Piece-wise linear dynamic analysis of serpentine belt drives with a one-way clutch

A prototypical three-pulley serpentine belt drive with belt bending stiffness is extended to include a one-way clutch in order to understand the non-linear dynamics of the system with the one-way clutch performance. The clutch is modelled based on the relative velocity of the driven pulley and its accessory. The clutch locks (engages) the pulley and accessory for zero relative velocity and produces a positive inner clutch torque. Zero clutch torque initiates clutch disengagement, allowing unequal velocities of the two components. This model leads to a piece-wise linear system. The transition matrix is used to evaluate the system response in discrete time series for the two linear configurations, saving significant computational time. The system dynamics including response and dynamic tension drop are examined for varying excitation frequencies, inertia ratio of the pulley and accessory, and external load. The investigation of vibration reduction because of the single-direction power transmission of the clutch provides design guidelines in practice.