Optimization Design of Oil Groove Shape on the Surface of Friction Plate in High-Speed Wet Clutch Aimed at Minimizing Drag Torque

Abstract

The wet clutch, a crucial component of the vehicle transmission system, experiences high-frequency impact and friction between the friction plate and the steel plate under high-speed separation conditions. This leads to a significant increase in drag torque, which is detrimental to the transmission efficiency and reliability of the high-speed wet clutch. This article aims to reduce the high-speed drag torque in a no-load wet clutch by optimizing the oil groove shape on the surface of the friction plate. Initially, a theoretical model of high-speed drag torque for the friction plate with arbitrary oil groove shape is established. Subsequently, a low-drag oil groove shape optimization model is proposed by establishing design parameters, constraint conditions, and an objective function, combined with an experiment design method, approximation modeling, and a global search optimization method. Finally, the stiffness and damping coefficients of the clearance flow field and the drag torque with the optimized oil groove shape are calculated. The simulation results and the proposed optimization method are validated through experiments. The experiment indicates that a friction plate with the optimized oil groove shape can significantly decrease high-speed drag torque, demonstrating strong practical engineering value.