3D Non-Linear Finite Element Analysis of Spur Gear

Abstract

Contact stresses and bending stresses are two cyclic stresses which occur on gear teeth surfaces and it is very important to predict these stresses on gear teeth accurately. Many researchers conducted contact analyses to investigate contact stresses and bending stresses on two-dimensional (2D) spur gears and a few people investigated a three-dimensional (3D) spur gear through finite element method (FEM) under static and quasi-static loading conditions. The main objective of this paper is to conduct non-linear contact analysis on involute spur gears to predict contact stresses and bending stresses in rotating condition under continuous load transmission using FEM. The methodology employed starts with 3D modeling of spur gears using Computer Aided Three-dimensional Interactive Application (CATIA). A nonlinear contact analysis was conducted on spur-gear sector consisting of six-pinion teeth and seven-gear teeth by using LS-DYNA. Results are validated using Hertz contact stress equation and Lewis bending stress equation.