Compliant Centrifugal Clutches: Design, Analysis, and Testing

• Main Author: Crane, Nathan B.
• Format: Others
• Published: BYU ScholarsArchive 2003
• Subjects: compliant; mechanism; centrigual; clutch; pseudo-rigid-body model; PRBM; rigid-body replacement; force-deflection analysis; compliance potential evaluation; compliant concept evaluation; Mechanical Engineering
• Online Access: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/etd/79; https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1078&context=etd

Existing classes of centrifugal clutch concepts were reviewed. The pseudo-rigid-body model (PRBM), rigid-body replacement synthesis, force-deflection analysis, compliance potential evaluation, and compliant concept evaluation were used to develop effective new centrifugal clutch concepts. These methods helped develop and model four novel compliant centrifugal clutch designs, model two existing designs, and identify a concept with excellent potential for low-cost centrifugal clutch applications. This concept, the floating opposing arm (FOA) clutch, doubles the torque capacity metric relative to existing compliant designs. Torque and engagement speed models for this clutch were developed and verified against four prototype clutches. Additional novel designs devel-oped through this work have lower torque capacities, but also show good potential because of other unique characteristics. All of the designs were prototyped and tested to measure their torque-speed relationships.