Structural FEA and Experimental Correlation of an Electric Motor Anti-Rotation Mechanism for Electrified Dual Clutch Transmissions

This thesis presents the development of a Finite Element model for the evaluation of potential undesired slippage between the housing and the electric motor of an electrified Dual-Clutch Transmission, an issue that may compromise the reliability and robustness of the system. The objective of the study is to calibrate the numerical model to the physical system by correlating simulation results with previously conducted experimental tests. The FE model is developed in Ansa Beta CAE, while simulations are carried out in Abaqus/CAE. Model tuning is performed by identifying the key parameters influencing the observed behavior and assessing their relative impact. Particular attention is given to boundary conditions, mesh size, contact modeling and thermal expansion, as these factors play a significant role on the simulation outcome. Based on the comparison of the different simulation cases, the model is progressively aligned with the experimental results. Thanks to this analysis, it is also possible to identify the main contributors to the issue, improving the understanding of the mechanisms governing the undesired slippage. Overall, this work provides a validated numerical approach for the study of slippage-related issues in electric motors and supports the development of more reliable design solutions.