Main phenomena under different vehicle operating conditions
Instantaneous speed fluctuations of thermal engines. Linear modeling of drivetrain

Since the models used in this section are purely linear, a number of behavioural non-linearities are not taken into account, such as :

• spline sets (e.g. clutch hub - gearbox primary shaft);

• gear backlash, which means that sprockets remain in contact with their counterparts when backlash is zero or absent from the model.

Furthermore, it is assumed that :

• the teeth are infinitely rigid;

• depreciation is purely viscous.

However, the linear approach is a simple way of identifying the fundamentals of operation, and that's what we're aiming for. A more comprehensive approach incorporating non-linear aspects will be covered in a separate article. In this section, we'll look at the behavior of the drive train, distinguishing between neutral and engaged gear situations, which obviously...