What is differential?how DIFFERENTIAL work|mechanicalhustle

DIFFERENTIAL

DIFFERENTIAL is a mechanical device which allow the drive wheels of a vehicle to rotate at a different speed. Here differential play a vital role while taking a turn or cornering and it distribute the torque which is generated by the engine or motor into two equal halves to the wheels , here the speed reduction is also take place from pinion gear to ring gear , which is also called as axle ratio.

OPEN DIFFERENTIAL

In this type of differential torque remain constant it is 50:50 to the drive tire , then how differential works in different condition.

OPEN DIFFERENTIAL 

case 1

when vehicle is running straight without taking a turn.

In this case power is coming from engine or any another source to pinion gear and it transmits to ring gear and spider gear are attached to ring gear so when vehicle starts , ring gear starts rotating and it transmit the power to the spider gear , it pushes the side gears and the half shaft starts rotating then automatically wheels will rotate.

NOTE: In this case spider gear only rotates , but it can spin as well as on its own axis.

case 2

when vehicle is taking a turn or cornering

So have you ever thought that while taking a turn all tire of a vehicle having different turning radius.
so here the use of differential comes , suppose while taking a right turn the vehicle left wheel has to cover more distance as compare the right tire , so the angular velocity of left tire will be greater then the right tire so to prevent from sliping of the right tire here the differential plays a great role.
As the spider gear rotates as well as spin also on its own axis so it has a combine rotation. when vehicle takes a right turn there is a sum of two velocity at the left tire that why it rotate at a faster rate and on a right side there will a difference of two two velocity that why it rotates at a slower rate that you can understand in a diagram which is given below.

DIFFERENTIAL GEAR SETUP AND SHOWING THE ROTATION OF GEAR AND DIRECTION OF VELOCITY(SHOWN BY STRAIGHT LINE)

case 3

when vehicle one tire is on less traction surface and another is on high on high traction surface.

In open differential torque distributes in 50:50 to the wheels so when one tire comes on less traction surface means it has less coefficient of friction ( examples muddy road , snow or water is there on road ) and another tire is on high traction surface having high coefficient of friction between the road and tire as compare the another tire. The tire will start slipping because of less traction surface.
As the torque requirement is less as compare to the high traction surface as in the beginning only i had told that differential allow the wheel rotates in a different rpm individually . so the wheel which is on low traction will starting rotating at a higher rpm and slip on its own axis while the tire which is on high traction will rotates slow or become dead and vehicle will stop . In open differential the torque distribution is 50:50 for example where the resistance is more then force required to overcome that resistance will also more and where the resistance is less the force required is also less that's what it is happening in this case.

case 4

How would you get to know that what type of differential is placed in each of the car

How would you get to know that what type of differential is placed in each of the car.
In open differential when the vehicle is on jack then it will rotates in opposite direction why ?
when we rotate one wheel of the vehicle the side gear gets rotates because it is directly connected to the shaft and that shaft is connected to the wheel . So side gear rotates the spider gear and i have already told that spider gears spins in opposite direction so the others spider gear rotates the side gear into opposite direction but it does not happened to the another type of differential.
Then you could think how the car is on road moves straight then, there should be failure of  open differential. No, because, while running straight to the road the power is transmitted to from spider gear to the side gear but what we are doing when the car is on a jack we are rotating the side gear that's why it is rotating in opposite direction.