Wet Friction Member Notch Layout for Uniform Drag Torque Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional wet friction members do not uniformly reduce drag torque across a wide range of rotation speeds, requiring specific forms for optimal performance, which limits their effectiveness in reducing fuel consumption and energy efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A wet friction member design featuring a core plate with a flat ring shape and a friction part composed of segment pieces with specific notch shapes and arrangements, including notched rectangular pieces and oil grooves, optimized to promote lubricating oil intake and discharge, thereby reducing drag torque uniformly from low to high rotation speeds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional wet friction members use standard friction surface designs, then the structure is simple and easy to manufacture, but the drag torque is not uniformly reduced across different rotation speeds
Solution Approach 1:
The friction surface is divided into multiple segment pieces (first through fourth pieces) with different notch configurations. Each segment is designed to optimize lubricating oil supply at different rotation speeds, allowing the friction surface to adapt to varying operational conditions and uniformly reduce drag torque across the entire rotation speed range.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the friction surface are given different local characteristics through varied notch shapes and positions. The first and second pieces have notches optimized for one rotation direction, while the third and fourth pieces have notches optimized for the opposite rotation direction, creating locally optimized zones that collectively improve overall performance.
2Loss of energy
If the friction surface is designed with complex notch patterns to reduce drag torque, then energy efficiency improves, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The complex friction surface is segmented into multiple discrete pieces that can be manufactured separately using standard techniques, then assembled together. This approach allows each segment to be produced with conventional manufacturing methods while the overall assembly achieves the complex notched pattern needed for drag torque reduction.
Solution Approach 2:
The notch patterns are deliberately made asymmetric and varied across different segments to optimize lubrication at different rotation speeds. This asymmetric design, while complex in appearance, follows systematic patterns that can be efficiently manufactured through precision cutting or molding of individual segments before assembly.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The design achieves a significant and uniform reduction in drag torque across various rotation speeds, enhancing energy efficiency and fuel savings by effectively managing lubricating oil distribution and friction, particularly in low to middle rotation regions.
Implementation Method 1
Lubricating oil is also supplied into the clutch, for example, to reduce the friction of the wet friction members in the pressure contact/separation and to absorb the frictional heat caused by friction
Implementation Method 2
The wet clutch has a structure in which a plurality of wet friction members and a plurality of separator plates are alternately arranged via small clearances, and in which the wet friction members and the separator plates are pressure-contacted with/separated from each other for torque transmission/non-transmission
Data Source
AI summary
The wet friction member 1 of the invention includes a core plate 2 formed in a flat ring shape, a friction part 3 arranged in a ring shape. The friction part 3 has segment pieces including rectangular shaped G1 to G4: G1 in which a lower right corner of rectangular piece is notched; G2 in which an upper left corner of rectangular piece is notched; G3 in which an upper right corner of rectangular piece is notched; G4 in which a lower left corner of rectangular piece is notched. The friction part 3 has arrangements T1 and T2: T1 in which G1 and G2 are arranged in a manner a right side of G1 and a left side of G2 face each other; T2 in which G3 and G4 are arranged in a manner a right side of the G3 and a left side of G4 face each other.