Modeling and simulations of the clutch dynamics using approximations of the resulting friction forces

The work presents the effectiveness of a certain class of approximate models of the resulting friction force found during simulations of a simplified model of clutch dynamics. The friction models are based on integral expressions assuming fully developed sliding and Coulomb's classical law of friction on each element of the planar contact. Special approximations of the integral model of the friction force and the moment are proposed, which are based on Padé approximants and their generalizations. The system of clutch dynamics is simplified to a friction disk on a rotating master disk. Two different configurations are investigated, including the coaxial and non-coaxial arrangement of the disks. The model based on the generalization of Padé approximants is compared with the corresponding approximants based on the Taylor series expansion and with the model using the integral expressions for the resultant friction force and torque components.