Search Results

The paper is focused on the stress field acting on a continuously variable transmission (CVT) mechanism used on the high displacement scooters produced by Piaggio & C. S.p.A. The most important results of the analysis have been extrapolated with the aim of providing the designers with some guidelines useful to reduce the design error occurrence. In detail, in the paper is described the behavior of the belt and of the driven pulley, that are the critical parts of the assembly. The analysis has been conducted with a full MultiBody model of the mechanism combined with the Finite Element analysis of both the belt and the pulley. The output data so obtained have been used in a fatigue analysis in order to define the reliability of these parts. This paper could serve as a base to define a new proportioning method, that should be based on the whole stress history of each part of the assembly, computed with the aid of some numerical tools.

The aim of this work is to define the core of a stability control, called Active Vehicle System, for a hybrid Formula SAE car that will compete in the next season in the upcoming Alternative Energies (Class 1A) class. The vehicle on which the control system will act is equipped with two electric motors on the front axle and an internal combustion engine connected to the rear axle by the way of a semi-active differential. The layout of the car under consideration has been defined with the purpose of getting the most effectiveness by the Active Vehicle System, whose role is to define a yaw torque to be applied to the vehicle in order to correct its behavior during each maneuver. The results of the Upper Controller will be actuated by two Lower Controllers, one dedicated to the electric motors and one to the semi-active differential. On such controlled vehicle some testing maneuvers have been performed, in order to check its functionality.