The paper proposes a multibody dynamic simulation to numerically evaluate the generated axial force (GAF) and plunging resistant force (PRF) practically related to the shudder and idling vibration of an automobile. A numerical analysis of the drive shaft coupling of a ball joint (BJ) and two plunging type joints, a tripod joint (TJ), and a very low axial force tripod joint (VTJ), are conducted using the commercial program DAFUL. User-defined subroutines of a friction model illustrating the contacted parts of the outboard and inboard joint are subsequently developed to overcome the numerical instability and improve the solution performance. The Coulomb friction effect is applied to describe the contact models of the lubricated parts in the rolling and sliding mechanisms. The numerical results, in accordance with the joint articulation angle variation, are validated with experimentation. The offset between spider and housing is demonstrated to be the critical role in producing the third order component of the axial force that potentially causes the noise and vibration in the vehicle. The VTJ shows an excellent behavior for the shudder when compared with the TJ. In addition, a flexible nonlinear contact analysis coupled with multibody dynamics is also performed to show the dynamic strength characteristics of the rollers, housing, and spider.

Multibody dynamics analysis of the driveshaft coupling of the ball and tripod types of constant velocity joints

Ball-type constant-velocity joints are extremely important components of the front wheel drive systems of cars. However the method to analyze the characteristics of this type of joint has not been established. The authors previously presented papers on the analysis based on statics, in that no frictional forces inside the joints were taken into account. Recently the authors presented advanced analysis based on dynamics, in which the frictional forces were considered. In this paper the numerical analyses of a ball fixed joint (BJ) and a double offset joint (DOJ) used for the front wheel drive of a car are carried out using the simultaneous equations induced in the former analysis and the simultaneous differential equations induced in the latter analysis. Contact forces acting inside DOJ are measured using piezoelectric sensors. The results of the numerical analyses based on dynamics show better coincidence with the measured value than those based on statics.

Numerical Analyses and Experiments on the Characteristics of Ball-Type Constant-Velocity Joints

Universal joints, which transmit torque through the balls guided in such a manner that they always lie in the plane bisecting the angle between the driving-shaft and driven-shaft, are called ball-type constant-velocity joints. The authors presented papers on the analysis of this type of universal joint based on statics neglecting the friction force between their components. To obtain more precise estimations of the internal forces and the moments, it appears to be important to evaluate the effect of the friction between the parts. Furthermore, grasping the relative motions of the parts, such as rolling of the balls on the tracks, is beyond the scope of static analysis. In this study, the authors analyze the motions of each part based on dynamics, taking account of the friction between the parts. The analysis results in simultaneous differential equations, which can be solved numerically using an electronic computer.

https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jsmec/47/2/47_2_736/_pdf

Analysis of Ball-Type Constant-Velocity Joints Based on Dynamics

In this paper the influences of some relevant dimensional and geometrical errors on both the kinematic performance and the dynamic performance of an automotive Rzeppa ball joint were investigated. The study focused on the development of a dedicated and improved multi-body three-dimensional model of the joint and the corresponding numerical simulations of different configurations. The model is able to manage the presence of the redundant constraints which are present in the joint architecture because of the use of spring connections between parts which replace most of the kinematic constraints or geometrical contact conditions. Three types of errors were investigated, and both kinematic irregularities and dynamic irregularities are reported in graphs and discussed. The effects of different articulation angles between the inner ring and the outer ring were also investigated.

/pdf/effects-of-the-dimensional-and-geometrical-tolerances-on-the-201ovsu49s.pdf

Masayuki Imoto

Papers

Numerical Analyses and Experiments on the Characteristics of Ball-Type Constant-Velocity Joints

Analysis of Ball-Type Constant-Velocity Joints Based on Dynamics

Analysis of Ball-Type Constant-Velocity Joints Based on Dynamics.