Compact Planetary Transmission
matthew.murday
Entry ID #: 8248
Created: Tue, Dec 1, 2020 8:25 AM
The Compact Planetary Transmission (CPT) is an adaptive, variable-ratio gearbox. It takes 2 inputs: One high-strength axle input into the sun gear, and one standard-strength axle input into the reinforced carrier assembly. By varying the relative speeds of these elements, the output gear ratio can be manipulated to allow for optimum drivetrain performance across a wide range of speeds. The CPT takes one motor in each side (sun and carrier) as an input, and a sprocket (ring gear) as an output. In this configuration, the transmission is capable of improving both peak RPM and peak torque performance by upwards of 150% compared to directly driven drivetrains. NOTE: The test bot used in the attached photos is driven with two Vex V5 motors. Due to the singular output of the sprocket, the 2-motor robot is not capable of skid steering. However, with another two motors and an additional transmission, a competition-feasible 4-motor drivetrain could be created.
