Dynamic Fatigue Reliability Analysis of Transmission Gear Considering Failure Dependence

Multiple failuremodes and strength degradation are usually inherent in the gear transmission system,which brings new challenges for conducting fatigue reliability analysis and design.This paper proposes a novel dynamic fatigue reliability analysis method for failure dependence and strength degradation based on the combination of theCopula function and Gamma process.Firstly,the dynamic simulation model of the gear transmission system is established to obtain the dynamic stress-time history.The Gamma process is then used to describe the strength degradation to establish the dynamic stress-strength interference model.The marginal distribution functions of tooth contact fatigue and dedendumbending fatigue are calculated respectively based on the dynamic interferencemodel.Finally,the joint distribution of the two failure modes can be obtained by the t-Copula function to characterize the failure dependence,and so the dynamic fatigue reliability considering failure dependence can be estimated.The effectiveness of the proposed method is illustrated with examples.The results reveal the temporal law of reliability and the effects of failure dependence on dynamic fatigue reliability.

Analysis of Mixed Model in Gear Transmission Based on ADAMS

The traditional method of mechanical gear driving simulation includes gear pair method and solid to solid contact method. The former has higher solving efficiency but lower results accuracy; the latter usually obtains higher precision of results while the calculation process is complex, also it is not easy to converge. Currently, most of the researches are focused on the description of geometric models and the definition of boundary conditions. However, none of them can solve the problems fundamentally. To improve the simulation efficiency while ensure the results with high accuracy, a mixed model method which uses gear tooth profiles to take the place of the solid gear to simulate gear movement is presented under these circumstances. In the process of modeling, build the solid models of the mechanism in the SolidWorks firstly; Then collect the point coordinates of outline curves of the gear using SolidWorks API and create fit curves in Adams based on the point coordinates; Next, adjust the position of those fitting curves according to the position of the contact area; Finally, define the loading conditions, boundary conditions and simulation parameters. The method provides gear shape information by tooth profile curves; simulates the mesh process through tooth profile curve to curve contact and offer mass as well as inertia data via solid gear models. This simulation process combines the two models to complete the gear driving analysis. In order to verify the validity of the method presented, both theoretical derivation and numerical simulation on a runaway escapement are conducted. The results show that the computational efficiency of the mixed model method is 1.4 times over the traditional method which contains solid to solid contact. Meanwhile, the simulation results are more closely to theoretical calculations. Consequently, mixed model method has a high application value regarding to the study of the dynamics of gear mechanism.

Modeling and Calculation of Impact Friction Caused by Corner Contact in Gear Transmission

Corner contact in gear pair causes vibration and noise,which has attracted many attentions.However,teeth errors and deformation make it difficulty to determine the point situated at corner contact and study the mechanism of teeth impact friction in the current researches.Based on the mechanism of corner contact,the process of corner contact is divided into two stages of impact and scratch,and the calculation model including gear equivalent error-combined deformation is established along the line of action.According to the distributive law,gear equivalent error is synthesized by base pitch error,normal backlash and tooth profile modification on the line of action.The combined tooth compliance of the first point lying in corner contact before the normal path is inversed along the line of action,on basis of the theory of engagement and the curve of tooth synthetic complianceload-history.Combined secondarily the equivalent error with the combined deflection,the position standard of the point situated at corner contact is probed.Then the impact positions and forces,from the beginning to the end during corner contact before the normal path,are calculated accurately.Due to the above results,the lash model during corner contact is founded,and the impact force and frictional coefficient are quantified.A numerical example is performed and the averaged impact friction coefficient based on the presented calculation method is validated.This research obtains the results which could be referenced to understand the complex mechanism of teeth impact friction and quantitative calculation of the friction force and coefficient,and to gear exact design for tribology.

Dynamic Simulation for Rigid-Flexible Coupling Model of Gear Transmission System Based on ADAMS

The influence of the flexible body for the motion of gear transmission system is analyzed and the foundation for a more accurate assessment of gear transmission system is established when it has battle damage faults. By using Pro / E software,the virtual prototype model of gear transmission system in the speed reducer is established,and the rigid model and rigid-flexible coupling model are simulated respectively in ADAMS to obtain the data of gear meshing force. It can be concluded that rigid-flexible coupling model can reflect the real motion better than rigid model by comparing the simulation data of two models.

Bending-Torsional Coupled Vibration Test of Large Power Gear Transmission System

In order to test the bending-torsional coupled vibration characteristics of the multi-shafts gear transmission system of large power vehicles,a torsional vibration exciter was used to apply torsional excitation on the gear transmission systems and thirty-two acceleration sensors were used to measure the tangential acceleration of each shaft.Torsional vibration signals and bending vibration signals of each measuring point were obtained by calculation of the four-point-response signal.The modal parameters of gear transmission systems including nature frequency,modal shape and modal damping ratio were obtained by identifying modal parameters of the torsional vibration signal and bending vibration signal.The characteristic of the bending vibration and torsional vibration of the gear systems were studied through the analysis of the nature frequency and modal shape.The nonlinearity characteristic of the gear transmission system was investigated through single frequency excitation test,which can be the foundation for further nonlinearity research.

DETECTION OF INCIPIENT LOCALIZED GEAR FAULTS IN GEARBOX BY COMPLEX CONTINUOUS WAVELET TRANSFORM

As far as the vibration signal processing is concerned, composition ofvibration signal resulting from incipient localized faults in gearbox is too weak to be detected bytraditional detecting technology available now. The method, which includes two steps: vibrationsignal from gearbox is first processed by synchronous average sampling technique and then it isanalyzed by complex continuous wavelet transform to diagnose gear fault, is introduced. Twodifferent kinds of faults in the gearbox, i.e. shaft eccentricity and initial crack in tooth fillet,are detected and distinguished from each other successfully.

DESIGN OF NONCIRCULAR GEARS WITH DISCONTINUOUS PITCH CURVE

When the noncircular gear pair is applied to the continuously variable transmission （CVT） with gear, the transmission ratio function is discontinuous. In accordance with this unique characteristic, a new approach to design and analyze noncircular gears with discontinuous pitch curve is proposed. The design courses of various noncircular gear pairs with discontinuous pitch curve are unified based on the numerical algorithm of spline fitting and ＂fairing boundary condition＂. According to the particularity of discontinuous pitch curve, the rules and procedures for teeth distribution are recommended. It is explained in detail why the undercut is formed and how to manage the undercut based on meshing principle.In addition, the calculation formulas for each tooth profile segment are also derived. If the tooth profile data are calculated, the measurement and the incision process for noncircular gear can be conducted and the CAD simulation can be achieved easily. To ensure the continuity of the transmission, the transmission interference of the tooth which is located at the pitch curve joint point is managed by utilizing Bezier curve with CAD software. And the contact ratio of gear pair is obtained. The case study shows that this approach is successful and opens up a new way for the design of noncircular gear.

Effect of integral squeeze film damper on vibration and noise of spur gear with center-distance error

When the actual installation center distance between a pair of spur gears is greater than the theoretical center distance,backlash increases,leading to increased vibration and noise.The structural parameters of an integral squeeze film damper(ISFD)were designed with the stiffness of rigid support as reference to investigate the effect of an ISFD on the dynamic characteristics of a spur gear transmission system with center-distance installation error.A spur gear test bench with center distance-error was built to investigate the vibration and noise reduction characteristics of ISFD.The experimental results indicate that,compared with a rigid support,the ISFD can reduce vibration by approximately 40%and noise by approximately 5 d B.ISFD can effectively absorb the impact energy caused by an increase of in backlash,which is conducive to the stable operation of the spur gear transmission system.

Design optimization of a wind turbine gear transmission based on fatigue reliability sensitivity

Fatigue failure of gear transmission is one of the key factors that restrict the performance and service life of wind turbines.One of the major concerns in gear transmission under random loading conditions is the disregard of dynamic fatigue reliability in conventional design methods.Various issues,such as overweight structure or insufficient fatigue reliability,require continuous improvements in the reliability-based design optimization(RBDO)methodology.In this work,a novel gear transmission optimization model based on dynamic fatigue reliability sensitivity is developed to predict the optimal structural parameters of a wind turbine gear transmission.In the model,the dynamic fatigue reliability of the gear transmission is evaluated based on stress–strength interference theory.Design variables are determined based on the reliability sensitivity and correlation coefficient of the initial design parameters.The optimal structural parameters with the minimum volume are identified using the genetic algorithm in consideration of the dynamic fatigue reliability constraints.Comparison of the initial and optimized structures shows that the volume decreases by 3.58%while ensuring fatigue reliability.This work provides new insights into the RBDO of transmission systems from the perspective of reliability sensitivity.

Design of Optimal Weight for a Gear Transmission System Using Hybrid Taguchi-Genetic Algorithm

The gear transmission system has been widely applied in mechanical systems, and many high-performance applications of these systems require low weight. With the aid of establishing the optimization model of the gear transmission system that consists of an objective function and some constraints （for example, the bending stress, the contact stress, the torsional strength, etc.）, the optimal weight design of the gear transmission system can be transformed into the optimization problem for the objective function under the constraints. Moreover, both the shaft and the gear of the gear transmission system are considered simultaneously in our design. The hybrid Taguchi-genetic algorithm （HTGA） is employed to find the optimal design variables and the optimal weight of the system. An illustrated example for the single spur gear reducer is given to show that the optimal weight design problem can be successfully solved using the proposed design scheme. It also proves the high efficiency and feasibility of the algorithm in the gear design.

Energy dissipation mechanism and experiment of particle dampers for gear transmission under centrifugal loads

As a passive means of vibration reduction, particle damping is mainly applied to the horizontal or vertical steady field. However, it is seldom applied to centrifugal fields. Under high speed and heavy loading, the vibration of tooth surfaces of gear transmissions becomes more severe shortening gear service life and augmenting noise. Under centrifugal loading, the particle system exhibits different characteristics, for example, particles are extruded at the end farthest from the center. We investigated gears with drilled via holes filled with damping particles. Using the discrete-element method, we developed an energy dissipation model for the particle system accounting for friction and inelastic collisions. Energy dissipation and damping characteristics of this system were analyzed. Experiments were also conducted with the gear system having different particle filling rates. The results show that this filling rate is an important parameter associated with particle damping in a centrifugal field. An unsuitable filling rate would significantly reduce damping effectiveness. With changes in rotation speed and load, the gear transmission system has different optimal filling rates. The results provide guidelines for the application of particle damping in centrifugal fields of gear transmissions.

Vibration performance discrete optimization of a gear system featuring confluence transmission used in marine gearbox

A dynamic model of gear transmission system which includes time-varying meshing stiffness,meshing damp and transmission error is established.Next,the analytical solution of the vibration response would be obtained by solving the dynamic model based on the harmonic balance method.And on this basis,a dynamic performance discrete optimization model of transmission sub-system would be constructed,which sets objective function up from vibration acceleration and the total mass of transmission sub-system,treats the module,number of teeth and helix angle as design variables,and takes gear strength and assembly relationship as constraints.Last,the optimal solution of design variables could be obtained through the multivariable mixed discrete optimization program which based on the branch-bound algorithm.The results show that the vibration acceleration and the total mass of transmission sub-system reduce by 34.6%and 6.8%,respectively.

Finite element modeling and analysis of planetary gear transmission based on transient meshing properties

Planetary gear trains are widely applied in various transmission units.Whether strengths of all gears are accurately calculated or not can affect reliability of the entire system significantly.Strength calculation method for planetary gear trains usually follows the method for cylindrical gears,in which the worst meshing positions for both contact stress and bending stress cannot be determined precisely,and calculation results tend to be conservative.To overcome these shortcomings,a kinematics analysis for a planetary gear train is firstly performed,in which the influence of relative speed is investigated.Then the finite element strength analysis of a planetary gear train based on its transient meshing properties is carried out in ANSYS.Time–history curves of contact and bending stresses of sun gear,planetary gears and ring gear are respectively obtained.Also the accurate moment and its corresponding position of the maximum stress are precisely determined.Finally,calculation results of finite element method(FEM)and traditional method are compared in order to verify the effectiveness.Simulation and comparison show the stability of the proposed method in this paper.Researches in this paper establish the foundations for fatigue analysis and optimization for a planetary gear train.

Design and experimental research on the sweet potato seedling transplanting mechanism of the planetary gear train with deformed elliptical gear transmission

Aiming at the lack of suitable machines for sweet potato seedling transplanting in China,and according to the agronomic requirements for the horizontal insertion method of sweet potato seedling,a new sweet potato seedling transplanting mechanism of planetary gear train was proposed based on the non-uniform transmission of deformed elliptical gear.The working principle of the transplanting mechanism was analyzed,and the kinematics modeling and analysis of the mechanism were carried out.The study established the numerical objectives of the transplanting mechanism and applied the theory of membership function to establish a mathematical model for the parameter-guided optimization design of the transplanting mechanism.The parameter-guided optimization design software was developed to obtain a set of optimal mechanism parameters that satisfied the motion trajectory of sweet potato transplanting and the posture of the transplanting arm.Based on the optimized parameters,the structure of the transplanting mechanism was designed,and a virtual prototype of the mechanism was created,whereby a virtual motion simulation of the transplanting mechanism was conducted to verify the correctness of the kinematics model and design of the mechanism.The high-speed photographic kinematics test of the mechanism prototype and sweet potato seedling transplanting tests were conducted to test the mechanism’s kinematic characteristics and transplanting performance.The test results show that the test trajectory of the mechanism and test posture of the transplanting arm are almost consistent with the theoretical and simulation trajectory,meeting the agronomic requirements of the horizontal insertion method of sweet potato seedling;And when the rotary speed of the mechanism are 20 r/min and 30 r/min,the average success ratios of sweet potato seedlings transplanting are 90%and 82%,respectively,which prove the application feasibility of the mechanism in the practical machines.