Automatic

Transmission

OBJECTIVES
Introduction to the basic concepts and types of gears
Description on different types of gear trains
Explain how a torque converter can transmit and multiply

engine torque
Describe how a planetary gear set can be used for gear

reduction and reverse

Brief description of Ravigneaux gear set, Simpsons gear set

and Continuously variable transmission

GEARS
Gears are toothed members which transmit power / motion between two

shafts by meshing without any slip

Gear drives are also called positive drives
In any pair of gears, the smaller one is called pinion and the larger one is
called gear immaterial of which is driving the other
Gears are classified according to the shape of the tooth pair and disposition
into :
a) Spur gear
b) Helical gear
c) Double helical gear
d) Internal gear
e) Rack and pinion
f) Straight bevel gear
g) Spiral bevel gear
h) Hypoid bevel gear

 Anexternal gearis one with the teeth formed on the outer surface of a

cylinder or cone.
Meshing pinion and gear are running in the opposite direction
Internal gears are used for transmitting power between two parallel shafts
Annular wheels are having teeth on the inner periphery
Meshing pinion and annular gear are running in the same direction
They are useful for high load and high speed application with high

reduction ratio
Applications can be seen in planetary gear drives of automobile

automatic transmissions, reduction gearboxes of cement mills

Idler gear placed between a driver gear and a driven gear
Its purpose is to transfer motion without changing the direction of

rotation and assist to reduce the size of the input/output gears

while maintaining the spacing of the shafts

GEAR RATIO
In order to maintain constant angular velocity ratio between two meshing

gears, the common normal of the tooth profiles, at all contact points with in
mesh, must always pass through a fixed point on the line of centers, called
pitch point and is known as thefundamental law of gearing
The gear ratio of a gear train, also known as its speed ratio, is the ratio of

the angular velocity of the input gear to the angular velocity of the output
gear.

Different gear ratios are necessary because an engine develops

relatively little power at low engine speeds

Thus through proper selection gear ratio torque applied to the drive wheel

can be multiplied

NOMENCLATURE

CONJUGATE PROFILES
Involute is the path generated by the end of a thread as it

unwinds from a reel

Variation in centre distance does not affect the velocity ratio
Pressure angle remains constant, the engagements which
results in smooth running

Cycloid is the locus of a point on the circumference of a circle when it rolls

on a straight line without slipping

Cycloidal gears do not have interference.
Cycloidal tooth is generally stronger than an involute tooth owing to

spreading flanks in contrast to the radial flanks of an involute tooth

GEAR TRAINS
Two or more gears are made to mesh with each other to transmit power

from one shaft to another is called gear train

1. Simple gear train

. When there is only one gear on each shaft, it is known as simple gear train

. If the distance between the two gears is large provide

one or more intermediate gears called idle gears

. When the number of intermediate gears are odd, the
motion of both the gears (i.e. driver and driven or
follower) is same
. If the number of intermediate gears are even, the
motion of the driven or follower will be in the opposite
direction of the driver

2. Compound Gear train

. When there is more than one gear on a shaft it is called

a compound train of gear.

Speed ratio =
. The advantage of a compound train over a simple gear

train is that a much larger speed reduction from first

shaft to last shaft can be obtained with small gears.

3. Reverted gear train

. When the axes of the first gear (i.e. first driver) and the

last gear (i.e. last driven or follower) are co-axial, then

the gear train is known as reverted gear train
Speed ratio =

4. Epicyclic Gear Train

. In an epicyclic gear train, the axes of the shafts, over which

the gears are mounted, may move relative to a fixed axis.

. Gear trains arranged in such a manner that one or more of
their members move upon and around another member
. The epicyclic gear trains are useful for transmitting high
velocity ratios with gears of moderate size in a comparatively
lesser space.

5. Compound Epicyclic Gear Train - Sun and Planet Gear

. The gear at the centre is called the sun gear and the gears whose axes

move
are called planet gears.
. Automatic transmission now days use a combination of planetary gear
drives for power transmission
. Various gear ratios are obtained by fixing the different components while
allowing other members to move freely

VELOCITY RATIOS

Revolutions of elements

Step
No

Conditions of
motion

Arm fixed sun rotates

through +1
revolutions

Arm fixed sun rotates

through +X
revolutions

Add +Y revolutions to

Arm(EF Sun(C)
)

Planet(B)

Ring(A)

+1

-(Tc / Tb)

-(Tc / Ta)

+X

-X*(Tc/Tb)

-X*(Tc/Ta)

+Y

+Y

+Y

+Y

Gear Ratios Possibilities in Planetary Gear Set

1. Low step-down ratio
. Sun gear locked
. Ring gear driving
. Planet gears driven

2. High step-down ratio.

. Ring gear locked
. Sun gear driving
. Planet gears driven

3. Direct power transmission

. Ring gear, sun gear and planet gear locked together
. Gear ratio 1

4.

Direction reversal and step-down ratio

.
.
.

Planetary carrier locked

Sun gear driving
Ring gear driven

The ring gear (1) and sun gear (3) elements of a planetary gear lever
system are alternately driven and braked by the actuating elements of
the multi-plate clutch
and multiple-disc brake
This allows for a variety gear ratios and the reversal of the rotation
direction without the need for moving gear wheels or shift collars
The actuators are hydraulically operated and are electronically controlled

.
.

AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSIONS
An automatic transmission or transaxle

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

selects gear ratios according to engine speed,

powertrain load, vehicle speed, and other
operating factors
A driver-operated clutch is not needed to
change gears, and the vehicle can be brought
to a stop without shifting to neutral.
The torque converter lockup clutch and
shifting of the transmission are computer controlled.
A hydraulic automatic transmission consists of the following parts:
Torque converter : For torque multiplication and hydraulically connecting engine and
transmission
Pump : Gear pump for pressurizing transmission fluid
Planetary gearset : Compound epicyclic planetary gear set for enabling different gear
ratios
Clutches and bands : To effect gear change
Valve body : Hydraulic control center used to run spring-loaded valves andservopistons
Hydraulic & lubricating oil : Provides medium for power transfer and lubrication

TORQUE CONVERTOR
Automatic transmissions use a fluid clutch known as

a torque converter to transfer engine torque from the

engine to the transmission
The torque converter changes or multiplies the twisting
motion of the engine crankshaft and directs it through the
transmission.
A standard torque converter consists of three elements :
the pump assembly, often called an impeller, the stator
assembly, and the turbine.
The impeller assembly is the input (drive) member. It receives power from
the engine.
The turbine is the output (driven) member. It is splined to the
transmissions turbine shaft.
The stator assembly is the reaction member or torque multiplier.
The stator is supported on a one-way clutch,

SIMPSONS GEAR TRAIN

The Simpson geartrain is an arrangement of two separate

planetary gear sets with a common sun gear,

two ring gears, and two planetary pinion carriers.
The size and number of gear teeth

determine the actual gear ratios obtained by the

compound planetary gear assembly.
A Simpson gear set can provide the following gear

ranges: neutral, first reduction gear, second reduction

gear, direct drive, and reverse.

RAVIGNEAUX GEAR
TRAIN

The Ravigneaux gear train is designed to use two sun gears:

one small and one large

They also have two sets of planetary pinion gears: three
long pinions and three short pinions.
A single ring gear surrounds the complete assembly.
The small sun gear is meshed with the short planetary pinion
gears. These short pinions act as idler gears to drive the long
planetary pinion gears. The long planetary pinion gears
mesh with the large sun gear and the ring gear.
The Ravigneaux gear train, like the Simpson gear train, provides forward
gears with a reduction, direct drive, overdrive, and a reverse operating
range
Ravigneaux offers some advantages over a Simpson gear train. It is very
compact. It can carry large amounts of torque because of the great amount
of tooth contact.

CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE
TRANSMISSION
Continuously variable transmission (CVT), is a transmission with no fixed

forward speeds
CVT can change seamlessly through an infinite number of effectivegear
ratiosbetween maximum and minimum values
A CVT usually has a low efficiency of around 88% and cannot handle
large amount of torque

Types

Variable-diameter pulley or Reeves drive

Toroidal or roller-based CVT
Magnetic CVT
Infinitely Variable Transmission
Ratcheting CVT
Hydrostatic CVT
Cone CVT
Radial roller CVT

THANK YOU