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To apply a fuel economy performance to AT&CVT fluid for common use (hereinafter AT/CVT fluid) and manual transmission fluid, by optimizing fluid viscosity, a fundamental study was investigated. Generally, it is well known that the viscosity of polymer-added transmission fluids is gradually reduced, due to deterioration of the viscosity index improver caused by shear stress. An excessive viscosity reduction causes an operation failure or damage to the transmission. Considering above factor, the authors focused attention on the potential of a low viscosity formulation to improve fuel efficiency by reducing an internal stirring-resistance of the transmission. Also from the viewpoint of friction characteristics, the performance of a base oil was studied. Utilizing the EHL (Elast-Hydrodynamic Lubrication) tester [1] and vehicle tests, the performance of base oils was evaluated for the fluid development.

As part of the International Lubricant Standardization and Approval Committee's (ILSAC) goal of developing a global automatic transmission fluid (ATF) specification, members have been evaluating test methods that are currently used by various automotive manufacturers for qualifying ATF for use in their respective transmissions. This report deals with comparing test methods used for determining torque capacity in friction systems (shifting clutches). Three test methods were compared, the Plate Friction Test from the General Motors DEXRON®-III Specification, the Friction Durability Test from the Ford MERCON® Specification, and the Japanese Automotive Manufacturers Association Friction Test - JASO Method 348-95. Eight different fluids were evaluated. Friction parameters used in the comparison were breakaway friction, dynamic friction torque at midpoint and the end of engagement, and the ratio of end torque to midpoint torque.

To reduce the idling rattle of manual transmissions, the computer simulation has been utilized. However, the conventional simulation model could not express properly the relationship between the transmission oil temperature and the rattle noise level, especially in case of transmission with backlash eliminator in constant mesh gears. In this study, the authors carried out detail experiments investigating the motion of each part in the transmission. Based on the experimental results, an additional mass representing all constant mesh speed gears supported on plain or rolling element bearings was introduced to the simulation model. Using the improved model, it was confirmed that the calculated RMS value of the fluctuation in countershaft angular acceleration corresponds to the experimental rattle noise level.

The International Lubricant Standardization and Approval Committee (ILSAC) ATF subcommittee members have compared the two oxidation bench test methods, Aluminum Beaker Oxidation Test (ABOT) and Indiana Stirring Oxidation Stability Test (ISOT), using a number of factory-fill and service-fill ATFs obtained in Japan and in the US. In many cases, the ATFs were more severely oxidized after the ABOT procedure than after the same duration of the ISOT procedure. The relative severity of these two tests was influenced by the composition of the ATFs. The bench test oxidation data were compared with the transmission and the vehicle oxidation test data.

In the previous paper(1), the authors reported the calculation method they developed for predicting the idling rattle in manual transmissions. This method provides data that represent noise levels to which human ear is not sensitive by numerical values. In the study described in this paper, the authors attempted to produce audible noise through a speaker by the following process: create time-series data of fluctuation in the angular acceleration obtained by the calculation (which is considered to correspond to rattle noise); create next-stage data by applying convolution of a transmission case's vibration transfer characteristics filter obtained by the experiment to the above-mentioned time-series data; convert the filtered data into a wave file; and then input the file to a personal computer to obtain audible sound as output. The audible noise thus produced provides a means of evaluating the level and nature of noise in the way humans naturally experience it.

It is generally known that the idling rattle in manual transmissions is caused by gear tooth portions that make repeated impact-generating vibrations in the backlashes. These vibrations result from rotational fluctuations of the flywheel induced by combustion in the engine. In the study reported here, the authors constructed an experimental setup using rotary encoders and a transient torsional angle converter that allowed the long-awaited direct measurement of impact-generating vibrations in the backlashes. Using this experimental result, the following ideas that the authors must pay attention for the numerical simulation are obtained. That is, transmission drag torque is to be input and treated as the offset value in the torque value of the torsional characteristics in the clutch disc, and coefficients of attenuation have great influence upon the calculation result.

In recent years, the slip lock-up mechanism has been adopted widely, because of its fuel efficiency and its ability to improve NVH. This necessitates that the automatic transmission fluid (ATF) used in automatic transmissions with slip lock-up clutches requires anti-shudder performance characteristics. The test methods used to evaluate the anti-shudder performance of an ATF can be classified roughly into two types. One is specified to measure whether a μ-V slope of the ATF is positive or negative, the other is the evaluation of the shudder occurrence in the practical vehicle. The former are μ-V property tests from MERCON® V, ATF+4®, and JASO M349-98, the latter is the vehicle test from DEXRON®-III. Additionally, in the evaluation of the μ-V property, there are two tests using the modified SAE No.2 friction machine and the modified low velocity friction apparatus (LVFA).

Improving fuel efficiency often affects NVH performance. Modifying a vehicle’s design in the latter stages of development to improve NVH performance is often costly. Therefore, to optimize the cost performance, a Multi-Attribute Balancing (MAB) approach should be employed in the early design phases. This paper proposes a solution based on a unified 1D system simulation model across different vehicle performance areas. In the scope of this paper the following attributes are studied: Fuel economy, Booming, Idle, Engine start and Drivability. The challenges to be solved by 1D simulation are the vehicle performance predictions, taking into account the computation time and accuracy. Early phase studies require a large number of scenarios to evaluate multiple possible parameter combinations employing a multi-attribute approach with a systematic tool to ease setup and evaluation according to the determined performance metrics.