For a long clutch life

And not only that: Because the current condition of the clutch is known, another algorithm developed by IAV can influence the starting behavior and in this way ensure that the component reaches a specified minimum service life. “Depending on driving style or payload, the clutch is subjected to different loads,” says Dr Jörg Beilharz, Head of Department for Transmission and Hybrid Systems at IAV. “Our algorithm prevents particularly wear-intensive starting processes, for example. This reduces negative effects on the coefficient of friction and avoids increased material removal.”

The method is particularly suitable for small commercial vehicles that handle logistics on the “last mile” and where a particularly large number of start-up processes occur. An extension of the approach to wet start-up systems is planned.

The physical model behind the new algorithm describes the wear processes and is based on numerous test bench measurements of different clutches that IAV has carried out together with TU Berlin. In the meantime, IAV’s solution is so precise that nothing stands in the way of series development. The developers are also helped by the fact that the computing power of modern control units is now sufficient to permanently determine the condition of the clutch while the vehicle is in operation.

“At the moment, the estimation and control algorithms are still running on a prototype ECU,” says Knoblich. “In the next step, we want to make the software fit for a production ECU.”

The article was published in automotion 01/2021, the automotive engineering magazine of IAV. Here you can order the automotion free of charge.