Building a Gear Transmission Model with simscape

Welcome back to the Physical Modeling in Simscape with Simulink & MATLAB blog series! In this session, we’ll take a deeper dive into creating a gear transmission model using Simscape blocks. By combining concepts of rotational and translational motion, you’ll learn to model and analyze gear and axle systems, essential in mechanical and automotive engineering. 

This Simscape tutorial is a part of Skill-Lync’s Physical Modeling Course, tailored to help engineers and students master the art of physical system simulations. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced learner, this blog will guide you through building and refining complex models. 

Step 1: Setting Up the Gear Model 

1. Creating a New Model: 

• Begin by creating a new Simulink model using the "New Simulink Model" option. 
• Save the model with a descriptive name, such as gear_transmission.SLX, in a folder of your choice. 

2. Adding a Gear Block: 

• Search for "gear" in the Simulink library and select the Simple Gear block. 
• The Simple Gear block features parameters like the gear ratio, mesh losses, and viscous friction coefficients. By default, the gear ratio is set to 2. 
• You can activate load-dependent losses for advanced modeling, but for this exercise, we’ll keep the default settings. 

Step 2: Incorporating a Wheel and Axle 

To convert rotational motion from the gear into linear motion, we’ll use the Wheel and Axle block. 

1. Adding the Wheel and Axle Block: 

• Search for "wheel" and select the Wheel and Axle block. 
• This block connects the rotational output from the gear (Axle) to the periphery (P), which represents linear motion. 

2. Configuring Parameters: 

• Double-click on the Wheel and Axle block to adjust the wheel radius and operational settings. For this exercise, set the wheel radius to 0.5 meters and retain the default operation settings. 

Step 3: Configuring Inputs and Outputs 

To drive the system and analyze its behavior, we’ll configure inputs and outputs: 

1. Adding an Angular Velocity Source: 

• Search for Ideal Angular Velocity Source to simulate a fixed or variable rotational input. 
• Set a constant angular velocity of 100 rad/s as the initial input. 

• Use the Translational Motion Sensor block to measure the linear velocity and position of the wheel. 
• The sensor’s v (velocity) and p (position) ports will provide the outputs for analysis. 

3. Connecting Simulink and Simscape: 

• Use Simulink to Physical Signal (PS) Converter and Physical Signal to Simulink Converter blocks to connect Simulink blocks (e.g., input constants) to Simscape components. 
• Attach a Scope block to visualize the output. 

4. Adding References and Solvers: 

• Include Rotational Reference and Translational Reference blocks for proper grounding. 
• Add a Solver Configuration block to ensure accurate simulation. 

Step 4: Running the Simulation 

1. Input Parameters: 

Set the angular velocity input to 100 rad/s and keep the default gear ratio of 2. 

2. Simulation Results: 

When you run the simulation, the linear velocity at the wheel’s periphery will be calculated as 25 m/s based on the gear ratio and wheel radius. 

Experiment with different input values or gear ratios to observe changes in the output. 

Conclusion 

In this blog, you’ve learned to build and simulate a gear transmission system using Simscape. By mastering these fundamental blocks, you’re well on your way to creating more advanced systems. 

To dive deeper into Simscape mechanical modeling, enroll in Skill-Lync’s Simscape Training, which covers everything from Simscape basics to real-world applications in automotive engineering. 

Stay tuned for the next blog, where we’ll explore variable inputs and runtime configuration for even more dynamic simulations! 

This blog is part of our ongoing Physical Modeling in Simscape with Simulink & MATLAB. If you missed the previous posts, check them out here.  

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