Tribodynamics of ball continuous velocity joints
Reliability of vehicles and safe handling of the various manoeuvres required from a car on the road is essential to vehicle design. The robust yet flexible performance of the vehicle drivetrain system is of paramount importance under very harsh driving conditions such as those encountered in top automotive racing applications.
Our aim
Driveline reliability is a critical requirement for the automotive industry, particularly for top high-performance racing vehicles, which is the focus of the current research program. Continuous velocity (CV) joints are used in the vehicle drivetrain to allow for variable articulation angles between rotating components and can often cause driveline failure.
Through a multidisciplinary research approach, this research program will develop an investigative methodology to study the dynamics and tribology of CV joints under various operating conditions.
The methodology adopted will include the development of multiphysics tribological, contact mechanics and multibody dynamics mathematical models. The models should consider various vehicle operating conditions and the driveline's kinematic and kinetic behaviour. To obtain realistic input parameters and further assessment of the components involved, experimental characterisation of surface topography, rheological assessment of the lubricant and representative tribometry is expected to be carried out.
The project provides an opportunity for an in-depth understanding of the complex dynamics and tribological behaviour at the contact of CV joints.
Our research
The research utilises extensive use of metrology equipment such as optical microscopy, and white light interferometry to assess the surface topography of components and use advanced rheometry techniques to examine and characterise the lubricating medium.
The research also utilised advanced multibody dynamic analysis techniques and detailed tribological contact mechanics models.
Our outcomes
The research is ongoing and has so far highlighted the importance of the use of appropriate surface characterising techniques as well as multibody dynamics in characterising actual contact conditions.
Project lead: Dr Ramin Rahmani
This collaborative research focuses on combined experimental and computational analysis of the constant velocity (CV) joints, used extensively in many drivetrain applications. The subsequent optimisation of such systems will allow for the design of systems which result in a superior performance.