RE: how does an open differential work

["Buchholz, Steven" <Steven.Buchholz@kla-tencor.com>]

> hey, you're on.
> 
> btw, power = torque * rotational speed.
> 
> if rotational speed is 0, then so is power.  power is what is
> required...
> 
> ... who said anything about power?  The original point was that there
> was a _torque_ applied to the non-spinning wheel ... just because it
> was producing no work doesn't mean it isn't there.  My point was that
> you can apply braking to the wheel that is spinning without stopping
> the wheel, just making it so the engine has to provide more torque to
> keep it spinning.  That additional torque will also appear at the
> stationary wheel.  You will be able to apply enough brake to cause the
> other wheel to turn without necessitating that the slipping wheel slow
> down ... you just need to apply more power from the engine to keep it
> spinning at the same rate.  OBTW, when that wheel does begin turning
> you do have power expended ...
> 
C'mon, even this California boy knows that in a 2WD car if you get one
wheel stuck in the mud/snow that a light application of the brake is one
of the tricks you can try to help get out of it.  

... I thought I paid for an argument!  ... hopefully there is a Python
fan or two out there ;-)

Steve Buchholz
San Jose, CA (USA)
> >
> >... just because the other wheel is not spinning does not mean that
> >there is no torque applied to it ... the amount of torque that is
> being
> >used to accelerate the spinning wheel simply isn't sufficient to
> cause
> >the other to turn.  Now, let's start adding a bit of resistance on
> that
> >freely spinning wheel ... let's say by applying the brake just
> slightly
> >(not enough to actually cause it to stop spinning).  Eventually you
> will
> >get to the point where enough torque is supplied to the "stationary"
> >wheel to get it to start turning.  
> >
>