Double Differential Unit with Torque Sensing

Locking Device

By.
Manjunath Pattar
12MAE0048

1
INTRODUCTION

1. ABSTRACT 2

2. INTRODUCTION 3

3. DESIGN OF DOUBLE DIFFERENTIAL UNIT (DDU) 6

4. OPEN CENTRAL DIFFERENTIAL FUNCTION 10

5. TS DDU 11

6. CONCLUSION 22

7. REFERENCES 23

2
ABSTRACT:

For vehicles with transversely-installed engines and the request to design a four-
wheel-drive concept at reduced costs, an alternative to the systems currently on the
market is a torque-sensitive system such as the Torque Sensitive Double Differential
Unit (TS DDU). In correlation with modern vehicle dynamics controls applying brake
intervention, this system with torque- sensitive centre differential lock function is
perfectly apt to provide optimum traction and driving behaviour for a customer’s
application profile. Moreover, the TS DDU allows to reduce the required space for the
functions front and centre differential to that of a conventional front bevel
gear differential.

3
INTRODUCTION

Today’s 4WD-technology provides many different systems for driving 4 wheels of a vehicle
and a variety of concepts for splitting the drive torque between the wheels and axles.
However, the demands made on the respective vehicle and the different vehicle segments vary.
The following
criteria are mainly applied for selecting an optimum 4WD
concept :
l Functionality
l Manufacturing costs and investments l Weight
l Available space and “basic architecture” of the vehicle
l Efficiency

4
Hence MAGNA STEYR Engineering decided to develop a cost-effective and non-actively
controlled 4WD system in addition to the electronically controlled 4WD systems. The
double differential is the perfect concept to realize this intention, and the selection of
the lock concept provides some interesting solutions.
The double differential is mainly applied for drive concepts with front/transverse engine
and offers two basic functions:
1.the transverse differential function for the front axle drive
2.the longitudinal differential function between front and rear axle

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DESIGN OF DOUBLE DIFFERENTIAL UNIT (DDU)

Basically, the double differential consists of 2 planetary gear sets with one common hollow
wheel as shown in Fig. 1. The first set is a simple planetary gear set with the planetary carrier
representing the drive, the sun wheel driving the left front wheel and the hollow wheel
driving the right planetary gear set.The right planetary gear set is designed as planetary gear
with a double planet that reverses
the direction of rotation and torque,
respectively, between hollow wheel
and sun wheel.The sun wheel drives
the right front wheel, the planetary
carrier is the output to the rear axle.

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TORQUE FLOW FOR DISTRIBUTION FRONT AXLE
TORQUE/REAR AXLE TORQUE 60% / 40% : Input is effected via the differential
housing that also is the carrier of the left planetary gear. The input torque is distributed via
the planetary wheels to the sun wheel and the hollow wheel as shown in Fig. 2. Depending
on the number of teeth, 30% of the input torque is transferred to the sun wheel, and 70% to
the hollow wheel. Hence the hollow wheel transfers 70% of the input torque to the right
planetary gear set. There again, depending on the number of teeth, 30% of the torque (in
relation to the input torque) is transferred to the sun wheel (connected to the right front
wheel), while 40% of the input torque is transferred
to the right planet carrier. The right planet carrier is
connected to the hollow shaft of the angular drive
that transfers the torque to the rear axle drive via a
propeller shaft

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The torque distribution depends on the number of teeth of the sun gears and the ring gear
in the following way. Fig. 3 shows the principle layout of the differential and the corresponding
gears. For a certain torque split between front and rear axle,
the number of teeth of ring gear and sun gears have to
be adapted. The two sun gears have to have same
number of teeth for an equal torque distribution on front
axle.
where,
ZSGL= no of teeth on left sun gear
ZSGR =no of teeth on right sun gear
ZRG = no of teeth on ring gear

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LIMITS OF GEOMETRICAL DISTRIBUTION :

Due to the geometrical principle of the planetary gear’s configuration, the torque at both
sun wheels is identical if their number of teeth are identical.The torque distribution
between front and rear axle can be determined almost
solely by selecting the number of teeth. The differential concept on hand allows the
torque splits FA/RA between 60/40 % and 40/60 % as
shown in Fig..

POSSIBLE VERSIONS OF LOCK CONCEPTS

In principle, the double differential on hand allows the locking of differential function
between front and rear axle. This can be achieved by means of a locking connection
between drive (carrier left) and output to rear axle (carrier right). Due to the concept, the
differential motion between the front wheels is not effected, which means that the front
axle differential is not locked.

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OPEN CENTRAL DIFFERENTIAL FUNCTION :

The non-locked central differential function combined with vehicle-dynamics/traction

control systems (ABS, VDC, ESP, etc.) is a cost-effective variant for a 4WD as shown.
In this case, however, certain limits regarding
the traction must be taken into consideration.
It is not recommended to apply this concept
for vehicles with manual transmission/weaker
engines combined with brake intervention,
because retroactive effects occur during
standing starts on low-friction surfaces.
The traction loss caused by the braking of
one or several wheels leads to a considerably
reduced standing-start performance. An
automatic transmission partially compensates
such a traction loss due to the converter
stall - torque

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Torsen differential

The locking differential is useful for serious off-road vehicles. This type of differential
has the same parts as an open differential, but adds an electric, pneumatic or hydraulic
mechanism to lock the two output pinions together.This mechanism is usually activated
manually by switch, and when activated, both wheels will spin at the same speed. If one
wheel ends up off the ground, the other wheel won't know or care. Both wheels will
continue to spin at the same speed as if nothing had changed.The Torsen differential* is a
purely mechanical device; it has no electronics, clutches or viscous fluids.The Torsen
(from Torque Sensing) works as an open differential when the amount of torque going to
each wheel is equal.

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As soon as one wheel starts to lose traction, the difference in torque
causes the gears in the Torsen differential to bind together. The design of the gears in the
differential determines the torque bias ratio. For instance, if a particular Torsen
differential is designed with a 5:1 bias ratio, it is capable of applying up to five times more
torque to the wheel that has good traction.These devices are often used in high-performance
all-wheel-drive vehicles. Like the viscous coupling, they are often used to transfer power
between the front and rear wheels. In this application, the Torsen is superior to the viscous
coupling because it transfers torque to the stable wheels before the actual slipping occurs.
However, if one set of wheels loses traction completely, the Torsen differential will be
unable to supply any torque to the other set of wheels. The bias ratio determines how much
torque can be transferred, and five times zero is zero.

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DOUBLE DIFFERENTIAL WITH TORQUE-SENSITIVE
LOCK OF THE CENTRAL DIFFERENTIAL FUNCTION,
here in after called as a TS DDU
concepts are torque-sensitive systems that
due to their excellent performance have gained
extraordinary recognition on the market.
Examples of vehicles fitted with torque-sensitive
locks made by Zexel Gleason:
l VW Passat 4-motion
l VW Phaeton
l Audi A4, A6 and A8 l Range Rover
l Toyota Landcruiser

Input torque sensitiveness and building up a

lock torque proportional to the input torque is a
promising variant for a self-controlling 4WD
system. This applies to mere on-road vehicles,
sports vehicles as well as off-road vehicles.

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TRACTION AND VEHICLE DYNAMICS REQUIREMENTS
Usually, there are two ways of defining the locking torque:

Locking Gradients S & Torque Bias TB :

:

Traction : Concept of the lock covers almost all traction cases, except for situations
during which the friction coefficient between one wheel and the road surface is
almost zero. In such a situation a combination with a controlled brake intervention
guarantees sufficient traction.

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 Vehicle Dynamics : To meet the demands made on the vehicle dynamics, a minimum locking
gradient (S) is advantageous. Up to a certain torque difference between front and rear axle,
the locking function can be considered a practically rigid 4WD. The locking torque is
primarily determined by the input torque, i.e. the engine load. This function is very often
applied for the pre control - realized by means of an electronical control system - of controlled
coupling and locking systems. During dynamic maneuvers in a quasi-locked mode, the torque
distribution corresponds to the axle loads, hence the effect on the vehicle dynamics is
relatively neutral. For driving situations requiring ESP control intervention to stabilize the
vehicle, reduction of the engine torque and thus reduction of the locking torque is an efficient
measure to prevent that the ESP control is effected by the powertrain.In order to avoid
extreme effects on ESP and ABS during engine coast mode, a lowerlocking gradient is
selected for coast torque than for drive torque [Fig. 1 and 2]

Drive mode Coast mode

@Geometric Torque Distribution F/R Axle
@Geometric Torque Distribution F/R Axle
with locking device S.. Locking gradient

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FUNCTIONAL CONFIGURATION OF THE TS DDU

The configuration of the planet gears is similar to the one of a double differential
without lock. The only difference is the configuration of the right planet gear:
there is a two-part planet carrier that is connected to the hub (output to rear axle) by
means of a ball mechanism or a roller/ramp mechanism (Fig.)

Figure:Design of TS-DDU Locking Device

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If the torque increases, the indicated axial force between hub and planet carrier increases as
well. This axial force acts upon the friction area right and left planet carrier, the reaction force
acts on the friction area between hub and housing. The axial force produces the locking torque
in the friction areas.The locking torque is proportional to the input torque and depends on the
geometry of the ramp angle a and b as shown in Fig.2.
Figure:Possible Locking Gradients by Ramp
Mechanism
Figure:Locking Mechanism

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 This concept allows of realizing different locking gradients for drive and coast. The friction
areas are shown as plane areas in order to optimize friction. Plate pairs between the right
planet carrier and the hub are applied to increase the locking gradient. To increase the
locking gradient additional friction discs can be placed between the carrier right and the
differential housing, as shown in Fig. 14.
The locking gradient can therefore be manipulated by modification of ramp angle (refer Fig.)
or the number of friction discs. The ball ramp mechanism could be replaced by a roller ramp
mechanism as shown in Fig. 15, to avoid to high stress levels on the ramps.

Additional Friction Discs

to Increase Locking
Gradient

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TORQUE FLOW IN THE DOUBLE DIFFERENTIAL WITH TORQUE-SENSITIVE LOCK

Fig.shows that the front axle torque and the differential function for the front wheels are
not effected by the locking torque. The locking torque acts as friction moment between the
right planet carrier/hub (two-part) and the housing that is connected to the drive gearwheel.

Figure : Torque Flow on TS-DDU

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CONCLUSION

For vehicles with transversely-installed engines and the request to design a four-
wheel-drive concept at reduced costs, an alternative to the systems currently on the
market is a torque-sensitive system such as the TS DDU. Combined with modern
vehicle dynamics controls applying brake intervention, this system with torque-
sensitive center differential lock function is perfectly apt to provide optimum traction
and driving behavior for customer’s application profile. Moreover, the TS DDU
allows to accommodate the functions of front and central differential in a
conventional front bevel gear differential. A double differential unit weights
only 3 kg more then a conventional front axle differential
:

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Reference:

SAE Paper No. 2005-26-067 Konstantin Erjawetz and Hermann Pecnik MAGNA STEYR
Engineering, Graz, Austria © 2005 The Automotive Research Association of India,
Pune, India

United states patent no: 7641581 B1(jan 05 2010), Frank baldet, ‘real drive vehical
Self locking differential ’

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THANK U

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