Research of the Inductive Sensor of the Electropneumatic Clutch Control System for the Mechanical Transmission at Change of Ambient Temperature

This article describes experimental research results of the inductive sensor of the electropneumatic clutch control system for the mechanical transmission. Inductive sensors are used to determine the position of the car body, the position of the controls and the position of the rod of the clutch control actuator. The design of the clutch pedal position sensor is proposed, which can be brought into line with the master cylinder to unify the clutch control systems. Complete unification of the automated electropneumatic clutch control system for trucks will allow creating modifications in which it is possible to completely abandon the use of brake fluid in the drive, which will improve the ergonomic and environmental performance of the vehicle. The advantages of such sensors are the ability to receive a signal in digital form without additional converters, the ability to work using only two wires, no contact between moving parts, resistance to aggressive environments and compact size. The disadvantage is the influence of ambient temperature on the electrical parameters of the sensor (inductance and resistance) and on the measuring circuit of the electronic control unit. The temperature effect creates significant deviations in the data received by the processor. During the laboratory experimental study, the influence of ambient temperature on the measurement data in the temperature range of -45°С + 45°С was determined separately for the sensor and for the sensor with the measuring system. Significant nonlinearity of the characteristic was determined. The effect of spontaneous operation of the clutch control system during changes in ambient temperature was experimentally obtained. The influence of temperature change on the measuring range of the inductive sensor is also revealed. The transfer characteristic of the sensor (% /mm) is determined. The approach that provides a stable transfer characteristic within the specified temperature range is proposed.