Simulation And Research Of An Adaptive Mechanical Limited Slip Differential

As a main component in the automobile drive axle, the function of differential isdistributing the torque of the car to the left and right driving wheels when the car ismoving on the uneven road or turning. And it allows the left and right driving wheelsgo at different speed. In this way, the driving wheels can do pure rolling motion whenthe car turns left or right on the road, which can reduce the friction between its tiresand ground. But the ordinary differential has its own disadvantage that it allows thedifference on rolling angular velocity but not on the torque.This feature seriouslyaffects the car’s passing ability, traction property and the safety of driving. LSD(limited slip differential), based on the ordinary differential, overcomes its weaknessof averagely distributing driving torque, by taking advantage of its own structuralfeature to transfer the torque to the other driving wheels when the road adhesioncoefficient is too week to hold the driving wheels. Thus, it solves the problem ofslipping.This paper elaborates the principle of differential, designs a new LSD after a lotof work on studying the existing LSD at home and abroad. named adaptivemechanical limited slip differential (AMLSD). The AMLSD doesn’t work when thecar is moving on a straight road or turning. In this condition, it has no difference withthe ordinary differential. However, when the car is skidding because of the poor roadadhesion coefficient. the AMLSD, of its own structure, can lock the LSD system whenthe speed difference between two wheels is over the designed speed, enabling the cardrive off the sliding zone. After that, the AMLSD goes back to be as an ordinarydifferential.In this paper, the working principle of the AMLSD has been elaborated in details,the design methods and formulas of the main components are demonstrated. Thephysical design of AMLSD is completed according to the parameters of a domesticSUV vehicle. Parts and assembly of the AMLSD are established by the software ofSolidWorks, the optimization of structure parts is finished through the interferenceanalysis of the assembly. Finally, the virtual prototype model of the AMLSD isestablished in ADAMS. Speed between the two driving wheels is given after finishingthe dynamic simulation of the locking mechanism of AMLSD. Based on the Hertzstatic elastic theory, the stiffiness of gear is obtained. By analyzing the angular speedand torque of the driving wheels, the model of AMLSD is turned out to be correct.