Water contamination effect in wet clutch system

• Water contamination in wet clutch systems can be a problem since both torque characteristics and wear resistance can be influenced by water presence. The present paper reveals the effect of externally added water on the wet clutch frictional performance. Commercially available standard paper based friction plates and steel separator plates lubricated in commercially available automatic transmission fluid were investigated in a recently developed automated test rig implementing a well confined experimental approach. Frictional response was observed for three different situations with different water amount and water exposure time. There is observed undesirable friction increase with increasing water amount in the system. The rate of increase in friction coefficient does not linearly depend on the amount of added water and this is a noticeable outcome from the common possible water contamination effects like change in lubricant viscosity, inadequate additive performance and weakening of friction material. The more reduced separator plates’ surface roughness (Ra) in a water contaminated clutch system compared to an uncontaminated one can be a reason for the change in friction. It is also shown that different water exposure time has no large impact on the change in friction level and separator plate’s roughness.

Subject headings

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Maskinteknik -- Tribologi (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Mechanical Engineering -- Tribology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Maskinelement

Machine Elements

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)