Proximate Model of Gear Drive Units Based on Dimensional Analysis for Wear Process Evaluation

Abstract

Excessive wear of gears will not only cause noise and vibration in the transmission system, but also reduce transmission efficiency and accuracy in severe cases, causing irreversible losses to the transmission system. It is desirable to develop a micro-gear unit model for evaluating the wear process and predicting the failure time of large gear units (such as wind turbine gear units), reducing losses due to sudden failures. Based on the Buckingham pi-theorem of dimensional analysis and Hertz formula, the similarity ratio of each parameter of the gear wear process was proposed. The maximum equivalent stress is calculated by establishing the FEM model and comparing it with the theoretical contact stress calculated by the Hertz formula, and the results were relatively consistent. Two pairs of gear friction and wear experiments with similar parameters were carried out to compare the wear evolution performance of two similar gears. The friction performance process of the test gears was observed by particle counter and analytical ferrograph. The results show that the friction and wear processes of the two groups of gears with similar parameters have a certain correlation, which was consistent with the proposed similarity model. The similarity model combined with the observation results of abrasive particles has a certain application value for the evaluation of the wear state of the transmission system.