Modeling and Measuring of Generated Axial Force for Automotive Drive Shaft Systems

Abstract

During the operation of the drive shaft system, the generated axial force (GAF) induced by the tripod joint may cause lateral vibration in a vehicle. Taking a drive shaft system with a tripod joint and a ball joint as a research object, the GAF is measured firstly under different friction coefficients, articulation angles, input torques, and shaft rotational speeds. The influence of these parameters on the GAF is investigated. Secondly, based on the impact function-based contact force model and the velocity-based friction model, a model for calculating the GAF is established. By using finite element analysis, a method for calculating the contact parameters, namely, contact stiffness and force exponent, between rollers and tracks is presented. To enhance the calculation accuracy of the model, the friction coefficient and the force exponent in the model under various operating conditions are further identified by using the measured data. Based on the established model along with the identified friction coefficient and contact parameters, the GAF is calculated and compared with the experiments. It is concluded that the calculated and the measured GAF agree well, which indicates the model for estimating the GAF and the method for identification parameters are valuable.