All;
Isn't this similar to a "variable-pitch propeller" used on aircraft?
Regards, Neil Tucson, AZ
-----Original Message-----
From: Russel Mack [mailto:rtmack@concentric.net]
Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2003 10:37 PM
To: Landspeed Louise Ann Noeth; ddahlgren@snet.net
Cc: land-speed@autox.team.net
Subject: RE: Torque Converter Slippage
Dave, Louise:
I've been a fan of this concept of "infinitely variable" power transmission
for a little over four decades now. I recall a little "euromobile" car that
began using the expanding pulley/ contracting pulley v-belt mechanism back
about late-'50s-- DAF, I think it was(?); Danish(?). 2-stroke(?)
Anyway, the rap against that mechanism has always been that it won't handle
enough torque. One (or more) of the Japanese car mfgs. has done some
development work and even a production model (Japan only, I think) and has
gotten the capacity up to 150hp, or so.
W/resp. to our LSR machines-- those with 150hp (or less) are almost all very
light, and don't need much help with acceleration (or traction-- due to the
lower power delivery requirement). The machines that do need acceleration/
traction help (our big, heavy streamliners, for example) would destroy that
mechanism very quickly. Someone (Skip Higginbotham, I think) was telling me
that somebody ran one at Bonneville a few years ago, anyway.
You can transmit a lot more torque with the hydraulic infinitely-variable
transmissions used in some heavy equipment (and some stationary industrial
applications). As I'm sure you would expect, there is a lot of power loss
through such systems-- however, it's probably not as bad as the 40%
wheelslip figure I've heard for some of the big 'liners.
Easy to optimize torque delivery (with the hydraulic pump/ slave) with a
pressure sensor and a simple control algorithm. Russ, #1226B
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