Finite Element Analysis And Topology Design Of The Tractor Drive Axle

As the mainly carrying and passing components of the tractor, the tractor drive axle supports the weight of vehicle, and transfer the weight to the wheel. Through the drive axle housing, the tractate force,braking force and lateral force act on the wheel transfer to the suspension system,frame or carriage. The drive axle housing's life decides the tractor's life. So the drive axle housing must have enough intensity and good dynamic characteristic.The conventional design method of the driving axle casing is mainly based on the experience of the designers or learn from the original and then carry out with comprehensive consideration, it is difficult to establish quantitative goals, optional design, then can not find accurately about the reflection of the different parts of the driving axle casing which are under the stress and deformation, so there are many limitations. Correspondingly, by using finite element method, the driving axle casing's analysis can avoid these limitations commendably. As long as the continual practice and the learned lessons, it will constantly improve the accuracy and efficiency; this approach will be a powerful means in the product design work. The finite element method can used in the product design stage to improve the analysis by repeat rapid design, and if it work in the optimization design methods ,it turn out to search for the best programs easily and get a better design effect.The most important of the drive axle is the axle housing, the structure characteristic of the steer able drive axle housing decides the drive axle's capability. This paper builds the finite element model of the steerable drive axle housing, the knuckle and the semi axle. Study the intensity computation and dynamic characteristic of the steer able drive axle housing and the semi axle.The analysis results of the finite element method show that the maximum Mises stress of the axle housing is less than the allowable stress value. So the axle housing meets the strength requirement. The maximum deformation per meter of the wheel-center-distance is less than 1.5mm/m, which meets the stiffness requirements in national standards. The minimum natural frequency calculated by FEM is far bigger than the frequency from road excitation. The resonance of the axle housing won't happen when this truck is traveling on road. The analyzed results tell us that the axle housing is safe and reliable under all kinds of driving conditions.Base on the finite element analysis of the axle housing, put forward two topology optimize project and improved structure, analysis the same working condition's finite element model, find the improved structure is better than the former drive axle housing. So, we can say, using the finite element method to analysis an improved the drive axle is very effective.