The American motorist's demand for optimum vehicle performance and reliability has brought about increased emphasis on automatic transmission cooling systems, to meet higher power to weight ratios as well as increased operating range requirements. To provide a reliable, economical cooling system, engineers have incorporated air cooling on many automatic transmissions. When integral with the torque converter, air cooling is direct in action and independent of the engine cooling system.
This paper reviews the evolution of air cooling, examines transmission cooling objectives, and discusses the considerations involved in design. The qualification tests for proper evaluation of a cooling system are reviewed.