Optimization of Hydraulic Pressure for Continuously Variable Transmission

Compared to conventional transmission layouts, Active continuously variable transmission (CVT) provides smoother gear shifting and gear ratio in smaller increments, and is, therefore, more accommodating the needs of both the driver and passengers. A few notable improvements are enhanced passenger comfort, higher transmission efficiency, and improved acceleration. Incorporating all of the above qualities has become a major developmental focus for the automotive industry, and the potential for improvement warrants further investigation. A CVT controls the gear ratio by changing the diameters of the primary (input) and the secondary (output) pulleys by adjusting the hydraulic pressure applied to each using valves. Hydraulic pressure in the channel is developed using a basic pump connected to the input shaft. Excess pressure produced at higher speed is wasted. This study aims to minimize this hydraulic pressure without affecting the transmission's performance, in order to conserve energy. A user interface was set up and the CVT's torque converter was modified such that the inner and outer shafts could be operated independently, allowing for full control of hydraulic pressure. This experiment successfully achieved, via a custom Lab VIEW program, its goal of controlling the gear ratio between the primary and secondary pulleys whilst operating at lower pressures to those specified by the manufacturer. This proves that it is possible to fully control the CVT whilst operating at a reduced hydraulic pressure.