For my project, I'm simulating a new hydromechanical transmission in Simulink. The proposed design transmits power both through a mechanical shaft as well as a hydraulic pump-motor system. This new transmission could combine the power efficiency of a traditional mechanical transmission with the durability and control of a standard hydraulic transmission. While my project specifically focuses on the performance of the hydromechanical transmission in wind turbine gearboxes, this technology could also be used in a variety of other applications (e.g. a hydraulic hybrid vehicle transmission).
By the end of the summer, I hope to have some performance data, such as power efficiency at various wind speeds, for the simulated hydromechanical transmission. By comparing the simulated hydromechanical data to previous simulations of the traditional hydraulic transmission, I can outline the benefits/disadvantages of the new transmission. If all goes well, I might even have the chance to contribute to an article on the new hydromechanical transmission.
This weekend I biked to Minnehaha Falls with a group of REUs from MRSEC, another engineering program here at the U of M. It was great to meet some other students and hear about their research projects, which are mostly in materials science. The Falls were also really pretty, especially since they're unusually large for this time of year due to all the rain we've been getting.
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