Configuration Synthesis and Performance Analysis of 9-Speed Automatic Transmissions

Current research of automatic transmission (AT) mainly focuses on the improvement of driving performance, and configuration innovation is one of the main research directions. However, finding new configurations of ATs is one of the main limitations of configuration innovation. In the present study, epicyclic gear trains (EGTs) are applied to investigate mechanisms of 9-speed ATs. Then four kinematic configurations are proposed for automatic transitions. In order to evaluate the performance of proposed mechanisms, the lever analogy method is applied to conduct kinematic and mechanical analyses. The power flow analysis is conducted, and then transmission efficiencies are calculated based on the torque method. The comparative analysis between the proposed and existing mechanisms is carried out where obtained results show that proposed mechanisms have reasonable performance and can be used in ATs. The prototype of an AT is manufactured and the speed test is conducted, which proves the accuracy of analysis and the feasibility of proposed mechanisms.