Dynamic Analysis and Control of the Clutch Filling Process in Clutch-to-Clutch Transmissions

Clutch fill control in clutch-to-clutch transmissions influences shift quality considerably. An oncoming clutch should be applied synchronously with the release of an offgoing clutch to shift gear smoothly; therefore, the gap between the piston and clutch plates should be eliminated when the torque capacity is near zero at the end of the clutch fill phase. Open-loop control is typically implemented for the clutch fill because of the cost of pressure sensor. Low control precision causes underfill or overfill to occur, deteriorating shift quality. In this paper, a mathematical model of an electrohydraulic clutch shift control system is presented. Special dynamic characteristic parameters for optimal clutch fill control are subsequently proposed. An automatic method for predicting initial fill control parameters is proposed to eliminate distinct discrepancies among transmissions caused by manufacturing or assembling errors. To prevent underfill and overfill, a fuzzy adaptive control method is proposed, in which clutch fill control parameters are adjusted self-adaptively and continually. Road vehicle test results proved that applying the fuzzy adaptive method ensures the consistency of shift quality even after the transmission’s status is changed.