Tribo-dynamic modelling and analysis for a high-speed helical gear system with time-varying backlash and friction under Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication condition

High-speed gear reducers are highly sensitive to vibration and noise, especially in new-energy vehicles. Hence, the current nonlinear dynamics model of gears does not fully consider the influence of tooth microstructure on backlash and friction. This study establishes a nonlinear friction dynamics model for a high-speed helical gear system, which includes time-varying dynamic backlash and friction coefficient based on the fractal characterization of tooth roughness. Furthermore, it investigates the influence of tooth surface roughness on the dynamic performance by taking into account the interaction between friction and vibration under Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication (EHL). Theoretical simulation results show that an increase in tooth roughness leads to an overall deterioration in the dynamic performance of the helical gear system; however, local optimization can also be observed. In the case of a dynamic tooth backlash, the amplitude of displacement oscillations increases, and the number of frequencies increases; in terms of frictional coefficient, the amplitude of displacement oscillations increases, but the change is small compared with that of the dynamic tooth backlash, and the number of frequencies in the spectrum decreases. The results indicate that the proposed model can provide a reference for controlling the tooth roughness of high-speed gears.