Dynamic Temperature Testing and Modeling for an Automatic Transmission Clutch
Abstract The primary objectives of this study are (1) to validate the hardware design and control methodologies for preserving the thermo-mechanical integrity of a launch clutch emulating a torque converter and (2) to develop a simple, control oriented clutch-temperature model that may act as a virtual thermocouple in the processor of an automobile for real-time clutch-temperature predictions. In a dynamometer test cell, a Ford CD4E transaxle is instrumented with a thermocouple-based telemetry system to investigate clutch thermal characteristics during engagements, neutral idle, single and repeated launching, torsional isolation, and hill holding. A nonlinear, SIMULINK™-based model for estimating temperature is developed. The results from the simulations are in good agreement with the experimental data.