Shifting control of an automated mechanical transmission without using the clutch

The automated mechanical transmission (AMT) is gaining popularity in the automotive industry, due to its combination of the advantages of mechanical transmissions (MT) and automatic transmissions (AT) in terms of fuel consumption, low cost, improved driving comfort and shifting quality. However, the inherent structural characteristics of the AMT lead to disadvantages, including excessive wear of the clutch plates and jerk and traction interruption during the shift process, that severely affect its popularity in the automatic transmission industry. The emerging technology of shifting control without the use of the clutch is a promising way to improve the shifting transients of AMTs. This paper proposes a control algorithm that combines speed and torque control of the AMT vehicle powertrain to achieve shifting control without using the clutch. The key technologies of accurate engine torque and speed control and rapid position control of the shift actuators are described in detail. To realize accurate engine speed control, a combined control algorithm based on feed-forward, bang-bang and PID control is adopted. Additionally, an optimized closed-loop position control algorithm based on LQR is proposed for the shift actuators. The coordinated control algorithm based on engine and shift actuator control is described in detail and validated on a test vehicle equipped with an AMT. The results show that the coordinated control algorithm can achieve shifting control without the use of the clutch to improve driving comfort significantly, reduce shift transients and extend the service life of the clutch.