Study on Torque Converter Circuit Profile

Automotive torque converters have recently been designed with an increasingly narrower profile for the purpose of achieving a smaller axial size, which also translates into weight savings. Four torque converters with different flatness ratios were manufactured and tested in order to evaluate the change in their overall performance, including efficiency, stall torque ratio and torque transmission capacity. The experimental results show that the overall performance deteriorates when the flatness ratio is reduced to less than about 0.2. The internal flow characteristics of the torque converters were also investigated by numerical analysis using a CFD code. The computational results indicate that the main cause of this performance deterioration is a reduction in pump efficiency, which is attributed to increases in shock loss in the inlet region, separation loss in the fore half region, and friction loss in the exit region.

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Perspective: Fluid Dynamics and Performance of Automotive Torque Converters: An Assessment

Backström

Lakshminarayana

1996

Journal of Fluids Engineering

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Experimental investigations by various groups over the past decade have uncovered the main features of the flow in hydraulic torque converters. Measurement techniques include laser and hot wire velocimetry, fast response and conventional five-hole probes, and blade and wall static pressure measurement. In both the pump and turbine, the through flow velocity is high near the pressure surface shell corner while the flow in the suction surface core corner is highly turbulent and may be separated and reversed. The position of the stator in a passage curved in the meridional plane leads to secondary flow and low velocities at the core near the pump inlet. Velocity gradients coupled with flow turning and rotor rotation lead to strong secondary flows. By using data from a combination of measurement techniques, torque converter torque, power and efficiency are calculated, and the effect of element efficiency on overall efficiency is demonstrated. It is concluded that design methods should be developed that allow for nonuniform velocity profiles, flow separation, secondary circulation and interaction effects between elements.

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Study on Torque Converter Circuit Profile

Cited by 6 publications

References 5 publications

Decomposition Analysis and Optimization of an Automotive Powertrain Design Model

Decomposition Analysis and Optimization of an Automotive Powertrain Design Model

Influence of the Flatness Ratio of an Automotive Torque Converter on Hydrodynamic Performance

Perspective: Fluid Dynamics and Performance of Automotive Torque Converters: An Assessment

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