Investigation of flattened torque converter performance at low speed ratio

This study is aimed to investigate flow phenomena in a torque converter by CFD analysis. The converter performance was compared between different shape converters; traditional circular torus and flattened torus. Influence of aspect ratio on these converter characteristics was discussed. Converter flattening should be needed for requirement of size reduction to mount other drive components on the space. In the flattened torus, drastic flow separation near the core region just downstream the turbine element was easily occurred. The separation volume decreases with increase of the converter speed ratio. Suppression of the separation is useful for converter performance improvement especially in low speed ratio condition. Flattening causes three-dimensional complex flow patterns and its suppression and control is important.