Energy efficient oil supply for clutch actuation in planetary transmissions

Abstract: The improvement potential of the oil supply system used in Volvo CE's planetary transmission PT9 is studied in this thesis. The main focus was to improve the energy efficiency of the system while at the same time satisfying all of the system's functional demands. High energy efficiency is important for the environment, Volvo CE and Volvo's customers. Different concepts regarding how to design the system were developed and simulated so as to evaluate their energy efficiency and potential of meeting the various demands of the system. An important aspect to consider when designing an energy efficient supply system is to select proper sizes of the components in the system. If the system is oversized the energy efficiency will not be as good as the system's potential efficiency. On the other hand, if the system is undersized its performance will also suffer. The problem of finding suitable sized component was thus also studied in this thesis. Two methods were developed to guide the engineer in the work of selecting proper size of components. The methods provide a structured approach to dimensioning the system, to ensure that it meets its functional demands and giving high energy efficiency.