Problem 1: The overdrive units shown in Fig.

is sometimes used to follow a standard

automotive transmission to further reduce engine speed. The engine speed (after the
transmission) corresponds to the speed of the planet carrier 3, and the drive shaft speed
corresponds to that of gear 5; the sun gear 2 is held stationary. Determine the percentage
reduction in engine speed obtained when the overdrive is active?

5; internal gear
connected to drive
shaft; 42T 4; planet pinions; 12T

3; planet carrier; arm

Planet carrier connected to the

Stationary sun gear 18 T transmission system.

1
Solution:
Step number 1: Gears fixed to the arm and allow motion to the arm, then the angular velocity of the other
gears and arm will be same as arm.

Step Number Gear 2 Arm 3 Gear 4 Gear 5

1. Gears fixed 𝜔3 𝜔3 𝜔3 𝜔3
to arm
Step number 2: Free all constraint of step 1, fix the arm and allow gear (different gears in the gear trains) to
rotate,
Then the angular velocity of sun gear 2 with respect to arm 3 would be : 𝜔2Τ3
and the angular velocity of arm 3 is zero because it is fixed, therefore: 𝜔3 = 0;
and the angular velocity of planet gear 4 with respect to arm 3 would be:

𝜔4Τ3 𝜔4 − 𝜔3 𝜔4 𝑁2
= = =
𝜔2Τ3 𝜔2 − 𝜔3 𝜔2 𝑁4
𝑁2
𝜔4Τ3 = − 𝜔2Τ3
𝑁4
(Sign convention: Sun gear rotates in CW direction consider as –ve)
18
Therefore, 𝜔4Τ3 = − 𝜔2Τ3
12
Solution (contd.):
Similarly, the angular velocity of the gear 5 with respect to sun gear 2,

𝜔5Τ3 𝜔5 − 𝜔3 𝜔5 𝑁2 𝑁4
= = =
𝜔2Τ3 𝜔2 − 𝜔3 𝜔2 𝑁4 𝑁5
𝑁4 𝑁2
𝜔5Τ3 = − 𝜔2Τ3
𝑁5 𝑁4
12 18
Therefore, 𝜔5Τ3 = − 𝜔2Τ3
42 12

Step Number Gear 2 Arm 3 Gear 4 Gear 5

1. Gears fixed 𝜔3 𝜔3 𝜔3 𝜔3
to arm
2. Arm fixed 𝜔2Τ3 0 18 12 18
− 𝜔 − 𝜔
12 2Τ3 42 12 2Τ3

Step number 3: Add the angular velocities of each gear from steps 1 and 2, and apply the
given input velocities in order to find numeric values for 𝜔3 and 𝜔2Τ3 ,
Solution (contd.):
Step number 3: Add the angular velocities of each gear from steps 1 and 2, and apply the
given input velocities in order to find numeric values for 𝜔3 and 𝜔2Τ3 ,
Step Number Gear 2 (𝜔2 ) Arm 3 (𝜔3 ) Gear 4 (𝜔4 ) Gear 5 (𝜔5 )
1. Gears fixed to 𝜔3 𝜔3 𝜔3 𝜔3
arm
2. Arm fixed 𝜔2Τ3 0 18 12 18
− 𝜔2Τ3 − 𝜔
12 42 12 2Τ3
3. Total 𝜔3 + 𝜔2Τ3 𝜔3 18 12 18
𝜔3 − 𝜔 𝜔3 + − 𝜔
12 2Τ3 42 12 2Τ3

As the condition given that the sun gear 2 is held stationary therefore,
𝜔2 = 0 = 𝜔3 + 𝜔2Τ3
∴ 𝜔2Τ3 = −𝜔3
Planet gear 4 angular velocity calculated from the table (fourth column) as,
18 18
𝜔4 = 𝜔3 − 𝜔2Τ3 = 𝜔3 + 𝜔3 = 2.5 𝜔3
12 12
Solution (contd.):

Ring gear 5 angular velocity calculated from the table (fifth column) as,

12 18 12 18
𝜔5 = 𝜔3 + − 𝜔2Τ3 = 𝜔3 + 𝜔3 = 1.42 𝜔3
42 12 42 12

Thus, the percentage reduction in engine speed is calculated as:

𝜔5Τ3 𝜔5 − 𝜔3 1.42𝜔3 − 𝜔3
= = = 0.3 = 30%
𝜔5 𝜔5 1.42𝜔3