Study of dynamic wedging performance of the multi-shape sprag clutch

Abstract The dynamic contact parameters such as contact force, contact stress and rotational speed fluctuate with time during the actual operation of a sprag clutch. To this end, ANSYS LS-DYNA is applied to simulate the dynamics of various types of sprag clutches with different wedge surfaces to obtain the curves of speed, contact force, and windup angle of each component during operation with time. The dynamic wedging performance of the all-phase type and the PCE (positive continuous engagement) type clutch is compared and analyzed, and the effect of the change of contact angle on the dynamic wedging performance of the sprag clutch with logarithmic and Archimedean spirals is investigated, and the dynamic wedging performance of the three types of sprag clutches is compared and analyzed to guide the design of multi-faceted sprag clutches.