Failure investigation of a marine diesel engine timing gear

Abstract

In this paper, a fracture failure of a marine diesel engine timing gear in a chemical tanker was investigated in detail using both experimental analysis and numerical analysis. The experimental analysis includes macroscopical inspection, Scanning Electron Microscope analysis, Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy analysis, metallographic investigation and mechanical property investigation. The numerical analysis includes torsional vibration analysis and finite element method (FEM) simulations. In the torsional vibration analysis, the coupling influence of the associated structures on the timing gear system was taken into account, not only analyzing the fault gear itself. In the FEM simulations, two models, one is with inclusion and the other is non-inclusion, were constructed. Both investigations indicate that the fracture is a fatigue fracture and the initial cracks are caused by the inclusion. Further investigation should pay attention to finding a way to overcome the problem of fatigue fracture.