Mech 203 Term Project

Automobile Differential and

Transmission
Hakan Uzuner
mm Ko
mer Fidan
What is a differential?
Differential is a device capable of
transmitting torque and rotation through
three shafts, almost always used in one of
two ways. In one of these, it receives one
input and provides two outputs; this is
found in most automobiles. In an
automobile and other wheeled vehicles,
the differential allows each of the driving
wheels to rotate at different speeds, while
supplying equal torque to each of them.
Purpose of a differential
The differential is found on all modern cars
and trucks, and also in many all-wheel-
drive vehicles. These all-wheel-drive
vehicles need a differential between each
set of drive wheels, and they need one
between the front and the back wheels as
well, because the front wheels travel a
different distance through a turn than the
rear wheels.

Differential Gear Train on a Turning Car

Differential Gear Train on a Turning Car
The outer wheel traverses an arc with radius
r
o
and the inner wheel traverses an arc with
radius r
i
. As illustrated, the lengths of the
arcs traversed are s
o
, s
n
, and s
i
. The outer
arc s
o
is obviously larger than the inner arc
s
i
for a given traversed angle theta. Some
way of ensuring that the outer wheel is
able to turn slightly faster than the inner
wheel must be ensured in order to prevent
binding and slippage of the tires on the
road.
Differential Gear Train on a Turning Car
Fortunately, the automobile
differential solves this problem with
only one transmission and one drive
shaft for both driven wheels.

Differential Gear Train on a Turning Car
Since s=r(THETA), the length of the arc traversed
for a given theta is proportional to the radius. Since
r
o
is greater than r
n
by the same amount that r
i
is
less than r
n
, the right wheel center must travel
further than the car center by the same amount that
the left wheel center must travel less further than
the car center. As its name implies, a differential
allows the left and right drive wheels to turn
differentially with respect to each other. As can be
seen by turning the drive wheels of a car on a
mechanic's lift, turning one drive wheel results in
the opposite wheel turning at the same rate in the
opposite direction.

Automobile Differential Animation

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/diffe
rential2.htm

Parts of a differential
Differential
Automobile Differential in Unigraphics
Before we started our project, we
researched the dimensions and overall
shape of a differential system on internet
and by visiting a car mechanic shop. After
we acquired the necessary data, we
started to construct our differential
system by using Unigraphics. We reduced
and normalized the dimensions that we
collected for easier application to
unigraphics.
Automobile Differential in Unigraphics
We scaled and normalized the
dimensions we have gathered
for easier drawing experience in
Unigraphics.
Autmobile Differential in Unigraphics
Our differential system consisted of
eight unique parts. Six of these
were used to construct the
differential. These included crown
gear, sungear, planet pinion, drive
shaft and half shafts, which connect
to the wheels. Two remaining parts
made up our wheels.
Autmobile Differential in Unigraphics
Autmobile Differential in Unigraphics

Automobile Transmission
Using the principle of mechanical
advantage, transmissions provide a
speed-torque conversion
(commonly known as "gear
reduction" or "speed reduction")
from a higher speed motor to a
slower but more forceful output or
vice-versa.
Autmobile Transmission
Most modern gearboxes either
reduce an unsuitable high speed
and low torque of the prime mover
output shaft to a more stable lower
speed with higher torque, or do the
opposite and provide a mechanical
advantage (i.e increase in torque) to
allow higher forces to be generated.
Autmobile Transmission
Manual transmission come in two
basic types:
Sliding-mesh
Constant-mesh
Automobile Transmission
Sliding-mesh or unsynchronized /
non-synchronous system, where
straight-cut spur gear sets are
spinning freely, and must be
synchronized by the operator
matching engine revs to road
speed, to avoid noisy and damaging
"gear clash"
Automobile Transmission
Constant-mesh gearboxes which
can include non-synchronised, or
synchronized/synchromesh systems,
where diagonal cut helical (and
sometimes double-helical) gear sets
are constantly "meshed" together,
and a dog clutch is used for changing
gears. On synchromesh boxes,
friction cones or "synchro-rings" are
used in addition to the dog clutch.
Automobile transmission
Automobile transmission in Unigraphics
The challenging part of designing a
transmission in unigraphics was the
amount of gears we had to draw. Gear
drawing is hard due to the fact that each
gear has to be perfect since they have to
fit with the adjacent gears. We used the
dimensions acquired from machine
shops and internet to design an accurate
transmission.
Automobile transmission in Unigraphics
We designed fifteen gears for our
trasmission (5 gears and reverse). We
also included the synchronizers
between the gears.
Automobile transmission in Unigraphics
Automobile transmission in Unigraphics
Automobile transmission in Unigraphics
Automobile transmission in Unigraphics
Automobile transmission in Unigraphics
Automobile transmission in Unigraphics