Creative mechanism design of magnetic gears integrated with continuously variable transmissions

Magnetic gear mechanisms widely used in industrial applications possess the advantages of providing high transmission efficiency, being non-contact and maintenance-free, and having overload protection. The purpose of this study is to present a creative mechanism design methodology to combine a v-belt continuously variable transmission (CVT) with a coaxial magnetic gear mechanism. The topological characteristics of the magnetic gear with an integrated CVT are analyzed herein. The design requirements and constraints are concluded and applied to generate all feasible specialized chains. Five new design concepts featuring magnetic gear mechanisms with integrated CVTs are obtained. The magnetostatic field of the magnetic gear is also analyzed to check the magnetic saturation and predict the transmitted torque and speed ratio by finite-element analysis.