A torque limiter device includes an input shaft having a first contact surface and an output shaft having a second contact surface. The input and output shafts are operable in an engaged position wherein the contact surfaces are brought into mechanical engagement, and a disengaged position wherein the contact surfaces are separated. A biasing mechanism provides a bias force that mechanically biases the input and output shafts in one of the positions and sets a threshold torque. An electromagnet is arranged to selectively provide an electromagnetic force that opposes the bias force when an activation current is supplied. A rotation sensor arrangement measures a respective rotation of the input shaft and of the output shaft. A controller determines a difference in rotations of the shafts and selectively supply the activation current to the electromagnet so as to disengage the input and output shafts when the rotation difference exceeds a threshold.

A generator system for connection to a vehicle axle. The generator system includes: an electrically-actuated clutch having an engaged position and a disengaged position; a generator and a processor. The generator includes: a rotor configured to be selectively connected, via the clutch, to the vehicle axle; and a stator. In the engaged position, the rotor is connected to the vehicle axle via the clutch such that torque from the vehicle axle is transmitted to the rotor. In the disengaged position, torque from the vehicle axle is not transmitted to the rotor. The processor is configured to control the clutch to actuate between the engaged and disengaged positions, and the processor is configured to monitor an electrical output of the generator, wherein the processor is configured to command the clutch to move to the disengaged position if the electrical output moves outside a predetermined range.

A clutch includes a clutch disk that rotates by receiving motive power from an engine and a clutch plate switched between an engaged state in which it is engaged with the clutch disk and a disengaged state in which it is not engaged with the clutch disk. A controller calculates a coefficient of friction μ between the clutch disk and the clutch plate based on a time period Δt elapsed from a first time point when the number of relative rotations of the clutch disk and the clutch plate attains to a first number of rotations to a second time point when a second number of rotations smaller than the first number of rotations is attained, in a state in which the clutch disk rotates while transfer of motive power from the engine to the clutch disk is cut off and in the engaged state.

A method and device for operating a powertrain of a motor vehicle are provided, wherein the powertrain includes an internal combustion engine, a transmission and a friction clutch arranged there between in order to control a power flow between the internal combustion engine and the transmission. The method includes the steps of detecting clutch judder, analysing clutch judder, and determining a type of clutch judder. Based on determined type of clutch judder the method further includes selecting a udder countermeasure from a number of predetermined judder countermeasures and executing selected judder countermeasure. Detected clutch judder can be taken care of in an efficient way and future clutch judder may be prevented.

A transmission includes an input shaft coupled to a prime mover, a countershaft, main shaft, and an output shaft, with gears between the countershaft and the main shaft. A shift actuator selectively couples the input shaft to the main shaft by rotatably coupling gears between the countershaft and the main shaft. The shift actuator is mounted on an exterior wall of a housing including the countershaft and the main shaft. An integrated actuator housing includes a single external power access for the shift actuator. A controller interprets a shaft displacement angle, determines if the transmission is in an imminent zero or zero torque region, and performs a transmission operation in response to the transmission in the imminent zero or zero torque region.

A creep control method for a vehicle is disclosed. The creep control method includes a limit-setting step and a limit release step. In the limit-setting step, a controller compares a speed of an input shaft of a transmission with a predetermined creep reference speed, and, if it is determined that the speed of the input shaft is lower than the creep reference speed, a creep minimum torque of a clutch for controlling creep driving of the vehicle is set to be a predetermined lower limit torque, which is larger than 0. In the limit release step, if the controller determines that the speed of the input shaft is increased above the creep reference speed while the creep minimum torque is limited to the lower limit torque, the creep minimum torque is set to 0.

The present invention comprises: a synchronization start determination unit 110 for determining a synchronization start of a synchronization device 70; a half-clutch determination unit 130 for determining whether a clutch device 20 is in a half-clutch state where the clutch device has not been switched from a connection state to a disconnection state; and a damage determination unit 140 which, when the synchronization start determination unit 110 has determined the synchronization start and if the half-cutch determination unit 130 has determined a half-clutch state, determines that damage is applied to the synchronization device 70 caused by the differential rotation between the power transmitted from a driving force source 10 side via the clutch device 20 and the power transmitted from a driving wheels 16L, 16R side.

A method for operating a drive train of a motor vehicle includes performing a startup operation of the motor vehicle or a stopping operation of the motor vehicle. A starting component (3) is engaged or bridged during the startup operation or the stopping operation of the motor vehicle. The startup operation is driven by a drive source (1). The method also includes comparing an actual value of an output shaft (22) based variable with a target value of the output shaft (22) based variable during the startup operation or the stopping operation and, on reaching or exceeding a specific deviation of the actual value from the target value, moving the starting component (3) into a slipping state. The starting component (3) transmits torque in the slipping state. A related drive train module for a motor vehicle is also provided.

In a clutch engagement control system for engagement and disengagement of transmission of a rotational force between a mainshaft and a countershaft, when clutch engagement control is executed based on the determination that rotational speeds of both the shafts agree with each other, even if unexpected variations in countershaft rotational speed result from torsion occurring downstream of the countershaft in a drive system and/or the like, smooth engagement control is implemented. A control value of countershaft rotational speed at each time is updated and managed. If a threshold value is exceeded by a difference between a countershaft rotational speed actual measured value and the preceding control value, the threshold value is added to the preceding value to obtain the control value. If the threshold value does not exceed the difference, the actual measured value at this time is set as a control value without any change.

A vehicle transmission apparatus having a starting engagement friction element, which has friction plates and a hydraulic servo including a piston that is moved according to a supplied oil pressure to press the friction plates, which is controlled to be engaged when a vehicle is started by using at least a driving force of the internal combustion engine, and which transfers creep torque. A control device capable of receiving an accelerator operation amount signal and capable of outputting a command value that controls the oil pressure. The control device executes temporary increase control of temporarily increasing the command value, when the accelerator operation amount signal is turned on from a state where the accelerator operation amount signal is off and the command value is output so that the starting engagement friction element transfers the creep torque.