You seem like a reasonable chap so let me attempt to explain. My speculation about possible upkeep on the Torotrak is only based on my experiences with machines over the years. The contradiction of using pressure at various points on the disk to transfer torque and still avoid distortion, wear or excess heat, makes me skeptical. Maybe they can do it, the 'long chain' oil that changes back and forth from a lubricant to some sort of solid seems to work. I just wonder how it can do that when it's cold and over the course of time. I could be very wrong. Maybe it will work better than any other system of transferring engine torque. I'm not sure if having doubts is the same as misleading.
Lurking wasn't directed at you. You offer actual questions.
I don't know if it is even a case of beating anyone to the market. IF anyone succeeds in really changing the status quo, it will force others to improve along similar lines. For what it is worth I think the market is too big for only one solution. There are dozens of transmission types out there now. One or even two companies aren't going to replace them all, in my opinion. I can still buy a 4 speed and that is ancient by automotive standards.
As far as explaining how the IVT works, I'll give it a shot, but on this issue I'm barely treading water. Take another tour of the Torvec site. I think they do have comparisons.
The key to transferring torque from pump to motor is the swishplate. As that changes angles, engine torque is transferred via fluid from the pistons in the pump to the motor. The latest design eliminates the pump side with gears. Maybe it will help to remember that the swishplate is sort of deflecting the engine force to the pump. No clutch faces meeting, no slotted vanes spinning in fluid that almost touch. Once in drive, any increase in engine rpm crates torque or force that is transferred to each of the pistons on the pump side. Because oil in a closed system doesn't compress, all that engine force is transferred to the motor side where it turns the driveshaft. While this is happening, the computer samples the system several times a second. That's my dimly formed understanding of the basics. Could be very wrong about aspects of what I outlined. How the increased resistance of load, hills and a lead foot affect the swishplate angle or 'gear', is something I could not tell you. I think that is determined by the computer.
Well that didn't clear up anything, right? How does one explain how a Torsen or the Iso-Torque work? Both are simple enough. Spider gears in sets that run around other gears. An engineer might be able to explain how a overspinning wheel on one side forces the torque to the other, I can't. It just does.
Some of the ideas from the Torsen and Iso-Torque are in the IVT. Exactly what they are is beyond me, but the transfer of spinning force from one side to the other is something they are very good at. The IVT is able to transfer a LOT of force using hydraulic lock at LOW pressure and low RPMs because of it's different design. Simple, very little blowby of fluid because it's NOT high pressure like the bent axial design of heavy equipment transmissions. I believe thats where the Deere design is and like Eaton, it can move huge loads, but slowly and with high pressure and a lot of noise.
I'm fumbling the ball here because I'm not an engineer. I think the concepts are correct as far as they go. Comb the site for more details after pondering this and maybe it will be clearer. In some ways it comes down to gears running around gears and depending on which part of the case or end of the gearbox, it will either lockup or rotate freely. When you understand it, you can build one out of legos. Alex, Vernon's grandson did and it works. Doesn't seem like it should, but it does. I could draw all this a lot better than I can describe it. EOM
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