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Research Article
Optimum Design of 1st Gear Ratio for 4WD Vehicles Based on
Vehicle Dynamic Behaviour
Copyright 2013 M. H. Shojaeefard et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution
License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly
cited.
This paper presents an approach that allows optimizing gear ratio and vehicle dimension to achieve optimum gear transmission.
Therefore, augmented Lagrangian multiplier method, defined as classical method, is utilized to find the optimum gear ratios and
the corresponding number of gear teeth applied to all epicyclical gears. The new method is able to calculate and also to optimize
the gear ratio based on dynamics of 4WD vehicles. Therefore, 4WD vehicles dynamic equations are employed assuming that the
rear wheels or the front wheels are at the point of slip. In addition, a genetic algorithm is modified to preserve feasibility of the
encountered solutions. The basic dimension of a sample commercial vehicle (2009 hummer H3 4dr AWD SUV) and its gearbox are
optimized, and then the effects of changing slip angle, wheel base, and engine torque on optimum vehicle dimension are analyzed.
1. Introduction gear train optimization [5]. The analysis of these two gears is
conventionally done based on classical method which utilizes
The gear ratio of a gear train is the ratio of the angular velocity tooth gears. This method facilitates the design although it
of the input gear to the angular velocity of the output gear, also does not consider dynamic behaviour of the vehicle.
known as the speed ratio of the gear train [1]. The gear ratio This paper describes a practical approach to gear train
can be computed directly from the number of teeth of the design and optimization. The presented novel algorithm is
various gears that engage to form the gear train [2]. To achieve based on a two-stage optimization process. The first part of
a specific set of speed ratios, the designer has to choose a gear the process employs a mathematical optimization method
train with specific internal-external gear pair combinations, based on dynamic behaviour of vehicle, and the second uses
a set of clutches that are to be operated in a chosen sequence, the ratio between gear teeth. This approach concentrates
and a set of gear ratios. (In the automotive industry the on the following issues related to automotive automatic
reciprocal of the reduction ratio is often specified.) The term transmissions:
of gear ratio refers to the ratio of the number of teeth
(i) application of optimization techniques to find the
on two mating gears. The classical approach of finding the
gear ratios in automotive gear trains for a given set
proper gear ratios has been to choose a gear train and a
of reduction ratios,
corresponding clutching sequence and then to vary the gear
ratios by trial and error until the best possible reduction (ii) optimizing gear ratio of a commercial car based on
ratios have been obtained [3, 4]. Gears are among the most genetic algorithm,
common elements of machine, and therefore, there have been (iii) development of a user-friendly method for optimiz-
many studies on optimum gear design. Gear optimization can ing basic dimensions of a vehicle based on dynamic
be divided into two categories, namely, single gear pair and equations.
2 Advances in Mechanical Engineering
Pinion FA
Gear
a
ha
d a f
b
h W
FR
R
Ff
a
Figure 1: Compound gear train.
b Fr
l
+ + cos + sin = 0.
= ( , , , ) , {12, 13, . . . , 60} ,
2 F and F are front and rear traction forces, respectively.
2 1
to min () = (trg tot ) = ( ) (2) , vehicle mass, is the acceleration, RR is the rolling
6.93
resistance force, is the vehicle weight, is the road slope,
subjected to 12 60, = 1, 2, 3, 4. F is the aerodynamic force, N is the front reaction force,
N is the rear reaction force, h is the height of aerodynamic
force, h is the centre of gravity height force, l is the wheel base,
In other words, the process is going to compute the and a and b are distances from c.g. to front and rear wheels,
optimum values of four variables that will minimize the respectively. Consider
squared difference between the target ratio, trg , and available
gear ratio, tot . The objective function is expressed as the
squared error between the actual and the desired gear ratios. = cos ( sin + ) . (4)
An alternative solution for the gear train problem is
founded by the differential evolution strategy. These solutions
have been found to be globally optimal by applying explicit According to Figure 2, the total traction force F , which is the
enumeration as mentioned in Tables 1 and 2 [1214]. In this combination of rear and front traction forces, is defined as
paper this problem has been resolved with genetic algorithm
for 2009 hummer H3 4dr SUV. = + . (5)
Advances in Mechanical Engineering 3
RR = , (8)
= cos . (18)
( + 1)
= + . (9)
Substituting (16) into (15), the maximum traction force is
f is the rolling resistance coefficient. Solving the previous computed as
equations gives (4)(9) as
= cos + [ RR ] + , (10) max = ( + 1) cos . (19)
( + 1)
= cos [ RR ] + . (11) The equation of gear ratio (n ) is presented as
In a 4WD vehicle, the wheel torques at front and rear axles max
are distributed such that the ratio of front to rear axle torques = , (20)
is given by r. Assuming that the rear wheels are at the point of
slip, an expression is driven for gear ratio of a 4WD vehicle.
Where is the differential ratio, is the motor torque, and
According to Figure 2, the total traction force is
is the tyre radius. Also with substituting (12) into (13) the
= + . (12) rear gear ratio (nlr) is obtained as follows:
The equal front and rear gear ratios are obtained by dividing
the ratio of traction force of the front and rear axes, which is = ( + 1) cos . (21)
( + 1)
followed as
On the other hand, assuming that the front wheels are at the
= = . (13) slip point, an expression for gear ratio of a 4WD vehicle can
be obtained. According to (5) and (13) the total traction force
Substitution of (5) into (13) will result in can be written as
= (1 + ) . (14) 1
= (1 + ) . (22)
When the rear tyres are at the point of slip, (14) can be written
as
When the front tyres are at the slip point, the maximum
max = (1 + ) , (15) traction force can be computed as
+
= cos + [(1 + ) RR ] . (16) = cos .
+ (1/ + 1)
4 Advances in Mechanical Engineering
8 0.6
6 0.7
4 0.8
2 0.9
0 1
2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20
Vehicle population Vehicle population
nlf Error (%) FW
nlr Error (%) RW
nl classical
(a) (b)
Figure 3: Gear ratio and its error when the front or rear tyres are at slips points.
0.2 0.2
0 0.1
0.2 0
15 20 25 30 35 15 20 25 30 35
Height of center of gravity Height of center of gravity
(a) (b)
4 5
3.5 4
3 3
15 20 25 30 35 15 20 25 30 35
Height of center of gravity Height of center of gravity
(c) (d)
Figure 5: Relationship between error of rear/front gear ratio and height of vehicle c.g..
3 0.4
2.5
0.3
2
1.5 0.2
0.01 0.0105 0.011 0.0115 0.012 0.0125 0.013 0.0135 0.014 0.01 0.0105 0.011 0.0115 0.012 0.0125 0.013 0.0135 0.014
Rolling resistance Rolling resistance
(a) (b)
Front gear ratio
3 6
Rear gear ratio
2.8 4
2.6 2
0.01 0.0105 0.011 0.0115 0.012 0.0125 0.013 0.0135 0.014 0.01 0.0105 0.011 0.0115 0.012 0.0125 0.013 0.0135 0.014
Rolling resistance Rolling resistance
(c) (d)
Figure 6: Relationship between error of rear/front gear ratio and rolling resistance.
friction will decrease the difference between classical gear is recovered when the pressure is removed. The rolling
ratio and dynamic gear ratio. In other words, there is a direct resistance is presented as a function of velocity, followed as
relationship between front and rear gear ratios and coefficient
of road friction. V
= 0.01 (1 + ). (26)
100
3.2. Height of Vehicle c.g. The vehicle c.g. height variation has
an effect on the dynamic gear ratio. The error that occurred Figure 6 shows that enhancing the rolling resistance coef-
with classical gear ratio has been shown in Figure 5. As ficient decreases the difference between classical gear ratio
shown, enhancing the c.g. height increases the difference and dynamic gear ratio. Moreover, increasing the rolling
between classic and dynamic gear ratios for frontal mode. On resistance enhances front gear ratio.
the contrary, this discrepancy will be decreased for rear mode.
As a result, front and rear gear ratios have contrariwise effects.
4. Genetic Algorithm Optimization
3.3. Rolling Resistance Friction. Rolling resistance, some- Nowadays using evolution methods to solve optimization
times named rolling friction or rolling drag, is the force problems has a growing trend. Genetic algorithms as the most
resisting the motion when the tire rolls on a surface. It popular evolution algorithms have an extensive application
is mainly caused by nonelastic effects; that is, not all of in esearch studies [1719]. The 1st dynamic gear ratio in
the energy that is needed for deformation of the object the case that front or rear wheels are at the point of slip
6 Advances in Mechanical Engineering
3.2
Start
3
Producing initial
1.6
0 10 20 30 40 50
Constraints analysis Elites selection Generation
Best fitness
Final No Mean fitness
validation Selection
Figure 10: Evolution of the performance for a population = 20 when
Yes front wheel is in slip mode.
End
1.7
3.2
1.6
3
1.5
2.8
Fitness value (rear wheel)
Gear ratio
2.6 1.4
2.4 1.3
2.2
1.2
2
1.1
1.8
1.6 1
1.4 0.9
0 10 20 30 40 50 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45
Generation (deg)
Figure 9: Evolution of the performance for a population = 20 when Figure 11: Optimum front and rear gear ratios for different road
rear wheel is in slip mode. slope angles.
8 Advances in Mechanical Engineering
Table 5: Optimal solution for the gear train of 2009 hummer H3 optimization parameters in the case that the gear ratio error
4dr. is approximately around zero in each parameter. Moreover,
2009 hummer H3 the equations of front and rear gear ratios indicate that two
parameters of wheel base length and engine torque play an
4dr
Genetic algorithm important role to achieve the suitable performance.
19 29 46 45
optimization
Hsu et al. [10] 19 16 49 43 References
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Advances in Mechanical Engineering 9