Abstract
Spur gears are simple to design and construct to actualize their usage in power transmission as well as for speed reduction or increase. The aim of this research work is to determine the effect of module variation on a 100Watt horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT) spur gear drive. The solution is to determine and appropriately select gear parameter values based on design considerations and the significance is for enhanced machine reliability and balance with economic production. The method used involved the application of gear design principles, modelling the gears with AutoCAD, module variation and evaluation of induced bending stress at the gears root; gear diameter, tooth thickness and face width become bigger with choosing higher modules for cutting tooth size, with the largest diameter of 168.4mm and 80mm for driver and driven gear respectively and face width of 60mm from using a module of 6mm. Although, the total torque exerted remains constant at 7.9Nm and 3.8Nm for a 100W HAWT. The tangential force in meshed operation of the gears and induced bending stress kept reducing as module increased. The highest tangential force is 282.4N and corresponding induced bending stress is 26.1N/mm2 based on American Gear Manufacturers Association (AGMA) standard and the range of data analyzed, at the lowest module of 2mm. Selecting lower modules means that higher bending stresses will be induced at the gears root, but smaller production cost and more compact system with less space requirement. The lower bending stresses with increasing module will support higher load capacity of the gears due to the increasing face width and enhance the reliability of the HAWT in respect of its performance.
 Keywords: Module, Spur Gear, Power Transmission, Bending Stress, Wind Turbine
Highlights
Where there is the need to transmit power from one point to another, a number of solution options are usually available depending on the suitability
Input and output gear diameters were determined, and gear module was consistently varied and the induced bending stress at the gears root was evaluated in accordance with acceptable standards (Prabhakaran, Balaji, and Kumar, 2017)
The induced bending stress at the tooth root when the meshed gears are in operation can be found using American Gear Manufacturers Association (AGMA) standard in equation (7) and Lewis equation (8) respectively, given as σb = (Ft / b * mn * yj) * (Kv * Ko * Ks * (0.93 Km)
Summary
Where there is the need to transmit power from one point to another, a number of solution options are usually available depending on the suitability. Mechanical method of power transmission includes the use of gear, belt, and chain drives. Spur gears have simple design, more efficient power transfer, whereas helical gears support high speed, high power mechanical systems with silent operation (Suvo, 2009). A tangent to an involute tooth profile such as that of a spur gear usually makes an angle with a line radiating through the pitch point of the gear. This angle is called the pressure angle and it is usually set to 20o, but generally different types of pressure angles including 14.5o and 25o exist (Radhakrishna et al, 2017; Subramanian and Srinivasan, 2014).
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
