20210921 Individual wheel drive - conceptual block diagram

Individual-wheel drive or IWD is a wheeled

vehicle A vehicle (from la, vehiculum) is a machine that transports people or cargo. Vehicles include wagons, bicycles, motor vehicles (motorcycles, cars, trucks, buses, mobility scooters for disabled people), railed vehicles (trains, trams), ...

with a

drivetrain A drivetrain (also frequently spelled as drive train or sometimes drive-train) is the group of components that deliver mechanical power from the prime mover to the driven components. In automotive engineering, the drivetrain is the components o ...

that allows all wheels to receive

torque In physics and mechanics, torque is the rotational equivalent of linear force. It is also referred to as the moment of force (also abbreviated to moment). It represents the capability of a force to produce change in the rotational motion of th ...

from several motors independent of each other. The term was coined to identify those electric vehicles whereby each wheel is driven by its own individual electric motor. These vehicles inherently have a range of characteristics built-in that are more commonly attributed to

four-wheel drive Four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, refers to a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer cas ...

vehicles or vehicles with extensive control systems. These characteristics can be: *

Four-wheel drive Four-wheel drive, also called 4×4 ("four by four") or 4WD, refers to a two-axled vehicle drivetrain capable of providing torque to all of its wheels simultaneously. It may be full-time or on-demand, and is typically linked via a transfer cas ...

, i.e. the distribution of available power to all the wheels of a four-wheeled vehicle. * Anti-lock braking system * Anti-skid Other features * If one motor fails, the other motors are powerful enough to drive the vehicle to the nearest repair shop. * Low maintenance. * Easy replacement of motors. * No central gear box. * No mechanical differentials or lockers. * No long and heavy drive shafts. * On the spot, tank/wheelchair-like turning. * On the fly switching between FWD, RWD and AWD drive configurations. The motors that are used in these vehicles are commonly

wheel hub motor The wheel hub motor (also called wheel motor, wheel hub drive, hub motor or in-wheel motor) is an electric motor that is incorporated into the hub of a wheel and drives it directly. History * First wheel motor concept: Wellington Adams of ...

s, since no transmission components are then required. Alternative layouts with inboard motors and drive shafts are also possible.

Hydraulic Wheel Drive

Hydraulic wheel drives share many of the same features as an electric wheel drive. They also lack the need for a central gear box, mechanical differentials, drive shafts, and provide on the fly switching between FWD, RWD, and AWD. Hydraulic individual wheel drives are standard in various machines, such as Zero Turn mowers, Multi One lifts / front end loaders, and forklifts. Hydraulic drives are primarily found in machines that serve uses which benefit from the ability to turn on a dime and move between forward and reverse modes without shifting gears, such as lawn mowers and loading equipment. Although one may be conflicted in considering such systems as a direct drive system, being that a motorized pump must drive the hydraulic system from a position other than the wheel hub. Nonetheless the drive is provided directly from the hydraulic rotary motor found in or adjacent to the wheel hub.

References

{{Reflist Car layouts

Hydraulic Wheel Drive

See also

References