Effect of increasing number of load cycles on return loss of smart gears

Abstract

This study investigated changes in the frequency characteristics of smart gears with the increasing number of cycles and the factors influencing these changes. The gear operation test was performed intermittently to analyze minute changes in the smart gear, stopping at regular intervals. The return loss, a frequency characteristic of the smart gear, was then analyzed for each intermittent operation. The resistance values of the open spiral antenna and the tooth root crack detection sensor were measured with the return loss measurement. The results showed that the return loss decreased in the frequency range from 0.17 GHz to 0.21 GHz. In addition, it was confirmed that the resistance of the sensor decreased while the resistance of the antenna hardly changed. These results show that the change in return loss is due to the decrease in sensor resistance caused by the increase in the number of gear meshing.