Static transmission error measurement of various gear-shaft systems by finite element analysis

Transmission error (TE) is a significant parameter related to gears vibration widely investigated by many authors using different approaches. However, in previous studies, spur and helical gears were mainly examined. There is a lack of studies addressed to double helical and herringbone gears and a comparison among several types of gearing with parallel axes. In this paper, spur, helical, double helical, and herringbone gears are analyzed in terms of static transmission error (STE), contact pressure and tooth root stress. Static contact analyses were conducted using the finite element method (FEM) which is often considered a tool for validating other methods and approaches. Moreover, three variants of boundary conditions of each gear type are introduced, including flexible shafts and the effect of a tip relief modification at sole gears, without shafts, was analyzed. In addition, a concept of a compact test rig intended for STE measurements at low loads was presented. The results have shown, among other things, significant influence of the shaft stiffness and boundary conditions on meshing characteristics.