Unique Transmission Concept Designed by a Talented American Student

Several years ago, Dan Dorsch, a MIT student-inventor, developed the concept of a unique transmission, which may soon compete with the most technologically advanced transmissions.

Learn more about Dan and his work

The project was launched when Dorsch was approached by representatives of an unnamed carmaker and they challenged him to design a transmission that can become a new more efficient transmission alternative to existing solutions. Dorsch accepted the challenge and managed to create a unique unit consisting of electric motors, which is supposed to provide enhanced performance characteristics.

Dan Dorsch and his invention

Dorsch’s unique concept is a kind of hybrid transmission, which is designed without the use of a conventional clutch and torque converter to transmit torque from the engine to the wheels. Instead of these traditional components, Dan and his team decided to use electric motors. One of them will be responsible for spinning the transmission shaft up to the RPM rate of the engine input shaft. This electric motor will also serve as the starter when using an internal combustion engine. The second electric motor, bigger in dimensions and more powerful, will provide the input shaft with a continuous torque, rotating the wheels. Thus, the new transmission will ensure extremely accurate gear shifting without any traction losses.

Efforts of Dan and his team received recognition – talented inventor was awarded with Lemelson-MIT “Drive it!” award, completed with $15,000.

Dan Dorsch describes his transmission concept

Dorsch, in his turn, claimed that his invention should be applied in sports cars, rather than in traditional city cars. First of all, this is due to high performance characteristics of the unique transmission, reduced dimensions and weight of the unit caused by lack of the torque converter and the clutch mechanism in the transmission design. Dorsch has filed a patent application on his unique invention. He said the provisional patent describes the overall architecture, its functionality, and the driving modes.

It is said that the unnamed carmaker, who initiated the project, planned to seriously collaborate with a talented inventor and, who knows, maybe one day we will see a supercar equipped with a brand-new hybrid transmission. Unfortunately, recently there has been no information about the status of this interesting project.