A battle cry was heard throughout the land... The Dual-clutches are coming, the Dual-clutches are coming!
Wayne Gerdes –
CleanMPG – Jan. 20, 2009
Supplied possibly by Getrag, here is Ford’s all-new, 6-speed, Dual-clutch AT internals cutaway.
Detroit – While discussing future power trains and transmission with Ford engineers at the 2009 North American International Autoshow (NAIAS) last week, some very interesting body language described what was possibly to come as discussed in the
Ford’s Lincoln C -- EcoBoosted 1.6L w/ dual clutch 6-speed worth upwards of 43 mpgUS thread. Well today, Ford’s future is looking brighter then ever
Ford today announced it will introduce an advanced dual-clutch PowerShift six-speed automatic transmission (AT) into the North American marketplace by 2010. This announcement was not targetting a full or mid-sized automobile but for the first time in Ford's history, the North American small-car segment.
PowerShift delivers the fuel efficiency of a manual gearbox with the convenience and ease of use of an AT. At the same time, the PowerShift 6-speed dual-clutch AT can reduce fuel consumption by up to 9-percent depending on application.
“PowerShift represents a true competitive advantage for Ford and is one of the many technologies that will help our global small car platforms set a new world standard for efficiency and drive quality,” said Barb Samardzich, vice president, Global Powertrain Engineering, who announced PowerShift’s production timing at the 2009 Automotive News World Congress. “This advanced six-speed is an improvement over today’s automatic transmissions in terms of fuel economy, while providing customers an even more fun-to-drive experience.”
Ford states that almost 100-percent of its transmissions will be advanced six-speed gearboxes by 2013. Six-speed transmissions already have helped vehicles such as the 2010 Ford Fusion achieve best in class fuel economy, while at the same time allowing the Ford Flex and Ford Escape to achieve unsurpassed fuel economy in their respective segments.
Internals
Like all dual-clutch ATs originally developed for race cars, Ford’s PowerShift provides the full comfort of an AT thanks to uninterrupted torque from the dual-clutch technology. Dual-clutch ATs consist of two manual transmissions working in parallel, each with its own independent clutch unit. One clutch carries the uneven gears – 1, 3 and 5 – while the other the even gears – 2, 4 and 6. Subsequent gear changes are coordinated between both clutches as they engage and disengage for a seamless delivery of torque to the wheels.
In Europe, Ford currently offers a PowerShift AT in the diesel powered Ford Focus TDCi. This transmission uses a twin wet-clutch system to handle the higher torque levels of the 2.0L TDCI.
In North America, a dry-clutch derivative of Ford’s PowerShift AT will be used for added efficiency and durability. A dry clutch transmits power and torque through manual transmission clutch facings, while most ATs utilize wet clutch plates submerged in oil. As a result, the dry-clutch PowerShift transmission does not require an oil pump or torque converter, providing superior mechanical efficiency.
“A dry clutch is a real sweet spot for lighter vehicle applications,” said Piero Aversa, manager, Ford Automatic Transmission Engineering. “PowerShift is more efficient, it saves weight, is more durable, more efficient and the unit is sealed for life, requiring no regular maintenance.”
PowerShift, unlike conventional ATs, does not need the heavier torque converter or planetary gear sets. In addition, the dry-clutch derivative eliminates the need for the weighty pumps, hydraulic fluids, cooling lines and external coolers that wet clutch transmissions require. As a result, the dry-clutch PowerShift AT weighs nearly 30 pounds less than the ancient and outdated four-speed AT available on today’s North American Ford Focus
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Additional benefits include the following:
- Neutral coast down or NICE-On – The clutches will disengage when the brakes are applied, improving coasting downshifts and clutch robustness as well as reducing parasitic losses for increased fuel economy.
- Precise clutch control in the form of a clutch slip to provide torsional damping of the engine vibration – This function improves noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) at low engine speeds and enables lower lugging limits for improved fuel economy.
- Low-speed driving or creep mode with integrated brake pressure – This function simulates the low-speed control drivers are accustomed to from an automatic transmission. The amount of rolling torque in Drive and Reverse is precisely controlled, gradually building as brake pressure is released.
- Hill mode or launch assist – Prevents a vehicle from rolling back on a grade by maintaining brake pressure until the engine delivers enough torque to move the vehicle up the hill, providing improved driver confidence, comfort, safety and clutch robustness.
The all-new PowerShift Dual-clutch 6-speed AT gives Ford another tool in their arsenal for targeting best in class or among the best fuel economy in a given segment with every new vehicle it introduces in North America. Besides the all-new (for Ford) advanced six-speed dual-clutch AT and future 6-speed manual transmissions, Ford is still planning to place advanced internal combustion engines with the much talked about EcoBoost upgrades, hybrids and full electric vehicles on the road in the very near future. Adding to this capability, vehicle weight reduction and electric power-assisted steering will help improve fuel economy by 30-percent across the fleet by 2020.
Who is it that said CAFΙ’ standards would not work
Linear Mode
