Gearshifting, description

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A40F Volvo SN 11001-99999

Introduction
This describes how the gearshifting sequence in the transmission takes place, what controls shifting, and what different shifting
modes the transmission may be in. Under the heading Supplementary information there are references to descriptions and
information about factors that concern and affect gearshifting in different ways.
Description
That which gives the gear ratio (gears) through the transmission is the planet stages. In the transmission there are five planet
stages that are connected to each other. Each planet stages gives its own gear ratio, and by locking certain parts of the planet
stages using brakes B1–B5, by varying which planet stages that are to receive drive from the engine or by applying clutches K1–
K2, and connecting parts of planet stages by applying clutch K3, it is possible to control the gear ratio through the transmission.
In this way it is possible to obtain a number of different gears, and this transmission uses nine gears forward and three reverse
gears. For several reasons other gear positions are not optimal for use. Clutches and brakes are disengaged and applied during
shifting. The table below shows which clutches and brakes are activated for each gear.

Gear Brake body Clutch

B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 K1 K2 K3
Forward gears: F1 — — — X X X — —
F2 — — — X — X — X
F3 — — X — X X — —
F4 — — X — — X — X
F5 X — — — — X — X
F6 — X — — — X — X
F7 — — — — — X X X
F8 — X — — X — X —
F9 — X — — — — X X
Reverse gears: R1 — — — X X — X —
R2 — — — X — — X X
R3 — — X — X — X —

Clutches and brakes are applied by allowing oil to the clutches'/brakes' cylinders, so that the piston in the cylinder is pushed
ahead and compresses the clutch's /brake's discs. The control valves on the control system allows oil to the clutch or brake which
is controlled by the relevant valve. When and how long each brake/clutch should be applied is controlled by signal from the
software in the V-ECU out to the relevant control valve which opens or closes.
When gearshifting is mentioned here, among other things it refers to the activity of applying a combination of clutches and brakes
for the gear position in question, that takes place at a change of gears.

Figure 1
Brake B3 in the transmission

1. Cylinder
 2. Piston
3. Steel disc
4. Friction disc
5. Ring gears for planet stage 3
6. Transmission housing

Software
The software in the V-ECU processes input data, which among other things is received from different sensors and functions, and
through these established rules and conditions (gearshifting strategy) that decide if and when gearshifting should take place.
Among other things, input data comes from the following components in the transmission and other parts of the machine:

Ÿ sensors:

¡ SE4212 — measures input speed to transmission

¡ SE4215 — measures range speed in transmission (rpm of clutch drum for clutch K3)
¡ SE4219 — measures the oil's main pressure in transmission
¡ SE4202 — measures oil temperature in the transmission oil sump
¡ SE4307 — measures output speed of transmission
¡ SE4213 — measures transmission's turbine speed (input speed after torque converter)
¡ SE4209 — measures rotational direction of the transmission's output shaft

Ÿ transmission's control valve:

¡ for brake B1, PWM4205

¡ for brake B2, PWM4206
¡ for brake B3, PWM4207
¡ for brake B4, PWM4208
¡ for brake B5, PWM4209
¡ for clutch K1, PWM4210
¡ for clutch K2, PWM4211
¡ for clutch K3, PWM4212
¡ for main oil pressure valve, PWM4201

Ÿ machine's throttle pedal

Ÿ machine's brake pedal

The software also considers the following during gearshifting:

Ÿ engine's braking torque

Ÿ engine's torque
Ÿ status for the machine's drive wheels
Ÿ engine speed request
Ÿ torque limitation, engine
Ÿ engine's torque curve
Ÿ nominal internal friction in transmission
Ÿ status for parking brake — applied/not applied
Ÿ system voltage (machine's)
Ÿ gear request (decided by gearshifting strategy)
Ÿ status for Lock-up clutch
Ÿ request for upshift to protect transmission from damage
Ÿ and other rules and conditions established in the gearshift strategy, see Gear shifting strategy.

Shifting
Gearshifting refers to the activity — among other things control of torque, rpm, and oil pressure to brakes and clutches — that
takes place at a change of gears.
Gearshifting is performed in different ways due to such factors as which brakes/clutches should be applied or disengaged,
differences in operating conditions and situations, etc. Therefore gearshifting is classified based on the following criteria:
Figure 2

1. Base transmission
2. Range gearbox

Ÿ load — positive or negative torque

Ÿ upshifting or downshifting
Ÿ type of gearshifting:

¡ number of brakes/clutches to be applied or disengaged

¡ single or double shift (single shift — gearshifting, that is, change of applied clutch/brake, takes place either in
base transmission or range gearbox, double shifting — shifting takes place both in base transmission and range
gearbox).

For gearshifting to be smooth and to not lose the driving torque, the oil pressure is increased out to the clutches/brakes that are
to be applied for the gear that is being shifted to — clutches/brakes to be activated — at the same time as the oil pressure to the
clutches/brakes that have been applied for the gear and that no longer have to be — clutches/brakes to be deactivated — is
reduced gradually.
The gearshifting sequence can be divided into a torque phase and an inertia phase:

Ÿ During the torque phase, the clutch/brake to be activated works together with the clutch/brake to be deactivated until the
entire torque has been transmitted.
Ÿ Then the gearshifting sequence goes to the inertia phase when the inertia is transmitted from the clutch/brake to be
deactivated to those being activated, resulting in the machine accelerating or retarding.

Simplified the gearshifting sequence can be described with the adjacent figure. The illustration shows how the pressure in the
clutch to be activated increases and how the pressure in the clutch to be deactivated decreases during the gearshifting sequence
for a single upshift with positive torque (the engine drives the machine forward and the engine speed is constant).

Figure 3
Diagram of single upshift with positive torque

P Pressure:
t Time
A Torque phase
B Inertia phase
a Brake/clutch to be deactivated
b Brake/clutch to be activated

1. Torque phase — pressure in the clutch to be activated is increased until it can transmit all of the torque that the previous
clutch transmitted.
2. Now the clutch/brake to be activated holds the whole transmitted torque but it is slipping. Clutch/brake to be deactivated
is disengaged.
3. Inertia phase — the pressure of the clutch to be activated increases and the machine's inertia is accelerated to the new
gear's speed.

Slipping that takes place between the discs in clutches/brakes during the gearshifting sequence gives a temperature-increase of
both the oil and discs in the clutch/brake. Among other things, this increases transmission wear which must be avoided. Too
short slipping time gives hard, jerking shifts with poor operator comfort, while too long slipping time gives slow shifting with risk of
overheating and damage to clutch and brake discs. Therefore the time for slip-in must be optimized.
Shifting takes place between different operating positions (driving gear positions) but also between neutral gears, and between
driving gear positions and neutral gears.
The most complicated gearshifting sequence is between driving gear positions where factors such as pressure of clutch or brake
to be activated and deactivated, and torque and rpm of engine must be controlled to obtain shifting that is not jerky and causes
as little transmission wear as possible.
When active gear is not requested in the transmission, shifts take place between different neutral gear positions. In neutral gear
positions, in general the directional clutches K1 and K2 are not applied but otherwise clutches and brakes that are applied in
driving gear positions are applied. This shifting between neutral gear positions is done to enable, when a gear is requested, fast
activation of a driving gear position.
When shifting is to take place from a neutral gear position to driving gear position, in principle it is enough to pressurize the
directional clutch (K1 or K2) to be activated to get drive through the transmission. However, for shifting to be as smooth as
possible, the pressure is temporarily reduced also for the already applied clutches/brakes, which then are slipped in in the same
way as when shifting between driving gear positions.
If a shift takes place from a driving gear position to neutral gear position, the applied directional clutch (K1 or K2) is released
instantaneously.
Gearshifting mode
During operation the transmission is in different gearshifting modes, which are designated; Engaged, PreShifting, Shifting, and
PostShifting.

Figure 4

Engaged — This is the mode when gear is applied and no new shifting is in progress. From this mode, the normal change is to
PreShifting mode.
PreShifting — In this gearshifting mode shifting has started but can still be aborted since the clutches/brakes to be deactivated
are not yet disengaged. This shifting mode is a part of the phase called torque phase (see above). When gearshifting is in this
mode, return to Engaged mode is possible, if necessary. If the gearshifting proceeds normally there is a change to the next
mode, which is Shifting.
Shifting — In this gearshifting mode is when the actual shifting takes place, and it is the mode in which the transmission is for
the gearshifting sequence's inertia phase (see above). From this gearshifting sequence the transmission goes to the shifting
mode called PostShifting.
PostShifting — In this mode the actual shifting has been performed but motor controls, if any, have not been finished and the
clutches/brakes to be activated shall be pressurized to safety level, which means that temporarily a higher oil pressure is
deployed than what is needed to keep the brake/clutch applied. This is done to ensure that application of the clutch/brake really
takes place. From this shifting mode the transmission goes to Engaged mode.
Supplementary information

¡ Clutches, brakes and planet stages, description

¡ Control system and Control system, description
¡ Gear shifting strategy and Gear selector
¡ Sensors and monitors, description and Sensors, description
¡ Lock-up clutch and Torque converter
¡ Engine, description
¡ Braking system, description
¡ General vehicle electronics
¡ Lock-up clutch
¡ Engine and transmission overspeed protection, description
¡ Gear selector