A New Class of Devices: Magnetic Gear Differentials for Vehicle Drivetrains

Mechanical differentials are essential drivetrain components of automobiles and other wheeled vehicles, allowing the outer drive wheel to rotate faster than the inner drive wheel during turns. This paper presents a comprehensive description of a novel and recently patented alternative based on magnetic gears, which achieves the same functionality while providing distinctive advantages such as reduced maintenance, absence of lubrication, high efficiency. The paper describes the operation principle of such magnetic gear differential and two alternative constructive options, provides a dynamic model which allows the study of the device in driving conditions, presents a description of a prototype and validates finite element simulations with experimental results.