Influence of the rectifier mechanism in the performance of an inertial continuous variable transmission

Abstract Inertial continuous variable transmissions (CVT) need mechanisms to rectify the oscillating motion generated during operation into a one-way rotation in order to be transferred to the wheels of the vehicle. This paper presents the influence of the rectifier mechanism in an inertial CVT while keeping the other subsystems of the transmission unaltered. Most rectifiers use freewheels to transform the oscillating motion into one-way motion; this approach has limitations for sustained applications, such as for private and industrial vehicle cases, making the rectifier the weakest link of the transmission. Numerical and experimental comparative results on the functioning of an inertial CVT design operating with two different rectifier mechanisms are discussed. Encountered advantages and disadvantages are identified for the two prototyped CVTs.