ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY FORMULA SAE

Differential Selection
2013 Drivetrain Design Team
Michael Epshtein (Senior Engineer)
Associate Engineers: Cody Peterson Joseph Torres Moji Daneshager

A differential is an integral part of the drivetrain of any vehicle, but even more on a high performance track car. Without a differential, a vehicles rear wheels will not be able to rotate at different speeds in a corner, which will result in wheel hop and slip in order to compensate for the different radii the rear wheels follow in any sort of turn. The purpose of this document is to demonstrate the selection process taken by the Drivetrain Design Team in order to choose an optimal differential for the 2013 Formula SAE vehicle. Varying criteria will be discussed and weighted, and a final decision matrix will compile the relevant data into an easily viewable graphic which will help demonstrate why we chose the differential that we did.

Differential Criteria: 1. Weight a. The weight of any component on a highly optimized racing vehicle is of paramount importance. The more weight on your car, the lower the acceleration and speed taken through a corner, as the tires and engine have to work harder in order to support and accelerate the increased mass of the car. 2. Cost a. Working with a finite and limited budget places extreme importance on the cost of each individual component in the overall vehicle assembly. The best and the greatest components can be purchased and manufactured if one has an unlimited budget, however when working with limited funds one has to take into account the cost of a component, and compromises must be made in order to design both a high-performing and cost effective product. 3. Component Life a. The life span of a component is extremely important, especially when marketing a product to an end user. An extremely high performing component does not impress the customer when they have to replace it after every race. Furthermore, a short life span component increases the overall cost of the end product by adding continuous maintenance and repair fees to the overall price tag. 4. Size a. While weight and size are closely related, it is important to place additional emphasis on the size of a component. The size (or more accurately diameter) of a differential dictates how close the chassis and engine the component can be packaged. The closer you can place the differential to the chassis and engine, the more optimally you can locate your center of gravity, the smaller an axle angle you can run, and the shorter chain you can run. In short, the size of a differential will determine how much weight you will add or subtract in the rest of the assembly through packaging and various support assemblies. 5. Performance: a. On a racing vehicle, performance is the name of the game. The purpose of building a racecar is to win races, plain and simple. Ergo,

the performance of the end product is directly related to the performance of each individual component and how they interact. The performance of a differential can be broken down in a number of ways: i. Torque Bias Ratio (TBR) 1. The Torque Bias Ratio of a differential is a way of quantifying the differentiating power. The number signifies the ratio of power that can be transferred from one wheel to another (for example, a differential with a TBR of 2.5 can transmit 2.5 times the torque on wheel to the other). A differential with a higher TBR is considered to have higher differentiating capabilities than another, which allows the car to more optimally transfer power in increasingly sharper corners to the tires. ii. Lockup Rate (Torque Transfer Curve) 1. The lockup rate of a differential is a way of describing how quickly a Limited Slip differential is capable of going from an open state to a fully locked state. Generally, the smoother the curve the better the feedback the driver will get from the rear end of the car in a corner. A higher lockup rate signifies a differential that very rapidly locks the rear wheels together, resulting in power-out instability in the corner and possible power-on oversteer. Instability in exiting a corner at best could mean an unpleasant traction-less moment for the driver, at worst it puts him headfirst into the wall. iii. Adjustability 1. The adjustability of a differential allows for the adjustment of both the TBR and the lockup rate, which gives the engineer and end user the flexibility to adjust the performance of their differential. By adjusting TBR, one gains the capacity to adjust the amount of power transferred to both the unloaded and loaded wheels in a corner, allowing for optimal tire grip based on the frictional coefficient of the compound, the tires optimal slip angle, and other such tire data. By adjusting the lockup rate, one gains the ability to determine how much power the driver can apply and where in the corner he can apply it without causing instability in the form of oversteer.

Differential Designs: This section will define the various types of differential designs used on various vehicles, with all design being available in the form of OEM components. Limited Slip Differentials (LSDs) will be the ideal selection for a racing differential due to their capability of transmitting different amounts of power to both the wheels. On a racing vehicle, it is important to optimize the amount of power that goes through the tires and accelerates the car, and the best way to do that is to power both wheels in a corner with zero wheel slip. Without an LSD, the car will be powered either through one wheel in a corner (open differential), or equally through both (as in the case of a spool), which will inevitably result in inefficient power transfer to the ground. 1. Torsen (TORque SENsing) a. A Torsen Limited Slip differential uses a series of helically cut gears in order to engage thrust washers on the outer edges of the output gears, thereby transferring torque through frictional engagement on the thrust washers. The screw action of the helical gears under an applied torque results in power being transferred based on torque, and not wheel speed (as is the case with many clutch-pack and geared LSD differentials). The TBR is adjustable through the changing of thrust washer materials (in order to increase or decrease the frictional coefficient), or through changing thrust washer thickness (thereby increasing or decreasing the preload on the output gears). The Torsen comes in a variety of packaging options, however the readily available OEM options weigh in around 8 pounds and are approximately 4 in diameter. In terms of a lightweight Formula SAE vehicle, this is on the heavier side of the spectrum. The Torsen provides the benefits of a medium TBR, adjustability, a phenomenal lockup rate, and an extremely long lifespan. A typical Torsen differential from a production car costs around $600. 2. Cam & Pawl a. Commonly referred to as a ratcheting differential, a Cam&Pawl uses a series of interlocking features and ramps in order to lock or unlock the wheels based on varying wheel speeds. The differential can be adjusted by varying the angle of the ramps, thereby changing the different wheel speeds at which it will lock. It is extremely light and small, is relatively inexpensive at $300, and is readily available on most Honda ATVs. However, it has a relatively short lifespan in high performance track vehicles, and it has a lockup curve that promotes

extreme instability and poor driver feedback due to the near instantaneous lockup rate in a corner. 3. Viscous Limited Slip Differential (VLSD) a. Found in a number of production off-road vehicles and in a few 1990s era Mazda Miatas, the VLSD operates through the shearing actions of multiple rotating plates through silicon-based oil. Multiple tabs on the surface of these plates create a resistance under rotation, and when multiple plates are rotating at different speeds it creates a shear force which in turns causes different amounts of torque to reach the wheels. Unfortunately, the VLSD design is not functional in a lightweight track car. Research by Nissan engineers determine that until the silicon oil reaches 300F the biasing capabilities of this differential are close to zero, which is why its modern use has been relegated solely to the realm of heavy off-roading vehicles that provide enough input power to actually heat the oil up to operating temperature. Furthermore, the differential is heavy, extremely expensive, unserviceable, and is prone to tab failure. 4. Clutch Pack Limited Slip a. As the name suggests, the clutch pack differential operates through the friction action between a number of clutch plates, actuated by a series of preload springs. This differential is extremely adjustable, has a smooth lockup rate, and is readily available in OEM vehicles. However, it is heavy, needs to be rebuilt on a regular basis due to the wearing out of clutch plates, and is rather expensive. Furthermore, it is mainly found in trucks and Ford rear ends, meaning that the overall diameter of the package is rather large and as such increases the weight of supporting assemblies and packaging an unacceptable amount. 5. Open Differential a. The open differential is one of the most common differentials in the automotive industry. It has no provisions for torque biasing, and is solely capable of allowing the wheels to rotate at different speeds. This is useful in a family sedan where performance is not an objective, however in a track car it serves to reduce the capability for power application in a corner resulting in a much slower and less competitive vehicle. The open differential has no lockup rate, no TBR, is on the heavy side of the spectrum (9 pounds), has a fairly small diameter, and has a very long life. It can be purchased for $400. 6. Spool

a. A spool is not a differential, as it is simply a solid linkage between the rear wheels. Therefore, its only benefits are extremely low weight, extremely low cost, extremely high lifespan, and a total lack of any performance benefits. It is not the right option for this car. 7. Geared LSD a. Operating on a similar mechanism to the Clutch Pack, the Geared LSD uses a series of gears and ramps in order to lock up the rear wheels based on varying wheel speeds. It is adjustable, has a poor lockup rate, is extremely heavy, and is extremely large. It cost around $500, and has a relatively long life span. b. Decision Matrix: Type Torsen Cam & Pawl VSLD Clutch Pack Open Spool Geared LSD Cost(3 ) 6 9 1 5 6 10 5 Weight( 7) 4 7 1 2 6 10 2 TBR(4 ) 5 8 1 6 1 1 5 Load Transfer(5) 7 3 1 6 1 1 2 Life(2 ) 8 3 2 3 9 10 6 Size (6) 6 9 4 3 3 10 2 Adjustability( 1) 7 6 1 10 1 1 8 Total 160 184 48 135 106 190 91

Based on the above matrix, the spool is the best choice based on the criteria selected. However, a spool has extreme downsides based on the current vehicle configuration and design intent which invalidate it for this design. The suspension has not been designed to lift the inside wheel in a corner, which means that a spool in the car will result in extreme corner instability and horrendous driver feedback. Furthermore, there is already a market for track cars with spools they are called shifter karts. The second best choice would be a Cam&Pawl differential. However, this differential presents driver issues in corner due to the sudden locking up of the rear wheels. Therefore, this year we have chosen to go with the Torsen differential, which provides extreme performance benefits, and which will be modified in order to closely match the weight and diameter criteria of the Cam & Pawl differential and spool.