A Numerical Methodology for Evaluating Structural and Dynamic Behavior of a Shaft in Powertrain Application 2007-24-0135

In some situations, designers need quick and powerful instruments to provide information for philosophical choices in powertrain layout. The increase of computational capabilities favors the implementation of complex equations and the possibility of making powerful software for supporting technical decisions. The paper presents a numerical model of a shaft that provides information about shaft dynamic and structural behavior. The model can be used for simulating gearbox shaft, drive shaft or axle shaft. By means of a MATLAB/Simulink^® model, a finite element (FE) procedure is implemented: the shaft is depicted as its inertial and stiffness features and it is also possible to evaluate stresses, strains and boundary condition forces. In addition, MATLAB/Simulink^® powerful allows evaluating shaft behavior during working or test conditions, such as the abuse maneuver, and not only in an abstract situation used by analysts for structural and dynamic calculations.