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Abstract
A new model for determination the pitting resistance of gear teeth flanks is presented. The theory of short cracks is utilised for computational
simulation of the fatigue process leading to pitting. The stress field in the contact area of meshing spur gears and functional relationship
between the stress intensity factor and the crack length are determined by the finite element method using an equivalent model of two cylinders.
The equivalent cylinders have the same radii as the curvature radii of gear teeth flanks in the inner point of a single teeth pair engagement,
which represents the worst loading case. Based on computational results and with consideration of some particular material parameters the
service life of gear flanks can then be determined from a number of stress cycles required for crack propagation from the initial to the critical
crack length, when surface pitting can be expected.
The model is applied to a real spur gear pair, which is also experimentally tested. The comparison of numerical and experimental results
shows a good agreement. Further theoretical and experimental investigations are necessary to develop a reliable method for the estimation of
gear life with a fracture mechanic model. q Elsevier Science S.A.
Keywords: Gears; Pitting; Fracture mechanics; Contact problems; Numerical methods; Experiments
1. Introduction
ulus, respectively, defined as where C0 and m0 are material constants that are determined
experimentally. In view of the numerical simulation it is
beneficial to express the crack tip plastic displacement dpl in
terms of the stress intensity factor K. This relationship has
been provided in the form [9]
2k x1yn x 2
dpls K a (8)
Gxp n
Table 1
Basic data of spur gear pair
Parameter Pinion Gear
Normal module mns4.5 mm
Number of teeth z1s16 z2s24
Pressure angle on pitch circle ans208
Coefficient of profile shift x1s0.182 x2s0.171
Centre distance es91.5 mm
Fig. 3. Schematic representation of the short crack growth. Face width b1sb2s14 mm
aj
Njs | Cdda m0
0 pl
js1, 2, 3, «, z (9) the operational torque Ts183.4 Nm. The gears are made of
flame hardened steel 42CrMo4 (see [5]) with the average
ajy1
prior austenite grain diameter Ds0.05 mm and the surface
in which z is the number of grains transversed by the crack hardness f55 HRc [13]. It is difficult to characterise the
(zsa/D). internal defect structure of a colony of martensitelathsformed
Integration limits ajy1 and aj in Eq. (9) are in each grain within one grain of austenite. Current work is being devoted
determined in relation to the critical value of parameter n. to this problem. Until a better solution is available the present
When n reaches the critical value nsnc, the slip band extends model treats the martensite as a continuum with only the
to the next grain. The critical parameter nc is given by [9] austenite boundaries acting as effective barriers.
K p Kth
ncscos ≥ y ž 1y xnc /¥ (10)
2s y cnc K 4.1. Numerical determination of service life of gear pair
where s y is the yield stress and Kth is the threshold stress
intensity factor. This equation can be solved iteratively by For the purpose of easier consideration of gear contact
Newton’s method in three or four iterations by taking ncs1 parameters in numerical computations the complicated gear
as the initial value. The total number of stress cycles N pair geometry is replaced with the equivalent model of two
required for a short crack to propagate from the initial crack cylinders (see Fig. 2). The equivalent cylinders have the
length a0 to any crack length a can then be determined as same radii as the curvature radii R1 and R2 of the gear teeth
flanks in the inner point of a single pair engagement, which
represents the worst loading case. These curvature radii are
z
Ns 8 Nj (11)
js1 R1s10.270 mm for the pinion and R2s24.655 mm for the
To find the solution to Eq. (8) the relationship between gear [13]. Such substitution permits the use of the Hertz
the stress intensity factor and the crack length Ksf(a) must theory for determination of contact load distribution over the
be known. Here, the virtual crack extension method (VCE) contact area, see Section 2. The maximum contact pressure
p0s1406 N mmy2, which is required for determination of
is used in the framework of the finite element analysis for normal force P in Eq. (5) has been determined according to
determination of the stress intensity factor at the crack tip the standard procedure DIN 3990 [4]. The normal and tan-
[11]. The VCE method is based on the criteria of released gential contact load distributions p(x) and q(x) are calcu-
elastic energy, which serves as a basis for determination of lated according to Eqs. (1) and (6). Since only smooth
the stress intensity factor. Using the VCE method the stress surfaces with good lubrication are considered, the recom-
intensity factor is determined in several different possible mended value for the coefficient of friction ms0.04 is used
crack extension directions and the crack is actually extended [14]. The maximum equivalent stress and its position have
in the direction of the maximum stress intensity factor. Crack been determined by using the finite element model shown
extensions are incremental, where the size of the crack incre- in Fig. 4. The finite element analysis of the discretised
ment is prescribed in advance. The incremental procedure is equivalent model subjected to contact loading conditions
stopped when the stress intensity factor reaches the critical provided the value of the maximum equivalent stress
value KIc, i.e. when uncontrolled crack growth occurs and
full fracture is expected. That way one can numerically deter-
mine the functional relationship Ksf(a) and the critical
crack length ac [12].
4. Practical example
1/2
2(1yn ) 2
dpls xc ya2 2801.9y5811.1 a
≥ ž /
Gxp mm
a
sq8608.9 žmm/¥ N mm y2
(13)
Fig. 6. FZG back-to-back test rig: 1, pinion; 2, test gear; 3, loading gear; 4, load application coupling; 5, blocking bolts; 6, load adjustment handle; 7, torque
measuring coupling; 8, oil temperature measuring device; 9, test gear case; 10, pinion shaft; 11, gear shaft; 12, EM.
n
# 1 Ni
Ns (14)
8
nis1
1 n # 2
s 2s 8 (NiyN) (15)
nis1
The chosen frequency function f(N), used for the deter-
mination of interval [N1, N2] in which pitting will occur on
teeth flanks with the probability P(N), should satisfy the
following conditions [16]:
1. f(N)G0 for every N (16a)
q`
N2
1 1 ln NyN #U
f(N)s U exp y ≥ ž /¥ (17) s2
(s U)2sln 1q # 2 (19)
Ns x2p 2 U
s N ž /
Table 3 The interval [N1, N2] in which pitting will occur on teeth
Experimental results of FZG—pitting test flanks with the probability P(N) can then be estimated by
Experiment Number of load cycles Ni required for using Eqs. (16) and (17). The results are shown in Fig. 7.
No. occurrence of pitting on teeth flanks
4.3. Comparison of numerical and experimental results
1 3.262=106 (25 h)
2 3.915=106 (30 h) Comparing the numerically estimated total number of
3 3.001=106 (23 h) stress cycles required for the occurrence of pitting,
4 2.610=106 (20 h)
Ns3.451=106, with the statistical representation of the
Fig. 8. Comparison of (a) numerically and (b)–(e) experimentally obtained pit shapes on the contact surfaces.
References [10] Z. Sun, E.R. Rios, K.J. Miller, Modelling small fatigue cracks
interacting with grain boundaries, Fatigue Fract. Eng. Meter 14 (1991)
277–291.
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