Counter-Rotating Crankshaft All-Wheel Drive Unit
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing all-wheel drive systems for motor vehicles, particularly in agriculture and construction, face challenges in achieving efficient and stable operation while maintaining reasonable implementation effort and versatility for various applications, including civil defense and disaster management.
Innovation Solution
The system incorporates a crankshaft system with two counter-rotating crankshafts synchronized by gears, interacting with conical pulleys and drive shafts, including a power take-off shaft and centrifugal clutch, to provide a robust and efficient all-wheel drive mechanism, with the internal combustion engine positioned between the front and rear axles and drive shafts aligned in the vehicle's longitudinal direction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single crankshaft is used in the internal combustion engine, then the structure is simpler, but the smooth running and stability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The single crankshaft is divided into two counter-rotating crankshafts that operate independently but are synchronized through gears. This segmentation allows each crankshaft to handle specific cylinders, balancing the engine's operation and improving smooth running characteristics while maintaining structural feasibility
Solution Approach 2:
Two counter-rotating crankshaft systems are merged into a single engine block, with both crankshafts driven by reciprocating pistons from the same cylinder arrangement. This combining approach achieves balanced operation and improved stability while keeping the engine compact and feasible to manufacture
2Productivity
If the internal combustion engine is positioned between the front and rear axles, then power distribution to all wheels is optimized, but the implementation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The CVT transmission system is designed to handle multiple functions: it transmits power to both front and rear axles, accommodates two counter-rotating crankshafts, and provides continuous variable ratio control. This multi-functionality allows the single transmission system to optimize power distribution to all wheels while managing the complexity through integrated design
Solution Approach 2:
The drive shafts are arranged in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle, with the first drive shaft connected to the front axle and the second drive shaft connected to the rear axle. This spatial arrangement in the longitudinal dimension allows efficient power distribution to all wheels while maintaining a compact engine positioning between the axles
3Reliability
If two counter-rotating crankshafts are used, then smooth running and consumption are improved, but the manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The crankshaft system is segmented into two separate counter-rotating crankshafts that can be manufactured independently using standard crankshaft fabrication processes. This segmentation allows each crankshaft to be produced with conventional manufacturing techniques, reducing the overall manufacturing complexity compared to designing a completely new single crankshaft system
Solution Approach 2:
Synchronization gears are introduced as intermediary components between the two counter-rotating crankshafts. These gears ensure proper synchronization and counter-rotation while allowing the crankshafts to be manufactured separately and assembled into the engine, significantly easing the manufacturing process
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration enhances the motor vehicle's operational efficiency, stability, and versatility, enabling smooth running, reduced consumption, and effective power distribution to all wheels, making it suitable for demanding tasks in agriculture, construction, and disaster response.
Implementation Method 1
The internal combustion engine, which has a centrifugal clutch
Data Source
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AI summary
This drive unit is designed for a motor vehicle with all-wheel drive, wherein the drive unit is located between a first wheel axle and a second wheel axle and has an internal combustion engine with a crankshaft system comprising at least one horizontally oriented crankshaft, which crankshaft acts on a continuously variable transmission system, driving the wheels of the first wheel axle and the second wheel axle.To optimize this drive unit, the crankshaft of the crankshaft system is set into rotary motion by at least one piston of the internal combustion engine, and said crankshaft interacts with a first pair of conical discs of a first continuously variable transmission of the transmission system, which is connected via a first drive shaft to a first differential of the first wheel axle, wherein the first continuously variable transmission is operatively connected to a second continuously variable transmission via an endless link, which, via a second drive shaft, influences a second differential of the second wheel axle.