Dynamic simulation of the differential gear in road vehicles

Abstract

The differential gear is a mechanism that is part of the kinematic chain of the vehicle’s transmission. The differential gear has the role of dividing the self-propulsion power flow received from the main drive into two branches, each transmitted to a drive wheel, giving them the possibility to rotate with different angular velocities, depending on the driving conditions. The present work presents the possibilities of computer-aided design and 3D modeling of the main drive and differential gear, respectively the bevel pinion, the crown wheel, the planet pinions and the satellites, using Autodesk Inventor Professional. The 3D model of the main drive - differential gear assembly, considered as a mechanism, was subjected to a dynamic study, using the Dynamic Simulation module. This involves the modeling of the kinematic couplings, the definition of the drive movement parameters and the external loads, respectively the graphical visualization of the kinematic and kinetostatic results for the various components of the mechanism, in real operating conditions, during a kinematic cycle. At the same time, based on the obtained results, the analysis by the finite element method of the most critical component elements, under straight-line driving and turning conditions, is presented.