Antonov, the developer of a novel type of automatic transmission, is edging ever closer to series production of its transmissions, writes CSM analyst Chris Guile. Antonov nearly achieved this back in early 2005, when one of its designs was tantalisingly close to being approved by MG-Rover, but the subsequent collapse of MG-Rover put an end to that plan.
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More recently, Antonov has been targeting the Chinese market, where many of the vehicle OEMs are desperate for affordable ‘non-manual’ transmissions, by which we mean automatics, Automated Manual Transmissions (AMTs), Continuously Variable Transmissions (CVTs) and Dual-Clutch Transmissions (DCTs).
In particular, Antonov has developed the 6-speed TX6 program, the current version of which has evolved from the unit developed for MG-Rover. What is most striking about the design is that it does not use a torque converter – a launch device which is used with almost every other planetary-based automatic. It allows the engine to rotate when the wheels are stationary, at a junction for example, but also transmits power to the wheels as the engine speed increases, to allow the vehicle to start moving.
In the Antonov TX6, however, the torque converter has been replaced with a pair of wet clutches (one for forward gears and one for reverse), which are open when the vehicle is stationary, but closed when power needs to be transmitted to the wheels. And the significance of this is that a clutch is more efficient in terms of fuel consumption, than a torque converter, which in turns leads to reduced CO2 emissions.
Which begs the question: ‘Why are manufacturers still using torque converters when they could be using clutches?’. Possible answers include:
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By GlobalData- The much fabled ‘torque multiplication factor’, which occurs when the two halves are not rotating at the same speed. However, this only happens for short periods of time (e.g. when pulling away), and is really only a requirement in premium vehicles.
- Smoothing out of the torque fluctuations, which occur when the gears are changed. But again, this is only really an issue in vehicles/markets where refinement is important.
- Or is it perhaps inertia in the market? – in other words, because it has always been done like that……
It is true that many manufacturers are now using what is called converter ‘lock-up’, where the two halves of the torque converter are locked together, under an increasing number of conditions (even sometimes in 1st gear). This does improve the efficiency, but it also means that the converter is effectively redundant for most of the time.
In most AMTs and some CVTs, clutches are already being used, so what is there to prevent the automatics using the same technology? In reality, there is already one example of an automatic transmission with a clutch, in production, but this is found at the very top of the market – in the Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG. In this particular case, it is being used to compete with DCT technology, which Daimler is currently developing, but which is not yet production ready.
Regardless of what happens to the Antonov transmission, CSM has a suspicion that other manufactures may follow this route, and look at replacing torque converters with clutches, to gain a small advantage when it comes to CO2 performance. Of course, it is these CO2 figures which will be used by the European Union when calculating how much to fine the OEMs, should they fail to meet the recently ratified target of 130g/km, by 2012.
But what of that Antonov TX6? Having driven an Antonov demonstrator vehicle, CSM believes that the lack of torque multiplication isn’t really an issue. It didn’t feel any different from other automatics we have driven. Admittedly, it still needs some refinement of the software, but this is mere detail – it is after all a prototype. It is no secret that Antonov has used the services of Vocis Driveline Controls, a specialist in transmission software control, to get this far, and we doubt it would take long to iron out the remaining issues. The fact remains that the hardware seems to do what is expected of it.
Having originally tried to licence production of the TX6, Antonov has now decided to establish its own joint-venture production plant, and to target several Chinese OEMs, each of whom would consume moderate volumes. Initial production would be carried out in Europe, at an unidentified plant, using components sourced from China. This would allow staff to be trained at an established plant, while the full-scale, joint-venture production plant in China was completed. The difficulty for Antonov, of course, is that getting a commitment to manufacture will only happen when OEMs have signed up to use the TX6, but the OEMs are reluctant to do this before Antonov has a plant to manufacture them. Despite this, it is hoping to have agreements in place soon, with production planned for c.2011.
According to CSM data, the market for non-manual transmissions in China has already grown significantly, from just 380k units in 2000 (22% share), to 2.4 million in 2008 (32% share). CSM forecasts show this rising further to 4.8 million units, fitted in Chinese-built cars and vans, representing a 42% share of the market. So, there is no doubt that there is the demand for non-manuals, but only time will tell if Antonov is able to be part of this growth. Who knows, in the current financial climate, maybe even the European OEMs will show some renewed interest in Antonov’s small and efficient automatics.
Antonov is still working on the efficiency of the TX6, and is aiming for a point somewhere between a classic 6-speed automatic and a 6-speed manual. However, CSM believes that the engineers may be aiming too low, given that the ZF 2nd generation 6HP (6-speed automatic) is already more efficient than a manual, in some applications, over the European Drive Cycle. For example, the official CO2 values for the new BMW Z4 [E89] show that the automatic version of the Z4 23i has 3.5% lower CO2 emissions than the manual version.
Other claimed benefits of the TX6 over conventional automatics include:
- A wider ratio spread (up to 6.0);
- More flexibility of the ratios themselves (fewer interdependencies);
- 3 direct drive gears (4th, 5th and 6th), for better efficiency;
- Low vehicle integration costs
The current model has a target weight of 80kg and is rated up to 270N.m, although consideration is being given to a smaller version, rated at up to 150N.m. Higher torque versions are possible, although these would require larger diameter launch clutches.
Chris Guile is a Powertrain Analyst with CSM Worldwide.
