A Kinematic Analysis and Design of a Continuously Variable Transmission

Abstract

This thesis describes a method for analyzing and designing a continuously variable transmission (CVT). The analysis process is implemented in a software package that can be used to tune a CVT for a given application. The analysis is accomplished through the use of kinematic principles as well as equations developed from basic energy balances. Although the theory developed can be applied to any CVT, this thesis focuses on a case study using the Team Industries brand CVT applied to the Virginia Tech Mini Baja Team. The work was motivated by the team's need to have a reliable and inexpensive method for CVT tuning. Previous approaches to CVT tuning were strictly empirical and involved mechanical component replacement in a slow and expensive trialand- error optimization loop. The tuning software is intended to be a first step in the process of properly tuning a CVT for a specific application and not a complete replacement for the empirical methods employed previously.