preferences for one transmission type or the other vary, not only among drivers but also
among regions. U.S. consumer preference has swung heavily over the years toward the automatic
transmission; while as many as 90 percent of European drivers prefer the manual. It is in these
markets that a third transmission type - a hybrid of the other two - offers the potential for future
dominance.
In order to have both the advantages of the manual and automated technologies new
technologies like Dual clutch transmissions (DCT) (Automated manual transmissions) have
been invented. Automotive products showed the first modern idea for a dual clutch mechanism
more than 20 years ago and called it the "hot shift gear box". The idea is to share the ratios in the
gearbox between two clutches rather than one as normal. So odd ratios are controlled by one
clutch and evens by the other. Imagine that the vehicle is accelerating in second gear. The gear
box computer has already selected third, so when the gear is changed, one clutch opens and the
other closes--the gear selection has already been done.
AUTOMATED MANUAL TRANSMISSIONS (AMT)
Automated manual transmissions are more efficient compared to full-blown autos, mainly
because they don't demand a constant stream of energy-gobbling hydraulic pressure to work. But
there are Mechanical limitations and Automated manual transmissions have been criticized for
both shifting too slowly and 'nodding head' effect they impart during gear changes. In reality they
are fine for small, fuel-efficient city cars but for all but the most exotic sports applications--their
days are numbered.
Software and actuators are also developed that can control a variety of power trains,
including electric, hydraulic, and pneumatic systems as well as conventional internal combustion
engines and transmissions. A full-authority vehicle controller that includes an AMT and clutch
system with software that automatically shifts gears when engine and road conditions warrant.

The shifting is transparent to the driver, much as one would experience with an automatic
transmission.
Because the system's hardware is based on a manual transmission, however, AMT-equipped
vehicles achieve improved acceleration, fuel economy and emissions in comparison to those
equipped with conventional automatic transmissions. The design eliminates the automatic's
torque converter, transmission fluid pump and multiple clutches, reducing transmission weight
by approximately one-third. The AMT is also less expensive to build than the automatic
transmission that dominates the American market.
The configurations for an AMT are quite varied. Some have clutch pedals and some
have shift levers, while some have neither, and others have combinations of these. However,
even with all these possible derivatives there are only three basic AMT types:

Single-sided clutch (SSCT)

Double-sided clutch (DSCT)

Dual clutch transmission. (DCT)

SINGLE SIDED CLUTCH TRANSMISSION (SSCT)

The SSCT uses a current production manual transmission but incorporates actuators to
automatically operate the clutch and gear shifting function. This type of AMT is by far the most
cost-effective because it is able to use a conventional transmission without modifications to the
existing gears and shafts. The power interruption is shorter than in a conventional manual
transmission because the AMT engages/disengages the clutch and moves the shift lever faster
than a human can, and also pre-stages the synchronizer in advance of the upcoming shift.
Moreover, it precisely adjusts the engine speed - again, faster than a human can - to achieve nearsynchronous shifting.
However, in situations where the power interrupt interval must be reduced even further
by double-sided clutch transmission (DSCT)

DOUBLE SIDED CLUTCH TRANSMISSION (DSCT)

The shift quality that is derived from a double-sided clutch is superior to that of a singlesided clutch because the total clutch travel time is dramatically reduced. In demanding
applications where even better shift quality is required, the continuous power transfer
characteristic of a dual clutch transmission (DCT) configuration is required. Figure 1 shows the

mechanism of DSCT

Figure
.1
DUAL CLUTCH TRANSMISSION (DCT)
The other name for DCT is "DOUBLE SHIFT
GEAR BOX". The main idea is to share the
gearbox between two clutches. The DCT substitutes
double clutches for the current production singlesided clutch to allow power from the engine to be
transferred in parallel through two power paths.
The housing containing both clutches would be
connected through a concentric shaft system to two
sets of gears, one set being the odd gears (1st, 3rd,
5th)

Figure.2
and the other the even gears
(2nd,

4th,

6th).

Synchronizers mounted on
the input shaft would handle
similar loads, allowing the
output

shaft

to

remain

similar in construction to
today's conventional twoshaft manual transmission.

Figure.3
In DCT, the torque flow of the wheels is not interrupted during the gear changes and the gear
selection is ingenious. In all the modern gearboxes, gear teeth are cut at an angle to reduce noice
and this creates the axial thrust along the centre line of the gears, trying to force them to slide
away from each other.
According to Antonov principle, this force was balanced by centrifugal force in the rotating
components to open and close clutches and transmits the drive through different sets of ratios.
Figure.3 shows the working of the Antonovs principle. Lightweight is the major feature of all
the new transmissions, despite the extra gear ratios.

MECHANISM OF DUAL CLUTCH TRANSMISSION

COMPARISION BETWEEN THREE AMTS:

SSCT

DSCT

DCT

It shows poor
performance
among
the
remaining
transmissions
due to power
interruption.

It is the modified
SSCT. Here the
power
interruption
is
decreased by a
large extent

In this regard, the DCT rates highest

among the three systems because it
maintains continuous power during
the shift.

The
cost,
weight
is
same as the
Cost/w DSCT
eight/p
ackagi
ng

The DSCT is not

so
expensive,
because the it
does not require
more
maintenance; the
system is not so
complicated.

The DCT is more expensive than the

DSCT because it is more complex, has
a greater number of parts and
requires
a
longer
transmission
housing. The same factors also make
the DCT dramatically heavier than the
DSCT.

Fuel
consumption
Vehicl is more due to
e fuel power
consu interruption.
mption

Fuel consumption
is decreased and
some losses exist
during
the
transmission of
the gears.

The DCT's lack of power interrupt also

contributes
to
improved
fuel
consumption relative to the DSCT, but
there may be some additional energy
loss within the DCT transmission
during the clutching event as one
clutch disengages and the other
engages. Because these clutches are
modulated to provide a smooth
transition, there would have to be

Perfor
mance

some high-torque slippage of the

clutches, resulting in some energy
loss.

ADVANTAGES OF DCT

It is lightening fast and most importantly for smoothness and efficiency.

There is no interruption of torque from the engine to the wheels.

Ratios are wider spread than a 5-speed optimizating both acceleration and fuel

consumption.

It is also 15mm shorter and 14kg lighter than a 5-speed equivalent and has a new type of

torque converter, which disconnects completely at idle, rather than creeping, to further reduce
consumption.

DISADVANTAGES

Due to the heavy multiple friction/separator plates, longer clutch plate housings, longer

input shafting, an additional piston and additional fluid required for clutch actuation and cooling
all contribute to the weight penalty. The DCT contains two clutch assemblies, each comprising a
large number of friction plates and separator plates. Consequently, the clutch housings and shafts
and their integral splines are longer and more difficult to fabricate. Both systems utilize a pump
and control valve to actuate the clutches. However, the amount of fluid required to operate and
cool the DCT is dramatically greater.
FUTURE SCOPE AND CONCLUSIONS

Now the Mercedes-Benz is attempting to go one better with the first seven speed
automatic passenger car transmissions, the 7G-Tronic reduces the fuel consumption by about 5%
and also improving acceleration marginally. It will be employed in new SL-500.

By 2008, several other customers beyond VW also will use the dual-clutch technology.

Volkswagen AG has been BorgWarner's development partner for DCT, which appears on VW,
Audi, Skoda and SEAT-brand vehicles. VW refers to the transmission as DSG (direct-shift
gearbox).

REFERENCES

AUTOCAR INDIA (magazines).

Summer 2004 Technology Today---SwRI publications.
Automobile technology---Dr.N.K.Giri.