A comparative study on improving the durability due to the design of automotive torque sensor disk according to the number of holes

Abstract

In this study, the durability of the torque sensor disk of a car was designed according to the number of holes and simulation analysis was carried out. In this study, the torque sensor disk was designed using CATIA, a 3D modeling program, and analyzed using ANSYS. The design variable of torque sensor disk is the number of holes. The number of holes at models 1, 2 and 3 are 31, 26 and 21 respectively. The analyses of fatigue lives and damages at three models are carried under the loads of SAE bracket history, SAE transmission and Sample history. As this study result obtained by carrying out the structural and fatigue analyses, the equivalent stress and deformation of model 3 are shown to be smallest among three models. So, it is estimated that model 3 with the smallest numbers of grooves among three models has the best strength and durability. As the number of holes is the least on design, the disk is estimated to endure for long time against the external force. When the external load is applied, the stress is concentrated at the part near the edge of torque disk. On the contrary, the magnitude of stress becomes low as the number of holes becomes small. The maximum fatigue damages under the loads of SAE bracket history, SAE transmission and sample history are the lowest in model 3 with the lowest number of holes among three models. At the design of torque sensor disk, the number of holes must be decreased to the maximum. But the original function should be maintained at the torque sensor disk. This study result is thought to be useful data for applying to the design of advanced disk by preventing the disk from of fracture and improving the durability.