It's being tested on a bicycle somewhere in that video.
But is it the best, most efficient and clever CVT... I think maybe not:
"...The performance of the car was exactly as George had predicted, 100 miles per gallon of petrol at 38 miles per hour...."
In the aerodynamic equivalent of a wheeled outhouse with the door open, on carburetors! George Constantinesco: Inertial Transmission (US Patent 1591471 etc)
Watched the video, not impressed. At it's core, it's a ratcheting CVT. It is incapable of reverse, the output speed fluctuates as it runs, and it will chew through its sprag freewheels like a mouse through cheese. In a standard Automatic transmission, the planet gears share the load. In this thing, only one gear engages at a time. That one gear also gets shock loaded due to the speed fluctuations.
Watched the video, not impressed. At it's core, it's a ratcheting CVT. It is incapable of reverse, the output speed fluctuates as it runs, and it will chew through its sprag freewheels like a mouse through cheese. In a standard Automatic transmission, the planet gears share the load. In this thing, only one gear engages at a time. That one gear also gets shock loaded due to the speed fluctuations.
If you DO want to be impressed; You should try reading up on the George Constantinesco 'CVT' linked below the video.
I haven't seen anything that uses the laws of physics/momentum as intuitively as that.
Name a car with 1924 aerodynamics, that can do over 100 mpg at 38 mph on a 500cc engine running carbs and probably a magneto.
Ye you have to READ and no fancy graphics to fill in for a lack of imagination...
This new gearbox transmits power through gear teeth so should be be 95+% efficient vs the 75-80% of friction CVTs.
It should also be able to transmit a similar amount of torque.
The Constantinesco Torque Converter:
Well with that you just have to 'get it' to see why its brilliant.
"... locomotive hauling a load of goods wagons took place..."
Watched the video, not impressed. At it's core, it's a ratcheting CVT. It is incapable of reverse, the output speed fluctuates as it runs, and it will chew through its sprag freewheels like a mouse through cheese. In a standard Automatic transmission, the planet gears share the load. In this thing, only one gear engages at a time. That one gear also gets shock loaded due to the speed fluctuations.
FYI
When analyzing the data of any power meter available for human powered bicycles it shows a sinusoidal wave output as the human rotates the cranks and of course this wave action is never felt by the rider.
Reverse . . . bicycles do not have or do they need a reverse gear.
Also variable sheaves with V-belts as used on drill presses and other machine tools.
Non-toothed CVTs have greater friction losses, but smoother power transmission that eliminates vibration and the need for flex couplings or fluid dampers.
It should be more efficient then a Nuvinci type deal because the sliding ball with friction goop is going to lose to gear meshing in terms of friction losses. The rubber belt driven CVTs are much worse then either, though. Even on relatively small motors heat build up can be a problem. Soup them up a bit and roasted belts are going to be a problem unless you take extra steps to cool them.
Planetary gears are awesome in terms of strength. This thing only drives one planet gear at a time, of course. So it is weaker then conventional setup. But that just means that the gears need to be bigger. The fact that it does away with the clutch packs necessary on a conventional automatic transmission (and similar things) is probably a net win. It has reasonably wide gearing in a single stage setup, as well.
The biggest problem it has is probably more to do with the fact that people are not going to want invest a lot of money in perfecting a new type of variable speed gearbox when there is such a strong EV mandate. Putting in a bigger electric motor with single speed gear reduction is almost always going to be a better solution then the weight and complexity of adding a transmission with multiple gears. Especially when cost is a concern. Which it usually is.
It might find a market for bicyclers, though. Derailleurs are very efficient, but they are not always the most practical choice.
