Automatic Transmission Changing Performance Standards
The most common type of automatic transmission uses hydraulic power to shift gears. This device combines a torque or fluid coupling converter with gear sets that provide the desired range of gears for the vehicle. The torque converter connects the engine to the transmission and uses pressurised fluid to transfer power to the gears. This apparatus replaces a manual friction clutch and allows the vehicle to come to a complete stop without stalling. As the number of fixed gear ratios in automatic transmissions continues to increase in the pursuit of power train system efficiency, focus must be directed towards optimising the design for shifting performance. A lumped parameter metric is proposed to assess and compare the upshift controllability of new transmission architectures and power flows using simple analysis. The durability of fast shift times during performance manoeuvres are quantified through calculation of shifting clutch energy and power from analysis and form measurements o