WARNER ELECTRIC CLUTCH DRIVES FORWARD HYBRID TRANSMISSIONS
TECHNOLOGY
As fossil fuels continue to diminish, engineers are working hard to perfect alternative
power transmission. While fully electric systems still have many flaws, in recent years
hybrid designs have surged in popularity: they are now found in trains, boats,
agricultural equipment and even the latest generation hyper-cars. Warner Electric has
designed a customised E220 electromagnetic clutch which transmits high torque, high
speed and high power from a diesel engine to an electric transmission system when
the batteries begin to lose power.
As part of the Altra Industrial Motion Group of power transmission brands, Warner
Electric is able to offer its customers world-leading design and engineering services.
Recently, a manufacturer of power transmission systems for locomotives approached
Warner's engineers with a request for a customised clutch to integrate with a new
hybrid transmission; a challenge they were eager to accept.
The nature of the application meant that the clutch had to perform to a very tight set of
parameters. Firstly, it must be able to cope with high speeds (up to 3,000 rpm) and
high torque (up to 5,000 Nm) for an operating life of over 50,000 hours without
maintenance. Because the clutch itself would be enclosed in a housing as part of the
transmission, access for maintenance would be nigh on impossible. The housing also
meant that the clutch would be exposed to extreme operating temperatures and was
required to operate reliably in ambient temperatures ranging from -40°C to 100°C.
No stranger to heavy duty, industrial applications, Warner's engineers were able to use
the standard E220 range of robust electromagnetic clutches as a starting point. The
E220 range of power-activated, zero backlash clutches is designed for embedded
applications and is particularly suited to hybrid transmissions where no residual torque
can be transmitted when the clutch is disengaged.
However, the specific performance figures of the application meant it was necessary to
create a custom design, as Christophe Gendron, Design Engineer for Warner Electric,
explains:
"The power transmission was part of an 'embedded environment', or an application in
which the system itself is moving eg. train, boat, truck etc. This inherently limits the
space and weight available for the system. In this case, by the time the clutch was
being designed, the diesel engine had been specified and the necessary positioning of
the component was already decided. This meant we had to modify our clutch to fit the
right footprint and transmit the right torque range for the engine.
"The transmission system itself was quite innovative for the locomotive industry,
meaning that we had the opportunity to start from the ground up in our design. This is
the sort of challenge that any design engineer enjoys. We worked closely with the
customer: meeting on-site at their plant, holding conference calls and exchanging CAD
designs to make sure that we would deliver a solution that met each of their needs and
would work as an asset to the overall transmission design."
In this case, the clutch has been specifically adapted for connecting a diesel engine to
an electric drive system when the battery power is low. A tolerance of +/-30% on the
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pilot voltage of the clutch has been included and a stabilising system has been
implemented to avoid any unforeseen engagement. Sealed bearings and a specialised
friction face composition have also been added for longevity without maintenance.
Christophe continues: "While the application was something new, the approach we
took to the design was standard practice for us, as we regularly offer customisation
services for customers across many different industries. As well as matching the
performance criteria for the applications, we also considered the environment that it
would be used in and designed in features such as additional corrosion protection to
make sure the clutch would stand up to all the foreseeable environmental challenges."
The E220 range is available from Warner Electric in a number of different sizes as
standard, though customisation is available to suit almost any application. Warner
Electric is part of Altra Industrial Motion, a leading global supplier of industrial power
transmission systems with engineering centres located across the globe. Using this
global platform, Warner Electric is able to offer expert engineering clutch solutions to
customers spanning any industry with installation and maintenance support services
provided locally.
Photo Captions:
Photo 1: Warner Electric designed a high torque, high speed, high power clutch
solutions for the train's hybrid transmission.
Source: iStock - scanrail
Photo 2: The E220 range is available from Warner Electric in a number of different
sizes as standard, though customisation is available to suit almost any application.
About Warner Electric
For over 70 years, Warner Electric has grown to become a global leader in
electromagnetic clutch & brake solutions. Warner engineers utilise the latest design,
materials and manufacturing technologies to develop easy-to-use and install clutches
and brakes with longer life and improved accuracy and repeatability. Warner Electric
offers the broadest selection of industrial clutches, brakes, controls, web tension
systems, sensors and switches available from a single manufacturer.
Reliable Warner Electric components are used in a very wide range of markets
including material handling, packaging machinery, food & beverage, elevator &
escalator, turf & garden, agriculture and off-highway, forklift, crane and motion control.
Applications include conveyors, lift trucks, wrapping machines, servo motors, capping
equipment, combines and balers, baggage handling systems, military vehicles, hoist
drives and lawn mowers.
The image(s) distributed with this press release may only be used to accompany this
copy, and are subject to copyright. Please contact DMA Europa if you wish to license
the image for further use.
Editor Contact
DMA Europa Ltd. : David Bedford
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Tel: +44 (0)1299 405454
Fax: +44 (0)1562 748315
Web: www.dmaeuropa.com
Email: [email protected]
Reader Contact
Warner Electric : Neil Bruce
Tel: +44 2380 733211
Web: www.warnerelectric-eu.com
Email: [email protected]
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