Theoretical and experimental study on load sharing of a novel power split spiral bevel gear transmission

Abstract

A load sharing analysis methodology is proposed for a new type of power split spiral bevel gearing system based on the closed-loop characteristic of the power flow. First, the mechanical structure model and the moment equilibrium equations of the system are constructed, and then the deformation compatibility equations describing the relationship between the moment and the normal deformation of tooth surface are derived. Second, an accurate model for load sharing calculation of a one-input-two-output working condition is proposed, and a general formula for the simplified engineering load distribution calculation is derived. Finally, an experiment is designed to demonstrate the feasibility of this method. It is found that the measured tooth root strain ratio of the 1–2 and the 1–4 branches coincides with the theoretical analysis results. The proposed analysis and experimental method provides a new approach for analyzing the load distribution of the power split gear transmission with a closed-loop power flow.