Surface modification and tooth contact analysis of variable hyperbolic circular-arc-tooth-trace cylindrical gears

Abstract. To improve the bearing capacity and provide the mathematical model basis for vibration and noise reduction of the variable hyperbolic circular-arc-tooth-trace (VH-CATT) cylindrical gear, the tooth surface modification design method based on the parabolic forming blade and cutter inclination was proposed. The geometric design of inclined cutter was completed. The modified tooth surface equation was deduced, and the influence of modification parameters on tooth surface curvature characteristics was analysed further. The tooth contact analysis (TCA) was established, and the influence of modification parameters on the elliptical contact area was analysed. Research shows that the parabolic coefficient a and the parabolic vertex position u0 have effects on the main curvature of concave–convex tooth surface, both the tooth profile and the tooth line direction, but the cutter inclination angle only has influence on the curvature of the tooth line direction, and the influence is larger. The cutter inclination angle γ, parabola coefficient a, and parabolic vertex position u0 have certain influences on the elliptical contact area. The cutter inclination angle γ is the most important modification parameter to improve the bearing capacity, but the excessive cutter inclination angle will cause bridge contact, the value range cutter inclination γ can be determined based on the tooth line radius. The research results provide a technical basis for improving the bearing capacity of the VH-CATT cylindrical gear and optimising the design.