Meshing stiffness characteristics of modified variable hyperbolic circular-arc-tooth-trace cylindrical gears

Abstract

Stiffness excitation is one of the important excitations for the variable hyperbolic circular-arc-tooth-trace (VH-CATT) cylindrical gear system. Accurate calculation of the gear meshing stiffness is of great significance to investigating dynamic characteristics of the VH-CATT cylindrical gear system. Firstly, based on the forming theory of the modified tooth surface, the modified tooth surface equation of the VH-CATT cylindrical gear was deduced, and the 3D reconstruction was realised. Next, the load tooth contact analysis (LTCA) model of the VH-CATT cylindrical gear was developed to calculate the meshing stiffness of the VH-CATT cylindrical gear, and it was verified by the finite-element calculation. Finally, the influence of the load and modification parameters on the VH-CATT cylindrical gear stiffness was investigated. Research shows that the stiffness calculation method of the VH-CATT cylindrical gear based on LTCA is accurate. The meshing stiffness of the VH-CATT cylindrical gear in the double-tooth meshing area is large, and the meshing stiffness of the VH-CATT cylindrical gear in the single-tooth meshing area is small. The stiffness of the VH-CATT cylindrical gear increases with an increase in the load and cutter inclination angle, the stiffness of the VH-CATT cylindrical gear only in the double-tooth meshing area decreases with an increase in the parabolic coefficient, and the stiffness of the VH-CATT cylindrical gear increases with a decrease in the blade parabolic vertex position value. The research results provide a basis for improving the bearing capacity of the VH-CATT cylindrical gear and optimising design.