differential gear

In automotive mechanics, a gear arrangement that transmits power from the engine to a pair of driving wheels, dividing the force equally between them but permitting them to follow paths of different lengths, as when turning a corner or traversing an uneven road. On a straight road the wheels rotate at the same speed; when turning a corner the outside wheel has farther to go and would turn faster than the inner wheel if unrestrained. The automobile differential was invented in 1827; originally used on steam-driven vehicles, it was well known when internal-combustion engines finally appeared.

differential gear

the epicyclic gear mounted in the driving axle of a road vehicle that permits one driving wheel to rotate faster than the other, as when cornering

differential gear [‚dif·ə′ren·chəl ′gir]

(control systems)

differential

Differential Gear

a device that produces a resultant motion as the sum or difference of the component motions. In a differential gear with, one degree of freedom, the component motions are connected kinematically and are produced by a single drive; the resultant is produced as the difference of these motions. Differential gears with one degree of freedom are used for producing small, precise movements or great forces (for example, in instruments and metal-cutting lathes).

In differential gears with two or more degrees of freedom, the component motions are independent and each is performed by its own component element. There are a number of different types of such differential gears, but the most widely used is the differential gear with bevel gears (usually called simply a differential), which is used in motor vehicles and other transportation machines and in mechanical drives.

The relation between the effective velocities of the component elements of the differential gear is expressed by the formula ω₁ + ω₂ = 2ω or n₁ + n₂- 2n_r, where ω₁, ω₂, and ω_r and n₁, n₂n_r are, respectively, the rates of angular motion and the frequencies of rotation of the central wheels and the carrier. In a speed regulator of the closed type, the differential gear permits broadening of the control range and makes possible reverse rotation of the driveshaft. In metal-cutting lathes the differential gear is used for simplifying tooling and reducing the number of change gears required. Differential gears are used in computers to perform the mathematical operation of parameter addition.

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Differential Gear (redirected from Differential (mechanical device))

differential gear

Differential Gear
(redirected from Differential (mechanical device))