Clément Vigniel’s Post

World’s First Geared CVT Could Be a Holy Grail Transmission https://lnkd.in/eubf8Gwi Unlike conventional CVTs, this gear-based one invented by engineers in Italy can handle more torque and loses less energy to heat. A typical automotive CVT utilizes two conical pulleys with a belt or chain that moves in and out to adjust its output ratio. Even among enthusiasts who cannot articulate precisely how that process works, there’s one fundamental fact we all know: CVTs don’t have gears. Right? That sort of thing puts you in the realm of planetary gearboxes. They already exist in the automotive marketplace—look no further than most Toyota hybrids, for instance—but they’re not really CVTs as we conventionally define them. And now there’s a third contender: a geared CVT that utilizes a new layout entirely. Invented by a team of engineers in Italy, it’s called the “Ratio Zero” transmission; let’s call it the RZT for short. We won’t get into the nitty-gritty, but the RZT prototype addresses the key issue with a conventional CVT: that it can only handle so much torque before its belt or chain slips. With a geared setup, the torque tolerances go way up. The switch from friction-based power transfer to mechanical power transfer also significantly improves the efficiency of power transfer, as far less energy is being bled away as heat. But the RZT’s real party piece is the fact that its output ratio is not only infinite, it can actually be zero. Meaning the transmission itself can effectively idle without the use of a clutch or torque converter. (...) #engineering #transmissions #gearboxes #CVT

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