MCT341: Introduction to Autotronics

Lab Report (2)

Manual Transmission

Fady Kamil Thabet

20P9581
INTRODUCTION

In this lab, we are introduced to manual transmission theory of operation, basic

components, and types.
The concept of transmission is needed, because the torque and speed
characteristics of an average sized engine aren’t suitable for day-to-day driving. So,
we need some sets of gears that can manipulate the torque and speed provided by
the motor and deliver the required torque and speed, and that’s the transmission.
SLIDING MESH TRANSMISSION

In a sliding mesh gearbox, the gears are mounted on shafts and slide laterally to
engage with one another. When the driver selects a particular gear, the
corresponding gear on the output shaft is moved laterally until its teeth mesh with
the teeth of the input gear, transmitting power to the output shaft, as shown in
figure 1.

Figure 1 - Sliding Mesh Transmission

One advantage of a sliding mesh gearbox is its simplicity and robustness. It is

relatively easy to manufacture and maintain, and it can handle high torque loads. It
also provides direct and efficient power transmission.
One major disadvantage of a sliding mesh gearbox is its lack of synchronization.
When shifting gears, the driver needs to match the engine speed with the speed of
the gears, which requires skill and can result in rough shifts. Additionally, gear
engagement can cause noise and wear.

CONSTANT MESH TRANSMISSION

Constant mesh synchronized transmission solves the problems of sliding mesh

transmission, but consists of extra mechanical components and mechanisms that
we’ll explore next.

Figure 2 - Constant Mesh Transmission

 Figure 3 - Synchronizer Main Components

Synchronizer Hub
The synchronizer hub is a crucial component in manual transmissions that allows
smooth gear engagement. It consists of splines that connect to the gear and a collar
that slides over the hub. The hub's main function is to match the speed of the gear
and the input shaft before engagement, reducing gear clashes and facilitating a
seamless transition between gears.
Shift Sleeve
The shift sleeve, also known as a shift collar or shift slider, is responsible for
connecting the synchronizer hub to the gear. It has grooves that correspond to the
hub's splines and moves along the gearshift shaft. When the shift lever is moved,
the shift sleeve engages the desired gear by sliding over the synchronizer hub,
effectively linking the gear to the input shaft.

Figure 4 - Shift Sleeve (Collar)

Synchronizer Cone
The shift sleeve, also known as a shift collar or shift slider, is responsible for
connecting the synchronizer hub to the gear. It has grooves that correspond to the
hub's splines and moves along the gearshift shaft. When the shift lever is moved,
the shift sleeve engages the desired gear by sliding over the synchronizer hub,
effectively linking the gear to the input shaft.
Baulk Ring
The shift sleeve, also known as a shift collar or shift slider, is responsible for
connecting the synchronizer hub to the gear. It has grooves that correspond to the
hub's splines and moves along the gearshift shaft. When the shift lever is moved,
the shift sleeve engages the desired gear by sliding over the synchronizer hub,
effectively linking the gear to the input shaft.

Ring Spring
The shift sleeve, also known as a shift collar or shift slider, is responsible for
connecting the synchronizer hub to the gear. It has grooves that correspond to the
hub's splines and moves along the gearshift shaft. When the shift lever is moved,
the shift sleeve engages the desired gear by sliding over the synchronizer hub,
effectively linking the gear to the input shaft.

Strut
In the context of manual transmission, the term "strut" typically refers to a shifting
strut or shift fork strut. It is a metal rod or shaft that connects the shift fork to the
shift rail. As the shift lever is moved, the strut translates the motion into lateral
movement, allowing the shift fork to engage different gears on the transmission's
main shaft. The strut provides mechanical linkage between the shift lever and the
shift fork, enabling precise gear selection.
DIFFERENTIAL

The differential gearbox comes after the car’s transmission, whether it’s manual,
semi-automatic, or full- automatic. While the transmission purpose is to manipulate
the engine’s torque and speed, the differential’s purpose is basically to maintain
constant torque across wheels and allow for relative rotation between wheels. This
is helpful when the car undergoes steering, or any condition where relative wheels
rotation is necessary. Its input is the output of the transmission (proper shaft in
RWD), and it has two outputs for two wheels.

Figure 5 - Differential Gearbox

The differential’s main components are: crown wheel, that’s the gear responsible
for transmitting the power to the differential. Then, the crown gear rotates the
rotating cage which rotates the 2 small gears around the wheels axle (not around
their axis). The small gears then rotate based on the relative rotation between the
two wheels. For example, if there’s no relative rotation between the two wheels
(moving in a straight line), the small gears won’t rotate around their axis. It’s also
worth noting that, in figure 3, the crown wheel isn’t directly in contact with the
inner half shaft, the only thing transmitting power to it is the small gears.

There are multiple types of differential, but we covered the general basic theory of
operation of differential gear box. Those types are:

1. Open differential
2. Limited-slip differential
3. Mechanical limited-slip differential
4. Viscous limited-slip differential
5. Active differential
6. Locking differential
7. Torque-vectoring differential
8. Torsen differential
9. Welded differential
AUTOMATED MANUAL TRANSMISSION

Automated manual transmissions can be semi-automatic or fully-automatic in

operation. Several different system to automate the clutch and/or shifting have
been used over the years, but they will generally use one of the following methods
of actuation for the clutch and/or shifting: hydraulic or electro-hydraulic actuation,
electro-mechanical, pneumatic, electromagnetic, or even purely electrical by
means of an electric motor.

Figure 6 - Automated Manual Transmission

Gear shifting, clutch actuation, shift-timing, and rev-matching are all under
automated control via the electronic sensors, computers, and actuators. When
shifting gears, the driver selects the desired gear with the transmission shift lever,
while electronic sensors and actuators connected to a TCU (transmission computer)
or microprocessor will automatically operate the clutch and throttle to match revs
and to re-engage the clutch in milliseconds. Torque and power transfer to the drive
wheels will also be electronically controlled. Most modern implementations of this
transmission function in a sequential mode, where the driver can upshift or
downshift by only one gear at a time. However, this is not the case for all modern
transmissions. For example, BMW's "SMG" and Ferrari's "F1" transmission can skip
gears on both downshifts and upshifts, when selecting gears manually via the
steering wheel-mounted paddle-shifters, as seen on most modern transmissions.
Older clutchless manual transmissions (mostly prior to the 1990s) will retain H-
pattern shifters, plus the shift gate, and will require the driver to select the required
gear ratios manually. The clutch, however, will be a servo-controlled unit, connected
to various actuators, a solenoid and sensors which control the clutch automatically.

Another alternate means of clutch automation is the "clutch-by-wire" system. The

system generally uses an electric actuator and electronic sensors, which replace the
mechanical clutch linkage or hydraulic clutch connection, to monitor and control
clutch positioning, completely replacing the hydraulic linkage between the
mechanical clutch and pedal itself with a single electro-mechanical actuator.

Depending on the mechanical build and design, some (mostly modern) automated
manual transmissions will automatically shift gears at appropriate points (like a
conventional automatic transmission), while traditional semi-automatic and
clutchless manuals require the driver to manually select the gear even when the
engine is at redline, since they automate only part of the transmission (namely the
clutch) and will not shift gears by themselves. Despite the superficial similarity,
automated manual transmissions differ significantly in internal operation and
driver's "feel" from a manumatic, the latter of which is an automatic transmission
(automatics use a torque converter instead of a clutch like in an automated manual,
to manage the mechanical linkage between the transmission and motor) with the
ability to override the automatic transmission's computer and actuate shifts
manually.

Add-on AMTs can also function as a regular manual gearbox (with a manual shift
lever), whereas integrated AMTs do not need a "normal" shift layout, so they can
be designed with an optimized AMT shifting layout (which would have an unusual
pattern to manually shift). Integrated AMTs either have gear-selector drums (which
allows only serial shifting and no gear-skipping, but this system is fairly inexpensive,
because it needs only one actuator), or single actuators. Single-actuator systems
require one actuator for each shifting sleeve (which is why this type of system is
more expensive, but it also shifts faster). The actuators can either be electro-
hydraulic (more expensive, but faster, well-suited for single-actuator systems, and
allow for higher torque), or electro-mechanical (less expensive, but usually limited
to 250 N·m (184.5 lb-ft) of gearbox input torque). This limit is because the clutch
actuation force increases with higher torque, and short shifting times; electro-
mechanical actuators are just electric motors – using larger motors reduces the
motor dynamics due to the motors' higher mass moment of inertia (which is not
good for fast shifting), and bigger motors also put more stress on the car's 12-volt
electrical system. As a result, one can have either slow shifting and a very large lead-
acid battery (not suitable for cars), or fast shifting and a smaller battery (works up
to 250 N·m of torque).

Modern AMTs, such as Suzuki Auto Gear Shift and Dacia/Renault Easy-R, usually
operate in conjunction with electronic throttle control to initiate gear shifts based
on certain RPM and/or throttle position.
REFERENCES

1. https://engineeringhulk.com/sliding-mesh-gear-box
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manual_transmission#Synchromesh
3. https://x-engineer.org/gear-synchro/
4. https://youtu.be/yYAw79386WI?si=UBxQRcvdAB6pULni
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automated_manual_transmission