C o v e r S t o r y TR ANSMISSIONS

MODULAR KIT FOR EIGHT-SPEED

AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSIONS
The second generation of ZF’s eight-speed automatic transmission 8HP, which has been further developed ex-
tensively, is tailored for current and future vehicle and drive requirements. It represents consumption reduc-
tions, increases in dynamics and comfort, and flexibility. Across vehicle segments, the 8HP modular kit also en-
ables plug-in hybrids, four-wheel drive configurations, motorsports applications, and it can also be found in the
field of highly-loaded LCV applications.

Authors

DR. ALBERT DICK

is Head of Model Series Automatic
Transmissions Standard Drive in the
Car Powertrain Technology Division
at ZF Friedrichshafen AG in
Kressbronn (Germany).

DIPL.-ING. ANTON LOCHER

is Project Manager for Model Series
Automatic Transmissions Standard
Drive in the Car Powertrain Techno-
logy Division at ZF Friedrichshafen AG
in Kressbronn (Germany).

FRAMEWORK CONDITIONS according to ZF forecasts.

DR.-ING. RALF KUBALCZYK
is Head of Model Series Hybrid
Transmission Product Line in the
Car Powertrain Technology Division
at ZF Friedrichshafen AG in
Kressbronn (Germany).
Increasingly stringent statutory emission
standards and CO2 limits worldwide rank
among the main drivers of those vehicle
technologies that make cars more effi-
cient. Innovations are particularly called
for passenger cars with a combustion
engine or hybrid drive, not least because
they will continue to account for some 85
% of the global market even in 2025,
At the same time, car buyers expect
more comfort and more dynamics with
each new car generation. In the wake of
the development leaps already achieved,
it is proving increasingly costly and com-
plex to deliver further major improve-
ments with the combustion engine. In any
case this requires supplementary solu-
tions in the downstream driveline, too.
Added to which is another trend: for each

28 www.autotechreview.com
passenger car platform, manufacturers are
not only constantly on the lookout for
more body variants, but also increasingly
want to see wide-ranging drive options.
This in turn boosts market potential,
but also the challenges for transmission
suppliers within the automotive industry.
Particularly for automatic transmissions,
OEMs now expect to see functions similar
to those offered by the passenger car over-
all. Apart from comfort enhancements,
they go along with the engine and con-
tribute actively and significantly to redu-
cing fuel consumption, increasing dynam-
ics as well as a good power-to-weight
ratio. That is achieved when each vehicle
model receives a transmission variant
tailored to its specific drive configurations
– for instance, tailored to diesel, gasoline,
or hybrid configurations and their particu-
lar power ratings, specific downsizing and
down speeding approaches or also four-
wheel-drive models.
To provide that within a reasonable
budget, ZF has also implemented the
second generation of its eight-speed auto-
matic transmission 8HP for passenger cars
with standard and transaxle or four-wheel
drive in the form of a modular kit. This
offers major efficiency enhancement
potential in the passenger car and greater
flexibility for OEMs, when it comes to
drive configurations – right through to the
plug-in hybrid system.
The 8HP’s versatility already shows off
in current volume production applica-
tions. For example, it is used in the BMW
M235i Racing, a racing car for popular
and customer sport. Only software adapt-
ations characterise this highly dynamic
8HP application. The purely automatic,
comfort and economy modes have been
omitted, and all gearshifts, without excep-
tion, are triggered via the paddle shifters.
The shift speed has been reduced further
compared with sporty volume-production
gearshifts, with motorsports-specific char-
acteristics. Downshifts down to just
before the engine speed limit (7,200 rpm)
are also permissible.
The 8HP also demonstrates its sporty
qualities in the street-legal Aston Martin
Rapide S and Vanquish models with their
V12 naturally aspirated engines (up to 417
kW, 630 Nm, and 7,000 rpm). Here the
8HP is installed using the optimum
transaxle layout in terms of axle-load dis-
tribution. Instead of being flange-mounted
autotechreview S ep t e mb e r 2 015 Vo lum e 4 | I s su e 9
on to the front-longitudinal engine, the
only slightly modified automatic transmis-
sion is located on the rear driven axle.
Recently, 8HP variants are also in use in
the Daily van from commercial vehicle
manufacturer Iveco – here too it was
decisive that it was possible to combine
the ZF-8HP flexibly with all the engines
available for this model, specifically with
diesel and CNG versions in a total of four
output ratings from 78 to 125 kW.
DESIGN LAYOUT OF THE
BASIC TRANSMISSION
The first-generation 8HP has been used
successfully millions of times since 2009,
in what is now over 600 different
volume-production vehicle applications –
from the compact car, the SUV and sports
car, through to the luxury class segment.
Its basic design is also picked up by its
successor. The compact basic transmis-
sion consists of four simple planetary
gearsets and just five friction shift ele-
ments, including three multi-disk clutches
and two multi-disk brakes. The pressure
oil is constantly supplied using an axially
parallel, highly compact vane cell pump,
which is housed in the front area of the
transmission, 1. Based on this, the
second-generation 8HP, which celebrated
its volume-production premiere in the
BMW 520d in 2014, boasts extensive tech-
nological advances.
1 Key components of the
8HP basic transmission
ZF designed the new generation with a
focus on the requirements of modern-day
gasoline and diesel engines. The 8HP acts
together with the downsizing engines,
which boast fewer cylinders and lower
displacement, as well as with down
speeding approaches, which are charac-
terised by reduced engine speeds and
maximum torque available from very low
revs. The latter in particular require trans-
missions with a greater spread; for this
reason this spread was increased on the
new 8HP by means of gearset optimisa-
tion from 7.1 to 7.8. This measure reduces
the speed across all gears by 50 rpm on
average, and as a result the vehicle’s fuel
consumption is reduced by almost 1 %.
Another crucial feature includes the
advanced torsional dampers on the new
8HP, since they take account of the modi-
fied vibration characteristics of the more
compact, powerful engines. They manage
to eliminate effectively, in particular the
potentially stronger torsional vibrations
on engines with less than four cylinders.
The second-generation 8HP automatic
transmission also features a newly
developed torque converter, which allows
the hydrodynamic transmission of power
to be performed even faster. Driving with
the closed torque converter lock-up
clutch, which links the engine and trans-
mission to each other with no losses, is
thus possible earlier, in other words at
very low engine speeds, 2.
In addition, the internal transmission
29
C o v e r S t o r y TR ANSMISSIONS
Gear Brake Clutch
A B C D E transmission’s electronic system. This
1   
2   
3   
4   
5   
6     1.000
7   
8   
R   
2 Second-generation 8HP transmission diagram
3 Detailed view of multidisk separation
losses of the 8HP were reduced by more
than a third with the new generation.
This is primarily ensured by the new
multi-disk separation. Pull-back springs
integrated into the multi-disk packages of
the shift elements ensure that the friction
shift elements are almost fully opened, if
they are not active or there is no
hydraulic pressure on the shift element.
Consequently they cause less drag
torque, 3.
Another innovative function minim-
ises the creeping torques. The 8HP now
fully opens one clutch during decelera-
tion and when the vehicle is standing
still, the braking against the drive is
eliminated. In low load ranges or during
vehicle stops, the fact that the lowest
possible system pressure of the transmis-
sion oil pump is now consistently at 3.5
instead of the previous 5 bar at low
loads, also has positive repercussions. As
such, it requires less energy overall.
The tailored, fuel-efficient uncoupling
of the transmission in connection with a
temporary engine stop, the so-called
coasting function, is now possible with
30
Ratio Gear step
5.000
1.56
3.200
1.49
2.143
1.24
1.720
1.30
1.314
1.31
1.21
0.822
1.28
0.640
-3.456 Total 7.8
the second-generation 8HP at speeds up
to 160 km/h. The optional start-stop func-
tionality of the 8HP switches off the
engine once the vehicle comes to a stop
with no noticeable delay, instead of as
previously after 1.5 s. The dynamic char-
acteristics were also increased substan-
tially once again. Amongst other things,
the new electronic transmission control
unit enables nested multiple downshifts,
which permits the 8HP to respond in an
even more spontaneous and dynamic
manner than previously, where necessary.
Overall, these improvements mean
that the new basic transmission reduces
fuel consumption of vehicles compared
with the first generation even without
the optional start-stop function by 3 %,
4. For the time being the two basic
variants cover input torques up to 500
Nm (8HP50) and up to 750 Nm
(8HP75). A third version for even more
powerful engines is in the pipeline.
Thanks to the modular kit principle, the
efficiency gain is also retained or is
added if you supplement the 8HP with
one of the numerous modules.
SYSTEM COMPONENTS
As an alternative to the various torque
converters, there is a choice of further
starting options – either an already exist-
ing multi-disk brake can be used as an
Integrated Starting Element (IAE), or a
wet clutch (Hydrodynamically Cooled
Clutch, HCC) can be installed. The latter
comes with a smaller mass moment of
inertia than the torque converter it
replaces in the 8HP torque converter bell
housing. Furthermore, the HCC starting
curve can be freely controlled with the
technology is ideal for sporty, high-torque
vehicles, and whenever the focus is on
sporty starting (racing starts) and even
faster gear changes.
In compact volume-production
vehicles with a relatively low engine
power, it is possible – when using the
8HP – to do without the starting ele-
ment in order to gain more installation
space. Then the integrated starting ele-
ment – i.e. a multi-disk brake designed
for high thermal loads with controlled
starting – takes over this function. This
integrated starting element is implemen-
ted in the volume-produced 8HP plug-in
transmission, 5.
On the transmission output side, the
8HP is designed for various four-wheel-
drive technologies. Firstly for Torque-on-
Demand (ToD) systems, where the front
axle can be controlled as required in
hang-on design with separate distribution
gear as is commonly found in SUVs;
secondly, as a version with an integrated
transfer case that saves installation space,
weight, and fuel; and thirdly, for an integ-
rated 8HP four-wheel drive system that
includes not only a centre differential with
fixed torque distribution, but also a front-
axle transfer case.
MODULAR HYBRID KIT
A major advantage of the 8HP modular
kit is that almost all the parallel hybrid
configurations required currently and in
the future – from the micro system up to
the very powerful plug-in system – can
be realised with the automatic transmis-
sion, 6.
The first level in the hybrid modular
kit is the above-mentioned start-stop func-
tion. For this, the 8HP does not need an
additional oil pump. Instead, an efficient
Hydraulic Impulse Oil Storage (HIS) sys-
tem takes the required additional oil
quantity from the stop phase to fill the
shift elements after the engine start,
providing the oil within 350 ms. This sys-
tem is an electromagnetically locked
spring piston accumulator contained
inside the oil pan of the 8HP basic trans-
mission without using any additional
installation space. The start-stop function
achieves a reduction in consumption of
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some 5 %.
For the mild hybrid model, the conven-
tional starter and electric generator are
replaced by an electric motor designed as
a crankshaft starter generator and
installed between the combustion engine
and the transmission. In this hybrid
application, the 8HP transmission housing
is designed to match the supplementary
electric motor which supplies between 10
und 20 kW depending on requirements.
This electric motor acts as an engine
starter and generator, enabling both
boosting and recuperation, thereby redu-
cing fuel consumption by up to 15 %.
Also in the full hybrid variant, the 4 Savings potential compared to the first generation 8HP in %
combustion engine and electric motor
are directly connected to the driveline
and can therefore be operated at the fuel consumption. Thanks to the 8HP’s facilitate purely electric driving up to 100
same time. By means of an automated modular design, the full hybrid version km/h and, at the same time, serves as
separating clutch between the two power needs the same installation space as the starter. During braking, the electric motor
sources, the combustion engine can be transmission’s standard version, with the acts as a generator. As soon as the driver
completely decoupled from the driveline. electric motor, clutch, torsional vibration brakes only slightly, the generator takes
Due to this decoupling, the vehicle can damper, and hydraulics integrated into over the deceleration itself, which
be operated without the high drag torque the transmission housing in a space-sav- reduces strain on the mechanical service
of the combustion engine both in purely ing manner. brakes. In city traffic, the battery’s high
electric driving mode and during recu- The electric motor positioned directly energy density allows three kilometre of
peration, which has a positive effect on on the driveline is powerful enough to purely electric driving at a constant
C o v e r S t o r y TR ANSMISSIONS
5 Integrated starting element
speed of 60 km/h.
To achieve high driving efficiency des-
pite the low workload on the combustion
engine, the operating point is shifted so
that only part of the torque is used for
thrust. The combustion engine operates in
a significantly more efficient speed range
thanks to the parallel operation of the
electric motor as a generator for charging
the battery. This parallel torque output
option for both drive units is used during
boosting. Eight-speed full hybrid transmis-
sions from ZF have been used in volume
production vehicles for some years now.
In its most extensive hybrid
configuration, the eight-speed automatic
transmission from ZF represents a full-
fledged plug-in hybrid system including
system integration. The 8HP basic
transmission, electric motor, separating
clutch, torsional damping system, power
electronics and the control unit work in
tandem, in this highly integrated system.
Here, the electric motor with an output
of up to 90 kW and a torque of up to 280
Nm is brought together complete with
clutch and torsional damper to form a
hybrid module. Because the torque
converter is no longer present, as well as
due to other detail modifications, there is
room inside the transmission’s clutch
bell housing for this hybrid module –
and the hydraulics – so that the overall
length is almost the same as that of the
conventional basic transmission.
To free up the installation space in the
torque converter bell housing of the 8HP
32
6 Highly integrated plug-in hybrid system based on the eight-speed automatic transmission
transmission for the hybrid module, ZF
has moved the starting element inside
the transmission. As part of the solution,
a multi-disk brake present in the trans-
mission is utilised and extended to
include the before-mentioned Integrated
Starting Element (IAE), which can here
transmit up to 550 Nm of starting torque.
This necessitated powerful exterior cool-
ing as well as resizing and modifying the
multi-disk lining design. The exterior
cooling is also actuated as required in
order to minimise the drag losses during
driving operation, along the same lines
as the separating clutch, which is crucial
for the use of a parallel hybrid system in
the driveline. The internal starting ele-
ment ensures driving comfort within the
overall system on a par with torque con-
verters. The modular hybrid kit from ZF
makes it relatively easy to integrate a
parallel hybrid system, which has a bat-
tery that can be charged at a power
socket, has a range of up to 50 km, and
reaches a speed in purely electric mode
of up to 120 km/h into existing platforms
with standard drives.
CONCLUSION
Based on the second generation of its 8HP
eight-speed automatic transmission, ZF is
expanding its future-oriented modular
transmission kit for standard drives.
Thanks to its high versatility, this kit cov-
ers all requirements across a wide range
of vehicle segments and platforms that
arise from current and upcoming combus-
tion engine technologies as well as from
the driveline diversity required by OEMs
and end customers. Apart from improve-
ments in dynamics and comfort, the sys-
tem focuses on increasing efficiency in
passenger cars. Thanks to optimised func-
tions, increased efficiency, and shifted
operating points, the 8HP basic transmis-
sion achieves a savings potential of up to
3 % compared to the predecessor trans-
mission and is well suited to downsizing
and down speeding concepts.
Furthermore, the 8HP is considered a
pioneer because, with its highly integrated
hybrid modules, it relatively easily creates
powerful plug-in systems and con-
sequently makes a standard consumption
reduction of over 70 % possible. In the
face of increasing strict emission and con-
sumption provisions, for example, the
planned EU-wide CO2 fleet limits of 95 g/
km from 2021 onwards, as well as the
forecast dominance of combustion engine-
based drive concepts for at least a further
decade, the need for such transmission
technologies will continue to increase.
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