Experimental investigations by various groups over the past decade have uncovered the main features of the flow in hydraulic torque converters. Measurement techniques include laser and hot wire velocimetry, fast response and conventional five-hole probes, and blade and wall static pressure measurement. In both the pump and turbine, the through flow velocity is high near the pressure surface shell corner while the flow in the suction surface core corner is highly turbulent and may be separated and reversed. The position of the stator in a passage curved in the meridional plane leads to secondary flow and low velocities at the core near the pump inlet. Velocity gradients coupled with flow turning and rotor rotation lead to strong secondary flows. By using data from a combination of measurement techniques, torque converter torque, power and efficiency are calculated, and the effect of element efficiency on overall efficiency is demonstrated. It is concluded that design methods should be developed that allow for nonuniform velocity profiles, flow separation, secondary circulation and interaction effects between elements.
Issue Section:
Research Papers
1.
Adrian, F. W., 1985, “Experimental and Analytical investigation of Flows in Hydrodyanmic Torque Converters,” Ph.D. thesis (in German), The Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany.
2.
Bahr, H. M. et al., 1990, “Laser Velocimeter Measurements in the Stator of a Torque Converter,” SAE paper 901769
3.
Browarzik, V., 1994, “Experimental Investigation of Rotor/Rotor Interaction in a Hydrodynamic Torque Converter Using Hot-Film Anemometry,” ASME paper 94-GT-246.
4.
Brun
K.
Flack
R. D.
Gruver
J. K.
1996
a, “Laser Velocimetry Measurements in the Pump of an Automotive Torque Converter: Part II Unsteady Measurement
.” Journal Turbomachinery
, Vol. 118
, No. 3
, p. 570
570
.5.
Brun, K., Flack, R. D., and Ainley, S. B., 1994, “Secondary Flow Measurement in a Mixed Flow Pump Using Laser Velocimetry,” Seventh International Symposium on Applications of Laser Techniques to Fluid Mechanics, Lisbon, Portugal.
6.
Brun, K., and Flack, R. D., 1995a, “Laser Velocimeter Measurements in the Turbine of an Automotive Torque Converter,” Part I—Average Measurements, ASME paper 95-GT-292.
7.
Brun, K., and Flack, R. D., 1995b, “Laser Velocimeter Measurements in the Turbine of an Automotive Torque Converter,” Part II—Unsteady Measurements, ASME paper 95-GT-293.
8.
By, R., 1993, “An Investigation of Three-Dimensional Flow Fields in the Automobile Torque Converter,” Ph.D. thesis, Dept. of Aerospace Engineering, Pennsylvania State University.
9.
By
R.
Lakshminarayana
B.
1991
“Static Pressure Measurement in a Torque Converter Stator
,” Journal of Passenger Cars
, Vol. 100
, pp. 1756
–1764
.10.
By
R.
Lakshminarayana
B.
1995
a, “Measurement and Analysis of Static Pressure Field in a Torque Converter Pump
,” ASME JOURNAL OF FLUIDS ENGINEERING
, Vol. 117
, pp. 109
–115
.11.
By
R.
Lakshminarayana
B.
1995
b, “Measurement and Analysis of Static Pressure Field in a Torque Converter Turbine
,” ASME JOURNAL OF FLUIDS ENGINEERING
, Vol. 117
, No. 2
, pp. 473
–478
.12.
By
R.
Kunz
R.
Lakshminarayana
B.
1995
c, “Navier-Stokes Analysis of the Pump Flow Field of an Automotive Torque Converter
,” ASME JOURNAL OF FLUIDS ENGINEERING
, Vol. 117
, No. 1
, pp. 116
–122
.13.
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14.
Eckardt, D., 1980, “Flow Field Analysis of Radial and Back Swept Centrifugal Impellers,” Performance Prediction of Compressors & Pumps, ASME.
15.
Fister, W., and Adrian, F.-W., 1983, “Experimental Researches of Flow in Hydrodyanmic Torque Converters,” presented at the 7th Conference on Fluid Machinery, Hungary, Vol. 1.
16.
Gruver
J. K.
Flack
R. D.
Brun
K.
1996
, “Laser Velocimeter Measurements in the Pump of a Torque Converter, Part I: Average Measurements
,” Journal Turbomachinery
, Vol. 118
, No. 3
, p. 562
562
.17.
Jandasek, V. J., 1963, “The Design of a Single Stage Three-Element Torque Converter. Passenger Car Automatic Transmissions,” SAE Transmission Workshop Meeting, Second edition, Advanced Engineering, Vol. 5, p. 201.
18.
Kost, A., Mitra, N. K., and Fiebig, M., 1994, “Computation of Unsteady 3D Flow and Torque Transmission in Hydrodynamic Couplings,” ASME paper 94-GT-70.
19.
Lakshminarayana, B., 1996, Fluid Dynamics & Heat Transfer of Turbomachinery, Wiley, New York, NY.
20.
Lee, J.-S. et al., 1994, “Surface Flows Inside Automotive Torque Converters,” Proc. 5th Int. Symposium on Transport Phenomena and Dynamics of Rotating Machinery, Vol. B, p. 887 (ISRO MAC), Maui, Hawaii.
21.
Maddock, D. G., 1991, “Application and Design of Automotive Torque Converters,” GM Powertrain Division, Class notes for an Automatic Transmission Course.
22.
Marathe, B. V., 1996, “Experimental Investigation of Steady and Unsteady Flow Field in Automotive Torque Converters,” Ph.D. thesis, Dept. of Aerospace Engineering, PSU, (in preparation).
23.
Marathe
B. V.
Lakshminarayana
B.
1995
, “Experimental Investigation of Steady and Unsteady Flow Field Downstream of an Automotive Torque Converter Turbine and Stator
,” International Journal of Rotating Machinery
, Vol. 2
, pp. 67
–84
.24.
Marathe, B. V., Lakshminarayana, B., and Dong, Y., 1996, “Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Stator Exit Flow Field of an Automotive Torque Converter,” ASME paper 94-GT-32, to be published ASME Journal of Turbomachinery, Oct. 1996.
25.
Marathe, B. V., Lakshminarayana, B., and Maddock, D. G., 1995a, “Investigation of Steady and Unsteady Flow Field Downstream of an Automotive Torque Converter Turbine and Inside the Stator, Part I—Flow at the Exit of the Turbine,” ASME paper 95-GT-231.
26.
Marathe, B. V., Lakshminarayana, B., and Maddock, D. G., 1995b, “Investigation of Steady and Unsteady Flow Field Downstream of an Automotive Torque Converter Turbine and Inside the Stator, Part II—Unsteady Pressure on the Stator Blade Surface,” ASME paper 95-GT-232.
27.
Numazawa, A. et al., 1983, “An Experimental Analysis of Fluid Flow in a Torque Converter,” SAE paper, 830571.
28.
Schulz
H.
Greim
R.
Volgmann
W.
1996
, “Calculation of Three-dimensional Viscous Flow in Hydrodynamic Torque Converters
,” ASME Journal of Turbomachinery
, Vol. 118
, No. 3
, p. 578
578
.29.
Strachan, P. J., Reynaud, F. P., and von Backstrom, T. W., 1992, “The Hydrodynamic Modeling of Torque Converters,” South African Inst. Mech. E R&D Journal, Vol. 8, No. 1.
30.
Tsujita, H., Mizuki, S., and Ejiri, E., 1996, “Analysis of Flow Within Pump Impeller of Torque Converter,” ASME paper 96-GT-444, presented at ASME IGTI meeting in Birmingham, England, June 1996.
31.
Wiesner
F. J.
1967
, “A Review of Slip Factors for Centrifugal Impellers
,” ASME Journal of Engineering for Power
, Vol. 89
, p. 558
558
.32.
Abe, K., and Kondoh, T., 1991, “Three-Dimensional Simulation of the Flow in a Torque Converter,” SAE paper 910800.
33.
Bai, L., Kost, A., Fiebig, M., and Mitra, N. K., 1994, “Numerical Investigation of Unsteady Incompressible 3D Turbulent Flow and Torque Transmission in Fluid Couplings,” ASME paper 94-GT-69.
34.
Ejiri, E., 1990, “A New Approach to Developing a More Efficient Torque Converter Stator,” SAE paper 901765.
35.
Folchert, U., Menne, A., and Waller, H., 1994, “Experimental Identification of the Dynamic Characteristic of Hydrodynamic Torque Converters and Couplings,” ASME paper 94-GT-360.
36.
Fujitani, K. R. R. Himeno, and Takagi, M., 1988, “Computational Study on Flow Through a Torque Converter,” SAE paper 881746.
37.
Hoshino, A. et al. 1990, “A Consideration on Performance improvement of Hydraulic Torque Converters,” Industrial Applications of Fluid Mechanics, ASME FED Vol. 100, pp. 65–70.
38.
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39.
Ma, W., Luo, B. J., and Wu, S., 1991, “The Research on Quasi-Three-Dimensional Flow Design of Hydrodynamic Torque Converter Blades,” SAE paper 912701.
40.
Mercure, R. A., 1979, “Review of the Automotive torque Converter,” SAE paper 790046.
41.
Minato, K. et al., 1989, “A Performance Prediction of Hydrohynamic Torque Converter,” SAE paper 900555.
42.
Nagornaya
N. K.
1961
, “Impact Losses and Coefficients in Hydraulic Torque Converter Blade Systems
,” Russian Engineering Journal
, Vol. 6
, pp. 21
–24
.43.
Sakamoto, H., Suyama, K., and Saka, T., 1992, “Study on Torque Converter Circuit Profile,” SAE paper, 920765.
44.
Wada, A. et al., 1995, “A PTV Analysis of Torque Converter Internal Flow,” ASME paper, ASME FED Vol. 218.
45.
Ziebart
E.
1953
, “Investigations on a Foettinger Hydraulic Torque Converter
,” Z-VDI
, Vol. 95
, No, 30
, pp. 1027
–1036
.
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