Physics / Engineering
Differential drivetrain
Look inside a bevel differential, brake either wheel and compare open and clutch-coupled operation.
What happens
Brake one wheel and watch the other accelerate. Engage the clutch to reduce the speed difference. The ideal bevel-gear constraint is exact; tooth contact is illustrative. Loads are viscous brakes, not road grip. The locking clutch has a finite torque limit.
Equations used in the module
Equations ωL + ωR = 2ωC Ic ωC′ = Tmotor − TL − TR − bC ωC Id ωD′ = TL − TR − 2Tclutch − bD ωD E = Wmotor − Q
