ZF 8HP

8-SPEED
AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION

Student: Ciobanu Mihai Gabriel

IVPA 1956

2014 2015

ZF 8HP
 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
The ZF 8HP is an eight-speed automatic transmission, designed and built by ZF Friedrichshafen AG's
subsidiary in Saarbrcken. It had its debut in the new BMW 7 Series 760Li saloon fitted with the V12
engine, and since then each new BMW model in all Series down to the 1 Series in rear-wheel-drive and
all-wheel-drive versions have been equipped with it.

One of its main aims is to improve vehicle fuel economy, and it can achieve an 11% saving compared
to the ZF 6-speed transmission and 14% versus modern 5-speed transmissions.

One of its main aims is to improve vehicle fuel economy, and it can achieve an 11% saving compared
to the ZF 6-speed transmission and 14% versus modern 5-speed transmissions. Due to changes in
internal design, the shift times have reduced to 200 milliseconds; additionally, the unit brings the ability
to shift in a non-sequential manner - going from 8th to 2nd in extreme situations. In the 8HP70 version,
it has a torque handling limit of 700 newton metres (516 lbfft), and weighs 90 kilograms (198 lb).

Gear ratios

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 R

4.714 3.143 2.106 1.667 1.285 1.000 0.839 0.667 3.300

Future development will see two four-wheel drive versions available, with a version destined for
Volkswagen Group applications using a Torsen centre differential. It will be able to encompass a torque
range from 300 newton metres (221 lbfft) to 1,000 newton metres (738 lbfft), and will be available for
use in middle-class cars through to large luxury sport utility vehicles.

Our main development target was to find a transmission concept which allows for significant
additional fuel consumption reduction and thus offers tangible added value to our customers and drivers
without making any compromises in terms of performance, explains Dr. Michael Paul, ZF Executive
Vice President, Technology and Group Executive of the Car Driveline Technology division. It just so
happened that to achieve those targets, 8 gears was needed.
ONE BRILLIANT SOLUTION

Many gear set concepts

Setting new standards a planetary transmission with 8 gears
4 gear sets
5 shift elements

Fig.1

The simplest gear set consists of 2 parallel gears mounted on 2 parallel shafts. Shown in Fig. 1 is a gear
set with a 20 tooth drive gear on the right and a 30 tooth driven gear on the left. For this gear set the
speed of the driven gear is 1.5 times lower than the drive gear, and assuming no frictional losses
anywhere, the torque on the driven gear is 1.5 times higher. This gear set has a ratio of 1.5:1. This type
of a gear set is usually not favorable for packaging since it requires 2 parallel shafts, and there are large
separating forces that push the 2 gears apart which means that the bearings supporting the shafts have
significant radial loads on them, in addition to an axial load if the gears are helical.
 Fig.2

A simple planetary arrangement is shown in Fig. 2. A simple planetary gear set has 3 members mounted
on concentric shafts, the innermost gear is called a sun gear, the outermost gear is called the ring gear,
and there are evenly spaced planetary pinions that mesh with both the sun gear and the ring gear. These
pinions are free to spin around their own axes, and ride on the planetary carrier, which is the third
concentric member. The radial forces in a planetary gear arrangement cancel out due to symmetry, and
therefore the bearings supporting these shafts do not see much, if any radial loads. Since the 3 shafts are
concentric, there are significant packaging advantages as well. The planetary gear set can also be scaled
up to take higher loads by increasing the number of planetary pinions, packaging permitting. In
engineering literature, a stick diagram is often used as short-hand to describe planetary gear sets, for
the planetary shown in Fig. 2 the stick diagram is shown in Fig. 3.
 Fig.3
So with that out of the way, let us take a look at the ZF 8hp. There are various CAD renders available
from the ZF website, one of them is shown in Fig. 4. There are 4 simple planetary gear sets, and since
package space is not at a premium, the gear sets are not nested like they are for the 9 speed. There are 5
shift elements, all of them conventional friction type no dog clutches required because once again,
there is space. 3 of the 5 shift elements are clutches, i.e. they couple rotating shafts together, and 2 are
brakes, i.e. they lock the rotating shaft to ground.
 Fig.4

As we can see from the CAD render the shift element function as follows
Gear set 1 and gear set 2 have a common sun gear which can be grounded by brake A
Brake B can ground the ring gear of gear set 1
Clutch C connects the output of the torque converter to the sun gear of gear set 4
Clutch D connects the planetary carrier of gear set 3 to the planetary carrier of gear set 4
Clutch E connects the sun gear of gear set 3 to the ring gear of gear set 3
Additionally, the following rigid links are
Planetary carrier of gear set 1 is rigidly connected to the ring gear of gear set 4
Ring gear of gear set 2 is rigidly connected to the sun gear of gear set 3
Planetary carrier of gear set 2 is also connected the output of the torque converter
Ring gear of gear set 3 is rigidly connected to the sun gear of gear set 4
Planetary carrier of gear set 4 is always the output of the transmission
The stick diagram for the transmission system is shown in Fig. 3. The input is the output shaft of the
torque converter, which is not shown in Fig. 5. The torque converter is obviously driven by the engine.
The gear tooth counts for the Chrysler applications are as follows:
1. Gear set 1: Sun gear S1 = 48 and Ring gear R1 = 96
2. Gear set 2: Sun gear S2 = 48 and Ring gear R2 = 96
3. Gear set 3: Sun gear S4 = 69 and Ring gear R3 = 111
4. Gear set 4: Sun gear S4 = 23 and Ring gear R4 = 85
For some of the European applications, ZF appears to be using slightly different tooth counts, and
therefore slightly different ratios. Now, as usual the gory calculations.

Fig.5
FIRST GEAR
To achieved first gear, both brakes A and B are locked, and the input shaft is connected to the sun gear
of gear set 4 by applying clutch C. Since brake B is connected to the ring gear of gear set 1 and brake A
is connected to the sun gear of gear set 1, both of these members are connected to ground. This means
that the planetary carrier for gear set 1 is stationary as well, and since this carrier is rigidly connected to
the ring gear of gear set 4, the ring gear of gear set 4 is therefore grounded. The sun gear of gear set 4 is
connected to the input, therefore the gear ratio of first gear is:
S4+R4 108
st
1 = = = 4.696 (1)
S4 23
This ratio is almost identical to the first gear ratio of the 9 speed transmission, but these ratios are
achieved through completely different means.

SECOND GEAR
The transmission upshifts to second gear by opening clutch C and applying clutch E. The ring gear of
gear set 4 continues to be fixed, but the sun gear of gear set 4 is now overdriven with respect to the
input shaft because gear set 2 acts as an overdrive (sun grounded, carrier input, ring gear output), while
gear set 1 continues to act as an underdrive. The ratio is therefore:
R2 S4+R4 96 108

2nd = = = 3.130 (2)

S2+R2 S4 144 23

THIRD GEAR
To achieve third gear brake A is released and clutch C is applied, while brake B and clutch E remain
closed. By applying both clutches C and E at the same time, the ring gear and planetary carrier of gear
set 2 are spinning at the same speed, which means that the sun gear of gear set 2 also spins at the same
speed as the input. Since brake B is grounded and the sun gears for gear set 1 and 2 are rigidly linked
together, the carrier of gear set 1 is now underdriven. Since the planetary carrier of gear set 1 is rigidly
linked to the ring gear of gear set 4, the kinematic state of gear set 4 is as follows
The sun gear is rotating at input speed
The ring gear is underdriven with respect to the input speed
Therefore gear set 4 acts as a mixer module
The ratio is:
 (S1+R1)(S4+R4) 144108
rd
3 = = = 2.104 (3)
S4R1+S1(S4+R4) 7392

FOURTH GEAR
Upshift to fourth gear is accomplished by released clutch C and applying clutch D. Since clutch D ties
the planetary carriers of gear sets 3 and 4 together, the planetary carrier of gear set 3 is now in effect the
output. By closing clutches D and E, all 3 elements of gear sets 3 and 4 now spin as a unit at the speed
of the output shaft, which means that the ring gear of gear set 2 and the planetary carrier for gear set 1
also spin at the same speed as the output. The input is the planetary carrier of gear set 2, while the
ground is the ring gear of gear set 1. The ratio is:
S2R1 96
th
4 =1+ = 1+ = 1.667 (4)
(R2+S2)S1 144

FIFTH GEAR
The upshift to fifth is accomplished by releasing clutch E and closing clutch C while leaving brake B
and clutch D engaged. That sounds simple enough, but now all 4 gear sets are in the mix.
Since clutch C is closed, the sun gear of gear set 4, the ring gear of gear set 3 and the planetary
carrier of gear set 2 spin at the speed of the input shaft.
Since clutch D is applied, the planetary carriers for gear sets 3 and 4 are spinning at the same speed
as the output.
Ring gear of gear set 1 is grounded through brake B
The first constraint is that the sun gears of gear sets 1 and 2 are rigidly linked together
The second constraint is that the sun gear of gear set 3 is rigidly linked to the ring gear of gear set 2
The third constraint is that the planetary carrier of gear set 1 is rigidly linked to the ring gear of gear
set 4
 Fig.6

The sun gear for gear sets 1 and 2 is whipping around at 2.15 times the input speed due to the gear
constraints. The ring gear of gear set 1 is obligated to spin at 0.72 times the input speed, which sets up
an underdrive ratio of:
S1S3(R2+S2)(R4+S4) + S1R2(R4R3S4S3) + R1S2S3(S4+R4) 8826
th
5 = = = 1.285 (5)
S1S3(R2+S2)(R4+S4) + S1R2(R4R3S4S3) + R1S2S3S4 6871

SIXTH GEAR
Sixth gear is achieved by locking the 3 clutches C, D, and E together while opening both brakes A and
B up. This means all the gears in the transmission spin as a unit, and the ratio is quite simply:
6th = 1.000 (6)

SEVENTH GEAR
Seventh gear is accomplished by releasing clutch E and engaging brake A. Therefore gear sets 1 and 4
are essentially along for the ride, and gear sets 2 and 3 decide the ratio. The planetary carrier of gear set
2 and the ring gear of gear set 3 are connected to the input shat while the carrier for gear set 3 is
connected to the output shaft. Gear set 2 acts as an overdrive in this configuration, with the ring gear
spinning at 1.5 times the input speed. Gear set 3 acts as a mixer module since the sun gear is spinning at
1.5 times the input speed but the ring gear is turning at the same speed as the input shaft. The ratio is
therefore:
7th = 1 = 120 = 0.839 (7)

1+ S2 S3 143


R2 S3+R3

EIGHTH GEAR
Eighth gear is achieved by releasing clutch C and engaging clutch E. This means that gear sets 1 and 4
are still just along for the ride, and gear set 2 acts as an overdrive, but since clutch E is closed, all 3
members of gear set 3 spins as a unit. The ratio in this case is completely dictated by the ratio of gear
set 2:
R2 96
th
8 = = = 0.667 (8)
S2+R2 144

REVERSE GEAR
Reverse is achieved by locking both brakes A and B, and engaging clutch D. This means that the ring
gear of gear set 2 is overdriven just like the seventh and eighth gear operation, but since the ring gear
for gear set 4 is grounded and the ring gear of gear set 3 is linked to the sun gear of gear set 4, the
carriers for gear set 3 and 4 spin backwards due to gear constraints. The ratio is:
R3R4 R2 1744

Rev = 1 = = 3.297 (9)

S3S4 S2+R2 529

SHIFT FEEL
All sequential upshifts and downshifts with this design involve just releasing one shift element and
engaging another. In engineering literature, this is referred to as a clutch to clutch shift. Many skip
shifts are also possible in the same way, e.g. a shift from Eighth to Fourth involves releasing brake A
and engaging brake B while leaving clutches D and E engaged. This transmission therefore shifts very
quickly. If the torque converter is replaced by a launch clutch, this transmission would be equivalent to
a dual clutch transmission.
A shift from Reverse to 1st and vice versa is also a clutch to clutch shift. So when you are trying to
execute than 7 point turn, this transmission will behave much better than the ZF 9 speed transmission.
The ratio spacing is pretty much perfect as well.
IMPROVEMENTS
Gear efficientcy
Minimized drag losses

Fig.7

Fuel consumption
another 6% reduction
 Fig.8

Revolutionary design
further weight reductions
more torque at lower weight
Optimized component design
Lightweight materials
Same installation space as required by 6 speed automatic transmission

Fig.9
DESIGNED FOR ALL DRIVELINE CONFIGURATION
Ideal partner for application in all vehicle concepts
 Variants:

Carlines:

OVERALL
More powerful
Increase imput torque of up to 1000 Nm
 perfect partner for powerful engines
More dynamic
Response times beyod the treshold of human perception
Direct shift enabled
More comfortable
High overall ratio of 7
Flexible modular principle
Less weight, more power