Continuously Variable Transmission Using 2-degrees-of-freedom Epicyclic Gear and Unbalance Mass

Abstract

This paper deals with the theoretical analysis and experimental results concerning to a tentatively designed variable transmission for the flywheel vehicles. This transmission is constructed of two devices. One is a 2-degrees-of-freedom epicyclic gear system including planet gear with unbalance mass and the other is a torque rectifier system consisting of two sets of one-way clutches. While this epicyclic gear is running, an alternating torque is generated. The rectifier system rectifies the alternative torque to a directional one. The authors analyzed the velocity change process of two flywheels connected by this transmission and conducted numerical simulation of this process. The authors also made an experiment of this system and compared the results with the simulation ones. Both results have shown good agreement.