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The performance characteristics of a torque converter strongly depends on the blade geometry, which directly affects its torque ratio and input capacity factor. The present study developed a program that designs a blade system and analyzes its performance characteristics. Using the design and analysis program, TorconMaster®, several blade systems were newly generated and compared their performance characteristic with reference blade system. The objective of this paper is to investigate the effect of the blade geometry on the performance of a torque converter. As analysis tools, one-dimensional performance analysis were used for sensitivity analysis, where a full three- dimensional flow computation was used for investigation of three-dimensional blade geometry on performance. The analytical and numerical results obtained a refined relationship between geometry and performance.

This work presents the development, validation and use of a SIMULINK integrated vehicle system simulation composed of engine, driveline and vehicle dynamics modules. The engine model links the appropriate number of single-cylinder modules, featuring thermodynamic models of the in-cylinder processes with transient capabilities to ensure high fidelity predictions. A detailed fuel injection control module is also included. The engine is coupled to the driveline, which consists of the torque converter, transmission, differential and prop shaft and drive shafts. An enhanced version of the point mass model is used to account for vehicle dynamics in the longitudinal and heave directions. A vehicle speed controller replaces the operator and allows the feed-forward simulation to follow a prescribed vehicle speed schedule.

An integrated vehicle system simulation has been developed to take advantage of advances in physical process and component models, flexibility of graphical programming environments (such as MATLAB-SIMULINK), and ever increasing capabilities of engineering workstations. A comprehensive, transient model of the multi-cylinder engine is linked with models of the torque converter, transmission, transfer case and differentials. The engine model is based on linking the appropriate number of single-cylinder modules, with the latter being thermodynamic models of the in-cylinder processes with built-in physical sub-models and transient capabilities to ensure high fidelity predictions. Either point mass or multi-body vehicle dynamics models can be coupled with the powertrain module to produce the ground vehicle simulation.