Multibody Dynamics Analysis of Differentials in Vehicle Drivetrains

Differentials are critical components whose behaviour influences the dynamics of vehicles. They often include complex phenomena whose modeling is not always easy. In this paper, a model has been developed for a limited slip differential (type C Torsen) which is mainly composed of an epicyclic gear train. In order to take into account flexibility, the nonlinear finite element method based on the absolute nodal coordinates has been chosen. The differential is modeled as a multibody system with various gear pairs and contact conditions. The model has been validated qualitatively and future work will address the identification of the various parameters and comparisons with experimental data.