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A concept and a (nonlinear finite element) model of how to analyze load distribution of toothed belts having curvilinear tooth profiles for automotive engines at steady states was developed by utilizing a general nonlinear finite element program considering contact problems as well as geometrical nonlinear problems. A toothed belt in the model consists of circularly linked beam elements for endless tension members and two dimensional solid elements for a belt body. A curved pulley surface is supposed to be rigid. Interaction between surfaces of belt teeth and pulleys is considered as moving boundaries. A quite good agreement between experimental and computed results for frictional forces and tooth load confirms that the proposed model is presently the only one practical approach for analyzing load distribution of toothed belts which none of the existing theories can do. Some numerical simulations were performed by changing parameters such as belt pitch, dimensions of teeth and so on.

Transmitted torque, thrusts of driving and driven pulleys, and axial force between two pulleys were measured on a metal pushing V-belt type CVT. Thrust ratios between driving and driven pulleys at several different speed ratios were plotted with respect to torque ratio and compared with each other. It was found that the relation between thrust ratio and speed ratio was almost independent of rotational speed of the pulley and the maximum transmittable torque at a constant torque ratio. The thrust ratio is primarily a function of speed ratio. It also depends on torque ratio and coefficient of friction between blocks and a pulley. An empirical equation for pulley thrust balance was derived. The equation is expressed in an explicit form. It is so simple that it can be applicable for electronic control of CVT.

Block compression force and ring tension of a metal pushing V-belt type CVT have been experimentally measured at steady states. The peculiar transmitting mechanisms for this type of belts has also been outlined based on the experimental results in the previous works. In this paper, other forces simultaneously acting on a block at steady states were measured using newly developed devised blocks. These forces are frictional force between blocks and rings, normal force between blocks and pulleys, frictional forces between blocks and pulleys in radial and tangential directions. The transmitting mechanisms for the metal pushing V-belt type CVT were drawn in detail based on new experimental data. The following conclusions are emphasized in the present work. (1) A cohesive point where the block coheres with the ring exists in the pulley having a larger pitch radius at all conditions. This is not dependent on speed ratio and transmitting torque.

In Metal V-belt type CVT, an elastic deformation of blocks determines the shifting speed and the pulley thrusts at transitional state. Both driving and driven pulley thrusts were calculated by considering the forces acting on blocks at a pulley entrance, which agreed with the experimental results at not only steady state but also transitional state. The frictional performance of CVT fluids and the frictional characteristics between blocks and a pulley were evaluated by applying the mean coefficient of friction as a friction parameter. It was found from the experiments that the estimated coefficient of friction of CVT fluids was not constant with respect to operating conditions. It changed due to relative sliding speed between blocks and the pulley, sliding direction and normal pressure acting on V-surface of the block.

A new discrete model was developed in order to analyze the power transmitting mechanisms of a dry hybrid V-belt CVT not only at steady states but also at transitional states where the speed ratio was changing. Block tilting in the pulley was considered in the advanced numerical model as well as pulley deformation due to pulley thrust. The validity of the present model was well confirmed by comparing the calculated results on transmitting and normal forces with the former experimental results. The calculated results showed that both block tilting and pulley deformation meaningfully affected the pulley thrust ratio between the driving and the driven pulleys.

In order to reveal the shifting mechanisms for CVT using a metal pushing V-belt, three shifting rates were introduced. The belt motion in the pulley groove was also characterized using mean coefficients of friction as parameters, which identify the slippage condition of the belt in the pulley groove. The experimental results showed that one of shifting rates, dR/ds was almost constant in the narrowing pulley regardless of both rotational speed and transmitted torque. Here, R is the belt pitch radius in the pulley and s is the length measured along the belt pitch line. This fact indicates that the shifting is primarily governed by elastic deformation of blocks of the belt. Power transmitting states were also evaluated using a different type of lubricating oil whose nominal coefficient of friction was higher than that for the conventional AT oil. The observed mean coefficients of friction vary due to oil although the basic response of the CVT unchanged.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the force distribution between pulleys and blocks of a newly developed CVT belt. Three components of the force (transmitting force, normal force and frictional force) were measured directly using a newly devised pulley. The experimental results reveal that the transmitting force distribution on the driving pulley is similar to that on the driven pulley as long as blocks do not slip while the distribution of the normal force component for both pulleys does not resemble each other as well as the distribution of friction force in the radial direction of the pulley. It is also found that no idle arc exists in the contact arc of both driven and driving pulleys even in the case that the transmitting torque is low. The experimental force distribution is compared with a theory based on the discrete spring model taking no consideration of slippage between the pulley and the blocks.