Session: 09-03-01: Applied Mechanics, Dynamic Systems, and Control Engineering

Paper Number: 95227

95227 - Design of a Clutching and Braking System to Automate a Chain-Coupled Dual Planetary Gearing Transmission 

       The concept of a transmission is to deliver the ideal torque and speed needed for a specific loading condition. A new type of transmission has been developed at Midwestern State University to approach the performance of an ideal transmission. The new transmission has twenty different gear ratios and consists of a double planetary gearing system linked by a set of three chains and sprockets. A senior design engineering team is currently working to transform and improve the transmission from a manual one to an automated one. The main purpose of this senior project is to modify and control the entries and exits shafts of the transmission to allow for the realization of each of the twenty gear ratio configurations automatically. This task is realized through the development of an innovative clutching and braking system that would allow the power to flow through selected gear sets on the entry and exit sides of the transmission.

       The project has been divided into several different phases. The team first used the Willis Gearing Theory to determine the system’s theoretical gear ratios. Next, the entry and exit shafts of the transmission, as well as the clutching and braking systems, were designed using the SolidWorks CAD software. With this software, the team was able to render a three-dimensional model of the transmission system and run simulations to determine the modified design’s feasibility and viability. The two-dimensional and three-dimensional blueprint drawings of each designed part were then sent out to a machine shop for manufacturing. The team also sourced some needed parts through online suppliers. Upon receiving the parts, the team is proceeding with the final assembly process of the dual-chain planetary transmission. Lastly, the team plans to program and use a programmable logic controller (PLC) to automate the choice of a specific gearing ratio and the transition of a gear ratio to another through a set of moving, clutching keyed rods and sensors. Once the assembly process is done, the team is planning to test and record the actual mechanical advantage pertaining to each gear ratio.

       It is expected that by the end of the spring 2022 semester, the transmission will be fully assembled and automated. For testing, the team will have compared the theoretical velocity ratios to the measured mechanical advantages to determine the overall efficiencies of the transmission for each gearing ratio. The team expects the chain-coupled, dual planetary gearing transmission to produce a greater overall efficiency than a typical manual transmission.

Presenting Author: Salim Azzouz Midwestern State University

Presenting Author Biography: Dr. Salim Azzouz has a Bachelor and Master degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Lausanne, Switzerland, Europe. He also has a License in Mechanics from Louis Pasteur University, Strasbourg, France. Dr. Salim Azzouz earned his PhD. degree in Engineering Mechanics from the Aerospace Engineering Department at Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Virginia. He worked as an engineer with Nutrilait SA (Dairy Industry), Switzerland, Europe and Siemens VDO (Automotive Industry), Newport News, Virginia, USA. He is currently a full Professor at the McCoy School of Engineering at Midwestern State University (MSU), and has been teaching there for the past sixteen years. His fields of expertise include computational structural mechanics, non-linear finite elements applied to aerospace structures, smart materials, and energy production systems.

Authors:

Megan Cann Midwestern State University
Robert Speed Midwestern State University
Abraham Moreno Midwestern State University
Salim Azzouz Midwestern State University