Nomographs and Feasibility Graphs for Enumeration of Ravigneaux-Type Automatic Transmissions

Abstract

Although there are many epicyclic-type automatic transmissions in production, the related configuration design methods are still tedious and borne to human error. A simple methodology for the systematic design of the Ravigneaux-type epicyclic gear transmissions needs to be developed. First, fundamentals and gear-shifting of four-speed and six-speed epicyclic-type automatic transmissions are illustrated to establish the design requirements. Second, based on the kinematic nomographs of the corresponding basic gear ratios, a simple clutching-sequence method is proposed and illustrated. Next, a planar-graph representation is presented to arrange the desired clutches for each possible clutching sequence into the epicyclic gear mechanism. Then, with the above methods, the systematic designs of the epicyclic gear mechanisms are given for demonstrating the feasibility of the proposed methodology. The result of this work shows that the seven-, eight-, and nine-link two-DOF Ravigneaux-type epicyclic gear mechanisms could reach four-, six-, and eight-forward speeds at most, respectively. New five-, six-, seven-, and eight-velocity automatic transmissions are enumerated from the two-ring eight- and nine-link Ravigneaux gear mechanisms. It is a major breakthrough to design completely satisfactory eight-speed automatic transmissions from the nine-link Ravigneaux gear mechanism.