Proc.

of the National Conference on Recent Advances in Mechanical Science, RAMS 2011,

Madha Engineering College, Chennai – 600 069, Tamil Nadu

DESIGN OF ELECTRONICALLY
CONTROLLED CONTINUOUSLY VARIABLE
TRANSMISSION
ASHOK PRAKASH.B1, S.ARUN PRASAD2, C.SIVAKUMAR3

1
Student, Department of Automobile engineering, MIT Campus, Anna University,Chennai-44, India,
ashokprksh@gmail.com
2
Teaching Fellow, Department of Automobile engineering, MIT Campus, Anna University,Chennai-44, India
3
Student, Department of Automobile engineering, MIT Campus, Anna University,Chennai-44, India,

ABSTRACT — In an automobile, a gearbox II. FORCES ACTING ON CVT

provides a range of gear ratios between the engine and drive
wheels, enabling the engine output to meet almost all load In order to calculate the minimal necessary
demands. In conventional manual or automatic clamping forces of a CVT, analytical force models are
transmissions, power is transmitted from the engine to the presented. These models are also very useful to get a
drive wheels thorough a fixed set of gear combinations that better understanding of the detailed steady state
vary the wheel speed and torque in relation to the engine mechanics of a CVT. To calculate the clamping forces,
speed and torque. A CVT enables a continuous band of gear the forces that work in tangential direction on a chain or
ratios between the driver side and driven side of the
transmission system. Thus a CVT enhances the fuel
(push) belt are integrated over the wrapped angle of the
economy and acceleration performance of a vehicle by pulley.
allowing the engine to operate at or near its best specific fuel
consumption rate for variable driving scenarios.
The change of gear ratio is performed by the
conventional variator which work under the principle of
centrifugal force. The conversion of centrifugal variator to
the electronic variator gives the flexibility in the change of
gear ratio. The axial force required to change the gear ratio
is calculated with respect to the driver and driven pulley
speeds. The servo motor is used for giving the axial force
required to vary the gear ratio by means of linkage
mechanism. The servo motor is controlled by the
microcontroller which takes driver and driven pulley speeds
as the input by the speed sensors.
Key words- CVT, Variator

I. INTRODUCTION
In a conventional gearbox, torque and speed are
transmitted in discrete ratios, whereas continuously
variable transmissions are able to transmit torque and
speed in an undefined number of ratios. The CVT
concept allows the engine speed to be operated
independently of the vehicle speed and therefore the
engine can always be operated in its most fuel efficient
operating point. Therefore continuously variable
transmissions (CVTs) have a great potential to offer both
reduced fuel consumption and lower output of harmful
exhaust emissions, which has been confirmed by
different research projects. Electronically controlled
CVT gives the flexibility in changing the gear ratios and
it is controlled by servo motor by suitable linkage
mechanisms by taking the driver and driven pulley speed
as the output.
Figure 1 Basic clamping force model
A chain, push belt or any V-belt uses tensile forces to
transmit torque from one shaft to the other. When no
torque is applied to the ingoing shaft and a clamping
force is put on the pulleys, an initial tension will be
present in the chain: the pre-tension force T 0. (Centrifugal
effects are not considered in the basic force model as they
don’t have an effect on the clamping forces here.)
Figure 2 shows the tangential (tensile) forces working
on the V-belt at positive input torque (M1), represented
by the shaded band. On the primary pulley first the
tensile force increases over the angle α1 to its maximum
value T1. The tensile force stays constant over the rest
angle υ1. On the secondary pulley the tensile force
decreases over the angle α2. The tensile force stays
constant over the rest angle υ2.
For the basic force model two states can be
distinguished. One for positive torque (in all ratios) and
 Proc. of the National Conference on Recent Advances in Mechanical Science, RAMS 2011,
Madha Engineering College, Chennai – 600 069, Tamil Nadu

one for negative input torques (see Figures 2 and 3). The
most important difference exists in the rest angles on μ .α μ .α μ .α
T1 T1 2 1 2 2 2

secondary side. At negative torque on the angle υ2 tensile

force T1 is present, where for positive torque T 0 exists
[ ][ ]
T0
=
T0
sinθ
=e =e sinθ
=e sinθ (3)
The geometric ratio is defined as:
over the secondary rest angle. This results in a higher
secondary clamping force at negative input torques, as R1
the clamping forces are calculated by integrating the r= (4)
R2
tangential forces over the wrapped angle of the pulley.
With: R1 the primary running radius and R2 the
secondary running radius of the V-belt. Now for the
wrapped angles γ1 and γ2 applies:

γ 1=π−2δ (5)
γ 2=π +2 δ
Where:
R2−R1
sinδ= (6)
a
The useful forces defined by:
M1
Figure 2 Belt forces at positive torque F use= (7)
R1
M1 is the input torque.

When the minimal necessary clamping forces

Figure 2 Belt forces at positive torque
Figure 3 Belt forces at negative torque
The tensile force in the chain increases over the angle
α1,2 of a pulley according to the Eytelwein formula
μ2 . φ
sinθ (1)
T =T 0 . e
Here T represents the tensile force in the chain at a
certain position on the angle α 1,2. T0 represents the
minimal tensile force (pre tension force), µ 2 is the friction
coefficient between the V-shaped element and the pulley
sheaves, φ is the position on the angle over which the
tensile force changes and θ is half of the pulley wedge
angle. (The angle between the pulley surface and a
surface perpendicular to the pulley shaft.)
The maximum tensile force T1 becomes:
T 1=T 0 . e
μ2 .α 1,2
sinθ (2)
are applied the V-shaped element is driven at slip limit.
Now the rest angle becomes zero and α becomes equal to
γ1,2. The critical pulley is the one with the smallest
running radius so:
r ≤1 , α =γ 1 (8)
r ≥1 , α =γ 2 (9)
When the tensile forces are integrated over the
wrapped angles, the minimal necessary clamping forces
can be calculated.
For low ratios this means that T(φ) is integrated
over the primary wrapped angle γ1 to calculate the
primary clamping force. On secondary side T(φ) is also
integrated over the angle γ1, plus the rest angle force
which is integrated over the rest angle υ2. At positive
input torque this rest angle force is T0; at negative torque
it is T1.
For overdrive ratios T(φ) is integrated over the
wrapped angle on secondary side. To calculate the
primary clamping force T(φ) is integrated over γ2; for the
rest angle T0 and T1 are integrated over υ1 for negative
and positive torque respectively.
This results in the following relations for the minimal
necessary clamping forces:
For positive torque
r ≤1
F min ,1 cosθ
F use
=
[ ] 2 μ2
(10)

F min ,2 cosθ 1 2δ
Both tensile forces, the half pulley wedge angle θ and the
friction coefficient µ2 are equal on primary and secondary
side.
To meet Eytelwein it is true that
F use
=
[ 2 μ2
+
e
μ2 . γ1
sinθ
−1
.
]
tanθ (11)

α =α =α 1 2 :
 Proc. of the National Conference on Recent Advances in Mechanical Science, RAMS 2011,
Madha Engineering College, Chennai – 600 069, Tamil Nadu

r ≥1
μ 2 .γ 2

F use
=
[
F min ,1 cosθ
2 μ2
e
+ μ .γ
sinθ
e −1
.
2
sinθ
2δ
tanθ2
(12)
] Figure 4 Relation between drive pulley speed and axial
force on the primary pulley
F min ,2 cosθ
F use
=
[ ]
2 μ2
(13)
III ELECTRONIC CVT VARIATOR DESIGN
For negative torque
Here I have taken the mathematical and Trial and error
F min ,1 cosθ method for design the CVT variator. By the using of 4

F use
=
[ ]
2 μ2
(14) bar linkages the force from the servo motor transferred to
the primary pulley and the axial movement of pulley
takes place in order to vary the gear ratio.
μ2 .γ 1

F use
=
[
F min ,2 cosθ
2 μ2

F min ,2 cosθ
e sinθ
+ μ .γ
sinθ
e −1
2
.
2δ
tanθ
1
(15)
]
F use
=
[ ]
2 μ2
(16)

F min ,1 cosθ 1 2δ
F use
=
[
2 μ2
+ μ .γ
sinθ
e −1
4.3 Safety factor
2
.
tanθ (17)
2

]
To make sure that excessive slip in the CVT is
prevented at all times, the clamping forces that are
applied should be higher than the applied forces at slip
limit. Fluctuations in the load torque, deviations in the
friction coefficient, temperature effects etc. could require
a clamping force which is higher than the theoretical Figure 5Isometric view of CVT variator
minimum. Therefore a safety factor is used up-scale the
clamping forces which are actually applied.
The safety factor is defined as:

M 1, max
Sf = (18)
M1
This is the maximum torque that could theoretically be
transmitted, divided by the torque which is actually
applied.
A. ELECTRONIC CIRCUIT DESIGN
The torque ratio is defined as
1
τ= (19)
Sf
The clamping force that is applied to the pulley becomes:

F 1,2=Sf . F min1,2 (20)

From these formulas the clamping for for the primary

pulley was calculated.

Figure 6.1 Electronic circuit for controlling the Servo

motor
 Proc. of the National Conference on Recent Advances in Mechanical Science, RAMS 2011,
Madha Engineering College, Chennai – 600 069, Tamil Nadu

MATSUDAIRA- HONDA R&D co Ltd) SAE 2005-

IV CONCLUSION
The kinetic Honda DX scooter had chosen for
3.
calculating the force which having the CVT
transmission. Forces are calculated and the mechanism
design is made. The design has the servo motor as the
torque producer and that torque is transmitted through
the linkage mechanism to the driver pulley. The gear
ratio will vary according to the force given by the 4.
servo motor. To control the servo motor one electronic
circuit is designed in that microcontroller used as the
CPU and it have driver pulley and driven pulley inputs.
32-0024
Development of motor cycle using electronic
controlled continuously variable
transmission( Shinobu TSUTSUMIKOSHI, Kouhei
TOMITA, Kazutoshi OHASHI- Suzuki Motor
Corporation ) SAE 2002-32-1771
Steady State and Transient Characteristics of a
Rubber Belt CVT with Mechanical Actuators
(Hyunsuk Kim, Heera Lee, Hanlim Song, Hyunsoo
Kim) KSME International Journal, VoL 16. No.5,
pp. 639- 646. 2002

5. Validation of Clamping Force Models using the

Power Loop Test Rig (G.A. Commissaris)

6. A Kinematic Analysis and Design of a

Continuously Variable Transmission
REFERENCES Continuously Variable Transmission
1. Improved Recreational Vehicle (Christopher Ryan Willis )
Continuously Variable Transmission (Aaron
Robison, Roger Raymond, Zac Hale and Robert H. 7. Axial forces of a v-belt CVT (Kwangwon Kim
Todd- Brigham Young University) SAE 2004-32- and Hyunsoo Kim) KSME Journal, Vol.3,
0078. No.1 pp. 56~61, 1989
2. Development of Electronically controlled belt type
CVT for motor cycles (Michio ASUMI, Hideo 8. The Empact CVT Dynamics and Control of
ISHIKAWA, Kazuhiko MORI, Naotada an Electromechanically Actuated CVT
(PROEFSCHRIFT)