• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.30 no.5
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• pp.265-270
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• 2014

Frictional heat greatly influences the friction behaviors during clutch engagement. Therefore, the engagement of a wet or dry clutch is frequently not under control by the frictional heat. In a wet clutch, the frictional temperature also specially needs to be controlled, and in many cases, the clutch material is selected to prevent a temperature rise from the friction between friction pad and separator. However, only the selection of the clutch material cannot ensure sufficient control of the temperature rise by the friction. The groove pattern on a friction pad is designed for more flow rates of transmission fluid between the contact gap of clutch pad and separator for the cooling effect. In this work, grove patterns are designed for more flow rates out of the contact gap between friction pad and separator plate. Selected groove design shows the improvement flow rates of transmission fluid through both inner and outer radius, where most of the transmission fluid flows through the outer radius when the clutch is engaged due to the centrifugal force in conventional wet clutch groove. Several comparisons of the amounts of frictional heat generated on clutch pads are made in order to verify the decrease of the temperature rise according to the flow rates along the groove patterns.

• Tribology and Lubricants
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.92-98
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• 2014

Transmission fluid film behaviors in the gap between the wet clutch pad and separator plate are analyzed using the CFD software ADINA. Three pattern groove designs are selected and are used to validate the fluid film behaviors based on the outlet flow in the gap when the wet clutch pad and separator plate are engaged. The main design goal for pattern grooves is faster engagement. In most cases, much of the outlet flow of transmission fluid in the gap occurs on the outer radius boundary due to the centrifugal force generated by the clutch pad circular motion. Groove patterns are created to ensure faster transmission fluid outlet flow in the direction of the inner radius boundary. Computational results of the selected groove patterns are compared.