Unilateral contact condition enhanced with squeeze film modelling in automotive differentials

Abstract

The dynamic behaviour of automotive drivetrains is significantly influenced by contacts occurring between the various parts. In this paper, a three-dimensional formulation is proposed to model unilateral and frictional contact conditions between two rigid planar rings. The magnitude of the contact force is determined by a penalty method. In a second step, a simple squeeze film model is developed to account for the damping effect produced by the lubricating oil filling the gap between the two contacting bodies. The relevance and the accuracy of these models are illustrated through the global multibody modelling of a TORSEN differential.