A dynamic load distribution model of planetary gear sets

Abstract

This study presents, a three-dimensional dynamic load distribution model of planetary gear sets, which can capture the influence of several component and system level design variations. A numerical integration scheme is used in conjunction with an iterative elastic contact algorithm to solve the multibody dynamics problem. This approach inherently captures the mesh stiffness fluctuation, without the need for an empirical mesh stiffness formulation or transmission error excitation of the system. The unique dynamic response of the parametrically excited system under various gear mesh phasing conditions is studied using the proposed model. Influence of gear tooth modifications and carrier pin position errors on the dynamics of the gearset is explored, also a brief study to demonstrate the model's capability to capture contact non-linearities in the case of low contact ratio gear sets is included. Discussed results not only illustrate the validity and potential of the proposed dynamic model but also reinforce the need for such computationally efficient models for design purposes.