ECO-DESIGN APPROACH FOR THE TRIPODE TYPE COUPLING

M. Lates and A. Jula

Transilvania University of Brasov, Romania

Abstract:

The paper provides some aspects regarding the principles of eco-design for the machine elements in particular for the tripod type couplings. First, aspects regarding the eco-design principles are presented for the case of machine elements in general and as an application the case of a tripod coupling used in transversal transmission of passenger cars. eco-design, tripod coupling.

Key words:

1.

INTRODUCTION
During the last years some eco-design principles have been tested and implemented successfully in Europe, USA, Australia and Japan. However, in many parts of the world, particularly in newly industrializing countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa, the experiences with eco-design are scarce. The products oriented on environmental policies, market demands, activities of competitors, quality demands and pressure from the environmental organizations, can motivate companies to start eco-design [2, 8]. The technical literature show that many fields in industry need urgently to use the eco-design principles [2, 8]. Generally, the improvement of design can take place at various levels, e.g. optimizations of the existing product, re-design, searching for a new way of fulfilling the same function.

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In this paper, an example for eco-design is presented, as far as it can be influenced by innovation and optimization, as a starting point for the case of a tripod coupling.

1.1

General eco-design concepts

The eco-design principles are applied in the product design processes using some external data, information, principles and legislation [2, 8]: a) eco-design manuals; b) environmental design rules; c) national and European ecology and environmental laws; d) sustainable development principles; e) best practice examples and case studies. A general design algorithm is presented in figure 1. The place of the ecodesign is thus presented. In this general design algorithm, three elements are involved which are at the basis of eco-design process: material cycle material consumption; recyclable material; energy use energy consumption and output energy = efficiency; toxic emissions = environmental health.
Strategy formulation and Policy

Idea generation

Eco-Design

Designing

Production

Distribution and sales

Use

Figure 1. General design algorithm

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1.2

Eco-design application
The eco-design application, presented in this paper, is characteristic for a tripod coupling. The tripod coupling is widely used in the power transversal transmission of the driving and steering wheels with independent suspension of cars [1, 3, 6, 7]. At present two tendencies are acting: a) Optimization of classic tripod coupling; b) Design of some new similar couplings with superior features. The present example belongs to the second tendency and is referring to an angular-axial tripod coupling with cylinder/cylinder contacts. This coupling has some new interesting features [1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7] i.e.: 1. remove the sliding friction; 2. simplify the construction and the technology.

2. 2.1

APPLICATION Theoretical aspects

The tripod coupling with cylinder/cylinder contacts is presented in figure 2. Between the input shaft 1 and the output shaft 2 three pairs of cylinders are in mechanical contact: three of them are mounted on the input element and the other three on the output element.

Figure 2. Tripod coupling with cylinder/cylinder contacts

This solution reduces the production costs (because of the constructive simplicity) and has higher efficiency (it is removing the sliding friction which is replaced by rolling friction). To improve the loading capacity the solution with another type of elements being in contact can be identified for example, hyperbolic type elements [1, 2, 4, 7, 8]. The mechanism associated to the tripod coupling is not a perfect synchronous mechanism (for a constant velocity at the input shaft, the output

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shaft will have a variable velocity). Therefore, it is necessary to make a dynamic simulation for the tripod mechanism to identify the variation of the output shafts angular velocity. Figure 3 shows the block scheme of the tripod mechanism, where F represents the mechanisms mobility and L the number of the external links. The following parameters are given: the angular position 1 (or angular velocity) for the input shaft; the resistant torque at the output shaft, T3; the angle between the axes of the input and output shaft, . Finally, the angular position 3 (or angular velocity) will be obtained for the output shaft. Also, it is possible to obtain the variation of the resistant torque T2 applied to the element which gives the motion .
3=? T3=const. F=2 L=3 1 T1=?

T2=?

Figure 3. Block scheme for the tripod mechanism

To simulate the dynamic behavior of the tripod mechanism, the geometrical model of the mechanism is made using ADAMS 10.0 software, based on the multibody systems theory. First, the bodies are described, then the restrictions (the joints) between them or between them and the ground. In next step the external loads are applied by introducing the actuators and the brake models. The model of the tripod mechanism, defined in ADAMS 10.0 software, it is presented in Figure 4.

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Figure 4. ADAMS 10.0 model for the tripod mechanism

As input data the following parameters are considered: 1. the angular velocity 1 for the input shaft, considered constant (Figure 5) to identify, in the easiest way, the variation of the angular velocity at the output shaft, 3.

1 [rad/s]

t [s]
Figure 5. Angular velocity at the input shaft

2. the resistant torque T3, it is considered constant, to decrease the dynamic influence of that in the system (Figure 6).

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Figure 6. Resistant torque

3. A sinusoidal variation for the angle is considered between the shafts axes, with a maximum value of 30o, at the middle of the simulation period, to identify the variation of the output shafts angular velocity (Figure 7).

Figure 7. Angle between the shafts axes

Prior to the simulation, the model check is performed with the following results: a) 9 moving parts (not including ground), b) 8 revolute joints,

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c) 1 spherical joint, d) 3 in plane primitive joints, e) 2 motions, f) 2 degrees of freedom. As an hypothesis, the proposed dynamic model is considering as only the steady state functioning of the system and does not consider the whole dynamic behavior for the real machine with the transient regime; the aim of the simulation is just to identify the variation of the angular velocity at the output shaft of the tripod coupling, by considering the tripod mechanism implemented on a test rig. The next step (if the angular velocity of the output shaft will have small variation) is a practical problem: to identify the tripod mechanism efficiency, i.e. to identify if this tripod mechanism is eco friendly, according to the energy consumption. Figure 8 shows the variation of the angular velocity at the output shafts comparing on the variation of the angular velocity at the input shaft. It can be seen that the maximum difference between the values for the two velocities is obtained for the maximum value for the angle and it is small (smaller than 0.5o/s), so the tripod mechanism can be considered a synchronous one (constant angular velocity at the output shaft when the angular velocity at the input shaft is constant); therefore it can be assumed that this tripod mechanism can be used in mechanical transmissions and also in car suspensions.

Figure 8. Variation of the angular velocities at the input and the output shaft

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2.2

Practical aspects
Figure 9 and figure 10 shows practical examples for cylinder/cylinder contacts and hyperbolic/hyperbolic contacts, respectively.

Figure 9. Cylinder/cylinder contacts

To make the experimental study, the experimental test rig with open power circuit was used as presented in figure 11. The test rig is installed at the National Institute for Automotive Comp., Braov, Romania [7].

Figure 10. Hyperbolic/hyperbolic contacts

The experimental set up is driven by an electrical motor 1, the command being made by a command table 2. The motion is transmitted to the testing element 3 by the coupling 6 and the cardano type transmission 7. The test rig is loaded by the hydraulic brake 4, controlled through the command block 5. The load is transmitted to the tripod mechanism by the coupling 6 and by the elastic coupling 8. The test rig is equipped with incremental transducers 9. These transducers are measuring the torque, the angular velocity and the angular position at the input and the output of the system. The transducers are fed by the electric power sources 10 and 11.

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Figure 11. Scheme of the experimental stand

By using experimental methods the diagram for the variation of the instantaneous efficiency is obtained for the two types of couplings (Figure 12) with =30o.

Figure 12. Tripod coupling efficiency

It can be observed that these types of couplings have higher efficiency, therefore less energy consumption is involved.

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3.

CONCLUSIONS
The example presented in the paper provides in a simple way, the design based on some of the eco-design principles (energy consumption reduction = efficiency improving) to develop of machine elements. The dynamic modeling of the tripod coupling represents a modern way to obtain the dynamic behavior of the machine composed by an actuator, a brake and the tripod mechanism; using that type of modeling one can say that the analyzed mechanism is of homokinetic type (synchronous mechanism). The experimental test is used to find out the efficiency of the tripod mechanism; A competitive open power flow testing rig is used and the results are certifying that the tripod mechanism has a higher efficiency. As a conclusion, the tripod coupling can be used in mechanical transmissions because of the small variation of the angular velocity at the output shaft; also, this coupling, because of the higher efficiency, is ecofriendly, according to the energy consumption criteria.

REFERENCES
1. D. DIACONESCU, a.o., Tripodekupplung mit Zylinder-Zylinder Podegelenken (Bulletin of the Transilvania University of Brasov, Series A, vol. XXXII, 1990, p.21-28). 2. J. C. DIEHL, a.o., Eco-design in Central America, ecodesign methodology: product improvement tool (PIT) (The Journal of Sustainable Product Design, vol.1, 2001, p.197 205). 3. FL. DUDITA, a.o., Cuplaje mobile podomorfe (Trisedess Press publishing house, Sf. Gheorghe, Romania, 2001). 4. E. J. HAUG, Computer aided kinematics and dynamics of mechanical systems (Vol. I-II. Allyn and Bacon LTD, Massachusetts, USA, 1989). 5. H. HEISLER, Advanced vehicle technology (London, The bath press, 1997). 6. A. JULA, a.o., Multibody modeling of the tripod coupling (The Proceedings of Research and Development in Mechanical Industry RaDMI 2002, vol.2, Vrnjacka Banja, Yugoslavia, 1 4 september, 2002, p.649-654). 7. M. LATES, Cuplaje cu contacte mobile (PhD thesis, Transilvania University of Brasov, 2003). 8. A. TUKKER, a.o., Eco-design: the state of implementation in Europe (The Journal of Sustainable Product Design, vol.1, 2001, p.147161).