Experimental Active Vibration Control of Automotive Chain Drive Systems

Abstract Impact between chain links and sprockets during their engagements is generally considered to be the major source of noise in power transmission chains. To reduce the noise, one approach is to reduce the tension in the chain. However, this would lead to excessive chain vibrations and subsequently reduce the life span and durability of the chain. This paper presents an experimental approach to reduce vibrations of a chain drive system. Experiments were conducted on a test stand which consists of an automotive chain running between two fixed sprockets. The experiment results show that the amplitude of vibration of the chain can be reduced by as much as 90% in the speed range under consideration.