WHEEL POWER MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS: DYNAMICS AND EFFICIENCY EVALUATION

In recent years, leading automotive companies have been developing various wheel power management systems for controlling power distribution among the driving wheels of all-wheel drive vehicles. Such systems being successors of tank turn/steer mechanisms have inspired new designs of wheeled vehicle driveline systems. Modern wheel power management systems usually consist of planetary transmissions with controllable clutches. The proposed paper analyzes kinematics and dynamics of main types of these systems and then the impact of the systems on the vehicle energy loading, mechanical power loss and, finally, on vehicle energy efficiency. Results of analytical research of double differentials, and open differential with three-link planetary rows are presented in comparison with traditional open differential. Conditions for providing improved energy (i.e. fuel efficiency) are formulated and then analytical representation is given to mathematically link parameters of the wheel power management systems with vehicle tread and minimal turn radius. Hence, a design engineer can assign the optimal parameters of a wheel power management system that provides improved vehicle energy/fuel efficiency.