Development and friction estimation of the Half-Toroidal Continuously Variable Transmission: A wind generator application

This paper presents the modeling and the computer simulation of a continuously variable transmission (CVT), applicable to a (2 kWatt power) wind turbine, as well as the evaluation of the suggested mechanism. Transmission in conventional wind turbines offers a constant ratio, as a result the rotational speed of the generator's shaft varies depending on the wind speed, so the generator usually operates at lower rpm than registered, leading to low power output. In contrast, wind turbines equipped with a CVT system offer a wider range of the power generator's shaft speed. The proposed mechanism is expected to provide a constant output shaft speed for any wind speed, maximizing the power produced. Furthermore, it is expected that the system will be able to collect more energy than conventional wind turbines and wind turbines equipped with CVT do, starting from a lower wind speed. This paper describes the operating principle of the proposed mechanism, followed by the mechanical designs of the individual components. Dynamical and Frictional Analysis of the proposed mechanism and its components are presented. The modeling of the CVT was performed using CATIA, and simulation carried out using the MSC Adams 2013 student edition. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.