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 article presents a comprehensive description of a novel and recently patented alternative based on magnetic gears (MGs), which achieves the same functionality while providing distinctive advantages such as reduced maintenance, absence of lubrication, and high efficiency. This article describes the operation principle of such MG 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 (FE) simulations with experimental results.