Experimental Verification of a Novel Continuously Variable Transmission with Electro-Hydrostatic Actuator

The continuously variable transmission (CVT) realizes variable output velocity and torque by changing reduction ratio continuously. However the existing CVT cannot avoid to be narrow variable range or getting huge, because the reduction ratio depends on the ratio of radius gyration between input and output. To solve this problem, a novel CVT by electro-hydrostatic actuator (EHA) has been proposed. The proposed CVT consists of two closed hydraulic circuits with different reduction ratio. By changing two hydraulic circuits at a fast rate, the wide and continuous variable transmission can be realized. This paper experimentally verifies the utility of proposed mechanism.