Simulating the Torque and Angular Speed Distribution within a

Heavy Vehicles Planetary Gearbox

ALEXA Octavian1,a*, ILIE Constantin Ovidiu1,b, MARINESCU Marin 1,c,
VNTURI Valentin 1,d and TRU Marian1,e
1
Military Technical Academy, Faculty of Mechatronics and Integrated Systems for Armament, Dept.
of Military Automotive Engineering and Transportation, Bd. George Cosbuc nr. 39-49, sector 5,
Bucharest 050141, Romania
a*
alexa.octavian@gmail.com, bovidiuilie66@yahoo.com, cmarin_s_marinescu@yahoo.com,
d
vinturisv@yahoo.com, ctruta_marian@yahoo.com

Keywords: simulation, torque, powertrain, angular speed, planetary gearbox.

Abstract
Simulating the real-time working of a system a complex challenge that had been developed lately
within almost all fields of activity, of course including mechanical engineering as well. If one wants
to reveal the torque and angular speed distribution onto the elements of a planetary gearbox, issuing
a virtual model was previously needed. This model should replicate both the physical structure and
the real working behavior.
The modeled and simulated gearbox is a planetary type one. The power flows along the gearbox
throughout three simple planetary mechanisms (sun gear and crown type) by successively locking
different components with the aid of some multi-plate clutches (acting as locking clutches or
brakes). The simulation of the friction elements engagement is achieved by introducing a physical
signal that replaces the pressure of the hydraulic command system. We mention that the pressure
evolution has been previously experimentally determined, in order to model the force that acts on
the actuators piston that, at its turn, presses the plates.
The paper reveals the working cycles of the friction elements as well as the working modes of the
planetary sets. It also reveals the time histories of the power flowing throughout the gearbox. The
friction elements are modeled considering their three working stages: fully disengaged, partially
engaged and fully engaged. The planetary sets are modeled starting from Willis equation for the
speed distribution. For the torque distribution we used the energy conservation law as well as the
torque balance law.
Should be also mentioned that the virtual simulating model took into account the effects of the
twisting vibrations, spinning inertia of the mechanical components and shafts elasticity.

Introduction
The planetary gearbox subject to the study consists of a train of planetary mechanisms, and a set
of multiple-disc clutches and brakes. Different scientists have described their working behavior by
mathematical modeling and simulation. Jungang Wang [1] proposes a mathematical model that is
able to describe the working process of the planetary mechanisms in transient modes. When issuing
the dynamic equations, he took into account the losses due to the torsion vibrations within the
meshing area of the gears. The loss assessment has been achieved by supplying the model with
elasticity and friction coefficients. A better model would describe the real working mode if
developing virtual simulation models. These models are featured by the fact that the systems
elements are treated as physical subsystems, linked together by a net of physical connectors (shafts,
flanges etc.). Reference [2] provides such a model. When developing the model, its creator used a
part of the predefined blocks of the Dymola Library to model the physical components of the
planetary gears and multiple-disc clutches of the gearbox. All the blocks take advantage of
predefined connecting physical ports; thus one can model the rigid linkages of the gearbox. Gear
shifting simulation was achieved by using a signal that successively locks the multiple-disc
clutches.

Developing the simulation model

We have used the Matlab programming environment, specifically the SIMSCAPE module, to
modeling the planetary gearbox. We took into account the effects due to the torsion vibrations, the
rotational inertia and the shafts elasticity. The basic components of the virtual simulation model are
the three planetary gears and the four friction elements (three clutches and a brake), as can be
noticed in fig. 1.

Fig. 1 Virtual model to simulate the planetary gearbox

The basic components of the gearbox have been built using the SIMSCAPE module, by
imposing the specific condition of the real working conditions. A simple planetary gear consists of
three external elements (the sun gear, the crown and the carrier); hence, the power flow can be
directed via three different directions. The working behavior of the planetary gear has been
achieved by writing within its source code (fig. 2) the so-called Willis equation (cinematic
equation), the energy conservation law and the
torque balance law [3]. Locking the carrier
generates these three equations and the gears
ratio K.
The physical connection between the external
elements is achieved by the (R, S, C) nodes, the
through variable (Ms, Mr, Mc), the across
Fig. 2 Source code of a planetary gear
variable (s, r, c) and by the physical
conserving ports. The power running through the
three physical ports is directed, by the means of
connection lines, towards the other components
of the physical net.
The multiple-disc clutches and brakes (fig. 3)
block on of the external elements. When using a
brake, the elements angular speed drops to null.
When using a clutch, the connected elements
have the same angular speed.
Physically speaking, the friction elements are
featured by three working modes: fully
disengaged, partially engaged and fully engaged
(fig. 4). Engaging and disengaging the friction
elements is achieved by the axial displacement of
the disc pile. When engaging, the discs are
pressed against the supporting disc by the
hydraulic piston. When disengaging, the discs are
released by the resetting mechanism. Fig. 3 Friction element.
The friction elements capacity to transfer the (1,2) friction discs, (3,6) grooved disc,
applied torque depends on the friction materials, (4) supporting disc, (5) resetting
the pressing force (Fn) and the discs sizes. mechanism, (7) case, (8) pressing piston.
2
M A Fn z 2 2
re3 ri3
3 re ri (1)
Fn p re2 ri 2
where (z) is the number of pairs of
friction surfaces, (p)[Pa] is the
pressure within the hydraulic
system, () is the friction
coefficient and (ri)[m] and (re)[m]
are the inner and outer radii of the
friction discs respectively.
When fully disengaged, a part
of the power flow is used to
accelerate the rotating discs and
another part is lost within the dry
or viscous friction of the moving
elements.
The dynamic equations that
describe the fully disengaged mode
are provided by the use of the Fig. 4 Working modes of the friction elements
torque balance law:
da db
M a Ia caa 0 M b Ib cbb 0 a b (2)
dt dt
where (Ia) and (Ib) are the inertia moments and (ca) and (cb) are the viscous damping coefficients
(when comes about the brake, Ia, a and ca are null).
To modeling the work of the
friction elements when in partially
engaged mode and fully engaged
mode we used the Stribeck model
[4]. Compared to the classic friction
model (fig. 5a) [5] the Stribeck
model (fig. 5b) changes the variation
mode of the friction force. It
eliminates the discontinuity that
could occur due to the simulating
software, within the vicinity of the
area where the relative angular speed
() between the friction surfaces Fig. 5 Friction force vs. angular speed
closes to null. Therefore, the friction force has a single value when the relative angular speed () is
null. The friction force is approximated by the gain between the pressing force (Fn) and either the
dynamic (cdfr) or the static friction coefficient (csfr).
The dynamic friction coefficient is used
when slipping. In this situation the relative
angular speed isnt null. The static friction
coefficient is used when the relative angular
speed is very close to null. The equations that
estimate the physical behavior of the friction
elements both in the slipping and locking
stage are written within the source code of the
friction element (fig. 6) according to the
relative angular speed, for different variation Fig. 6 Part of the friction elements source code
intervals.
During the slipping stage, when the dynamic friction torque transfers at high rates, the discs
angular speeds are different; hence the relative angular speed has non-null values. It also tends to
higher values than the its limit value _prag. Modeling this situation asked for the use of the if
condition of SIMSCAPE followed by the equivalent equation of the friction torque. During the time
the transfer rate of the friction torque is low, the friction element is still within the friction stage.
The discs still have different angular speeds but the relative angular speed rapidly decreases to zero.
The situation is described by the elseif condition of the simulating environment. In the locking
stage, described by else, the discs of the friction element have the same angular speed. The
relative angular speed is zero.
Besides the basic components, in the virtual simulation model other blocks of the SIMSCAPE
library occur. They were used to modeling the pressing force of the pistons that act inside the
clutches of brakes, to visualizing the power fluxes characteristic features when crossing the gearbox
or to modeling the inertia moments, elastic or viscous forces, viscous and dry damping forces.
The time histories of the hydraulic systems parameters are experimentally obtained [6].

Obtained results
The simulation model presented in this paper is able to completely describe the work of the
physical components of the analyzed gearbox for various working situations.
For this paper we simulated the working conditions and gearboxs behavior during the vehicles
taking-off procedure. The torque and angular speed diagrams obtained by simulation (fig. 7, 8, 9)
underline the distribution of the torque and angular speeds for the three planetary mechanisms (K1,
K2 and K3).
 Analyzing the diagrams we noticed that the power flow runs only via the planetary mechanism
K1 in the first gear of the gearbox. The other planetary mechanisms (K2 and K3) are also consuming
power due to the acceleration process and internal friction, although they dont actively take part to
the power flux transit.
When engaging the second and fourth gears of the planetary gearbox, the power runs through K1
and K2 planetary gears. When engaging the third gear, the power uses all the three planetary gears
to pass through the gearbox.

Fig. 7 Torque and angular speed distribution on the elements of the K1 planetary gear

Fig. 8 Torque and angular speed distribution on the elements of the K2 planetary gear
 Fig. 9 Torque and angular speed distribution on the elements of the K3 planetary gear

Conclusions
The simulation model was conceived to analyze the modes of the power flow for all the four
gears of the planetary gearbox. Analyzing the presented data we could notice that it allows the
determination of the time histories of the torque and the angular speeds for all the elements the
planetary gears, clutches and brakes are made of. Moreover, the model can be used as a working
platform for a further developed automating algorithm to shift the gears of the gearbox. As a result,
we could improve the efficiency of the vehicles working process that also leads to an improvement
of the dynamic features of the vehicle.

References
[1] JungangWang, Yong Wang, and Zhipu Huo, Analysis of Dynamic Behavior of Multiple-Stage
Planetary Gear Train Used in Wind Driven Generator, Hindawi Publishing Corporation, The
Scientific World Journal, Volume 2014, Article ID 627045, 11 pages;
[2] M. Otter, C. Schlegel, H. Elmqvist, Modeling and Realtime Simulation of an Automatic
Gearbox using Modelica, 9th European Simulation Symposium ESS97, Passau, Germany, Oct.
19.-22., pp. 115-121, 1997;
[3] Ticuor CIOBOTARU, Lucian GRIGORE, Valentin VNTURI i Liviu LOGHIN, Transmisii
planetare pentru autovehicule militare, Publishing House of the Military Technical Academy, 2005;
[4] B. Armstrong-Heloury, P. Dupont, and C. C. de Wit, A survey of models, analysis tools and
compensation methods for the control of machines with friction, Automatica, vol. 30, no. 7, pp.
1083:1138, September 1994;
[5] Patinya Samanuhut, Modeling and control of automatic transmission with planetary gears for
shift quality, The University of Texas at Arlington, 2011;
[6] Liviu LOGHIN, Contribuii privind studiul proceselor ce au loc la schimbarea etajelor n
transmisiile hidromecanice ale autovehiculelor militare cu enile, PhD Thesis, Publishing House of
the Military Technical Academy, 2005.