Nonlinear Dynamic Behaviour Analysis of a Clutch System with Uncertainties Using Polynomial Chaos and the Constrained Harmonic Balance Method

Abstract

The study of the nonlinear dynamic behaviour of friction systems in general and of clutch systems in particular remains an open problem. Noise and vibrations induced by friction in the sliding phase of a clutch are very sensitive to design parameters. The latter have significant dispersions. In the study of the system stability, the problem is not only to know if the parameter values lead to the appearance of unstable equilibrium points; the real challenge lies in estimating the vibration levels when such unstable equilibrium points occur. This estimation is analyzed using the limit cycles. This article aims to study the ability of robust approaches based on developments in nonintrusive generalized polynomial chaos and a constrained harmonic balance method to estimate the vibration levels through the limit cycles of a clutch system in the presence of uncertainty. The purpose is to provide a low-cost, high precision approach, compared to the classic Monte Carlo method.