Video of the NuVinci continuously variable planetary transmission
Filed under: Emerging Technologies
Now this is something that is totally cool. You are probably familiar with the CVT, or continuously variable transmissions, that are becoming more commonplace on modern cars and scooters these days. The systems generally use a couple of pulleys and a belt or chain to connect the two pulleys. As the diameter of the pulleys change, the belt and output shaft change speeds, allowing the car or scooter a seamless transmission from high to low "gear".
This is another type of CVT, one that uses a planetary setup instead of the more common pulleys and belt. Watch the video above the some technical details on how it works. This invention could prove less costly to manufacture and could be more durable than current CVT's, and may see use in everything from bicycles to cars.
[Source: Youtube via Hugg]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-29-2007 @ 9:33PM
MikeW said...
But what is the ratio spread?
Reply
3-30-2007 @ 10:42AM
RayNineteen said...
Actually this is not a new idea. Nissan already has a similar unit, called the Extroid transmission, in production in Japan, using rollers with a 'magical' lubricant rather than the belts used in Nissan's Murano. I remember reading that the lubricant has some sort of problem with very cold weather, so they don't export it to the U.S.
I tried to find some reference to this problem but I'm not having any luck; but I did find a 3-year-old forum entry where others had the same recollection:
http://forums.freshalloy.com/showthread.php?t=42311
Reply
4-01-2007 @ 1:09AM
MikeW said...
That nissan toroidal CVT only had a 4.4:1 spread, so Nissan went back and integrated a planetary gearset for low/high range.
GM 4L60 4 speed automatic 4.4:1
Kinda goes against the idea of a CVT, having to shift.
Reply