A Numerical Model to Predict Dynamic Performance of Layered Gears at Starved Lubrication

Abstract

Gears of modern industry are required to have a good fatigue performance to transmit power and motion through the contact interfaces. Composite layered surfaces can effectively improve the damage resistance of gears and decrease the friction coefficients. However, improper surface modification may induce intensive stress concentrations at the joint interfaces of the strengthening layers and cause unexpected damages to the flanks. Furthermore, the amount of lubricant at the inlet may probably be insufficient to establish fully flooded condition, which may result in starvation and accelerate damages to the gear sets. In this study, a starved elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL) model in three-dimensional (3D) line contact for layered gears is developed. The potential energy method is employed to determine the load distribution along the action line. The loading force is assumed to be balanced by the lubrication pressure, which is derived by discretizing the dimensional Reynolds equation into a solvable matrix with the consideration of the enforced boundary conditions due to the inlet oil supply. The transient evolution of lubrication is investigated to evaluate the load-carrying capability of the lubricant film at various starvation conditions. The influence coefficients related to the displacements and stresses of the layered material system are determined with the assistance of the fast Fourier transform (FFT) algorithm, and the effects of the layer properties and the fabrication methods are evaluated. Such analysis may provide insightful information for the optimization of material systems with fabricated layers and engineering design of gears.