Numerical analysis on dynamic properties of tripod sliding universal joints

Abstract

In order to understand the dynamics of the tripod sliding universal joint, its dynamic equations were established and then the effects of the joint angle, the rotating radius and mass of the slide rods, the lengths of the input and output shafts and the frequency of the input shaft on its dynamics were investigated. The increase in the mass or rotating radius of the slide rods enhances the amplitudes of all dynamic curves and so does the frequency of the input shaft. Increasing length of the output shaft weakens the amplitudes of the forces and torques at the revolute and spherical pairs as well as the amplitude of the load torque but this length hardly affects the amplitudes of the forces at the tripod arm and the holes of the input shaft. The forces at the holes of the input shaft hardly depend on the joint angle whereas the amplitudes of the remaining dynamic curves increase with the increase of the joint angle. The amplitudes of two torques of the revolute pair increase with increasing length of the input shaft but the remaining forces (torques) are almost independent of its length.