Automotive Power Transmission Systems

1Automotive Engine Matching

1.1 Introduction

Internal combustion engines have been the primary power source for automotive vehicles since the beginning of the automotive industry. Although automobiles powered by electric motors have entered the automotive market and are likely to grow in market share, the vast majority of vehicles will still be powered by internal combustion engines in the foreseeable future. This is partly due to the bottleneck in the development of key technologies for electric vehicles, such as battery energy density, durability and charging time, and the lack of infrastructure and facilities necessary for the daily use of electric vehicles. On the other hand, proven crude oil reserves can still fuel internal combustion engines for decades to come.

Modern internal combustion engines are sophisticated systems that integrate synergistically mechanical, electrical, and electronic subsystems. Engine technologies are subjects of study in great breadth and depth in the areas of combustion, heat transfer, mechanical design and manufacturing, material engineering, and electronic control [1,2,3,4]. However, this book does not cover engines themselves and is concerned only with how the engine outputs are transmitted to the driving wheels. Readers interested in engine topics are directed to the books referenced here or other related books. The engine outputs, in terms of power and torque, fuel economy, and emissions, are considered as given throughout the text of this ...