Validating the Design of CV Axle for BAJA SAE ATV 2022-01-0644

Axle transmits power from the gearbox to the wheels. There are primarily two reasons for reducing the axle’s diameter in the case of a bipod CV joint (Constant-velocity joints axle), to avoid overdesigning and less articulation angle. As the ATV (All-Terrain Vehicle) goes in bumps and droops, a driveshaft with a larger diameter would hit the walls of the CV joint, which will create a hindrance in its articulation. Moreover, if the driveshaft is overdesigned, it will add unnecessary weight and effort to the power train, which would decrease the overall performance of the vehicle. The diameter of the axle was reduced using real-time testing data of peak torque production from the powertrain unit (Engine + CVT (Continuously variable transmission )+ Gearbox) with the help of various machines to validate that component do not fail under the given load conditions; research work is divided into 3 phases of data collection, axle design, and validation. Total 3 test rigs were set up for data collection and validation, combined with axle design, material selection, heat treatment, and CAE validation. At the same time, the efficiency of Powertrain (CVT) is also calculated as 0.87 from test rig1, which further drops to 0.75 due to slippage between CVT sheaves and belt. An 18% reduction in diameter is achieved throughout the research leading to higher articulation and weight reduction. An analytical, numerical, and experimental result comparison is also performed on the axle as the result comparison.