International Journal of Current Engineering and Technology

E-ISSN 2277 – 4106, P-ISSN 2347 - 5161

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Research Article
Investigate the Combined Effect of gear ratio, helix angle, face width and module
on beam strength and Wear tooth load of Steel alloy Helical Gear
Ȧ* Ȧ Ȧ
B Venkatesh , SV Prabhakar Vattikuti and V Mahidhar Reddy
Ȧ
Vardhaman College of Engineering, Hyderabad, India

Accepted 10 January 2014, Available online 01 February 2014, Special Issue-2, (February 2014)

Abstract

In the present era of sophisticated technology, gear design has evolved to a high degree of perfection. The
design and manufacture of precision cut gears, made from materials of high strength, have made it possible to
produce gears which are capable of transmitting extremely large loads at extremely high circumferential speeds
with very little noise, vibration and other undesirable aspects of gear drives. Gears have been manufactured for a
number of years with extensive ongoing research related to their efficiency, operational quality and durability. They are
relatively complex and there is a number of design parameters involved in gear design. The design of gears requires an
iterative approach to optimize design parameters, which govern both the kinematics as well as the strength performance.
The present study is proposed to investigating the combined effect of gear ratio, helix angle, face width and normal
module on beam strength and wear tooth load of steel alloy helical gear.

Keywords: Helical gear design, Lewis equation, Optimum design parameters, wear tooth load, beam strength.

1. Introduction parts of mechanisms and machines, determines their

profiles according to the operating conditions and desired
1
Gear design is a highly complicated art. The constant performance. The benefits of synthetic lubricants over
pressure to build less expensive, quieter running, light mineral lubricants for transmission applications, as well as
weight, low cost and more powerful machinery has the feasibility of automotive high speed gear meshes that
resulted in a steady change in gear design. The extensive reduce scuffing was investigated (Martin Buerkle 2005).
ongoing research deals with the analysis of gear stresses, An experiment on an aerospace quality helical gear train to
transmission errors, dynamic loads, noise, and failure of investigate the thermal behavior of the gear system and
gear tooth, which are very useful for optimal design of many important operational conditions was carried out
gear set. The systematic studies were started on gears in (Handschuh and Kilmain 2006). They also carried out
1920 (Venkatesh et al.2011). In gear analysis, form input analytical studies comparison with the measured results.A
parameters which influence the output parameters new approach to analyze the loading and stress
(Venkatesh et al. 2010) viz. bending stress, compressive distribution of spur and helical gears accounting for the
stress, tangential force, dynamic tooth load, wear tooth varying meshing stiffness, geometric modification and
load, beam strength, are of interest to researchers and elastic deflection of engaged gears (Zhang et al. 1999) was
manufacturers. A method for the determination of load and proposed. They also presented combining a discretized
stress distribution along the contact lines of the gear model with finite element analysis it has both good
instantaneously engaged teeth of spur and helical gears computational accuracy and efficiency. Evaluate the
(Simon et al. 1989) was reported. This method includes contact force and tooth deflection in helical gear pair (Park
the tooth profile modification and crowning, and Yoo 2004) was discussed. The contact forces between
manufacturing and alignment error of gears, tooth teeth are determined from the transmitted torque, and then
deflections, local contact deformations of the teeth. It also the deformation overlap is calculated with the contact
covers the influence of gear parameters on the load and forces as boundary conditions. They also extended the
stress distributions. An alternative method of analysis and theory to three dimensional problems and implemented to
design of spur and helical involute gears (Alexander et al. helical gear pair. The tooth flank correction of power
2002) was investigated. They considered the direct gear transmission helical gears with wide face width using a
design method, which separates gear geometry definition finite element based shaft deflection analysis program in
from tool selection, to achieve the best possible conjunction with a numerical load distribution analysis
performance for a particular product and application. The procedure (Shan Chang et al. 2005) was studied. The load
direct design approach that is commonly used for most distributions along the line of action, the elastic deflections
and transmission errors are of gear pairs obtained by
*Corresponding author: B Venkatesh
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.14741/ijcet/spl.2.2014.131 692 | International Conference on Advances in Mechanical Sciences 2014
B Venkatesh et al International Journal of Current Engineering and Technology, Special Issue-2 (Feb 2014)

solving the equations of compatibility of displacement and Fig.1 shows the variation of wear strength of tooth, beam
equilibrium of forces. The authors also discussed the strength for different modules and different face width for
influence of tooth flank corrections (tip relief, root relief, Steel alloy. The gear ratio (i) = 7 and helix angle (β) = 25
load modification, end relief and their combinations) on are kept constant. The face width of 41 is kept constant
gear stresses and transmission errors due to shaft and the module is varied from 16 to 24. The corresponding
deflections. This technique has the capability of modeling wear strength of tooth and beam Strength were gradually
all significant geometric and elastic contributions due to increased from 369066.4kgf to 553599.7kgf and
tooth contact of the pair being analyzed as well as other 331222.3kgf to 496833.4kgf respectively. The face width
gears mounted on the same shafts. Their results indicate of 43 is kept constant and the module is varied from 16 to
that it is possible to optimize, at the design stage, the gear 24. The corresponding wear strength of tooth and beam
micro-geometry for minimum stresses and transmission strength were gradually increased from 387069.7kgf to
errors without changing the gear macro-geometry.A 580604.5kgf and 347379.5kgf to 521069.2kgf
computer model for simulation of the wear behaviour in respectively. The face width of 45 is kept constant and the
helical gears (Flodin and Andersson 2000) was developed. module is varied from 16 to 24. The corresponding wear
The method used can deal with tooth modifications and strength of tooth and beam strength were observed to
different profiles. The objective of their work was to gradually increase from 405072.9kgf to 607609.4kgf and
compare the wear behaviour of gears using different 363536.6kgf to 545305kgf respectively. The face width of
approaches. The gear teeth in this model are regarded as 47 is kept constant and the module is varied from 16 to 24.
thin uncoupled slices; the slicing method is valid when the The corresponding wear strength of tooth and beam
contact area is narrow in the rolling direction, which is the strength were gradually increased from 423076.2kgf to
case for contacting gear teeth. The pressure distribution on 634614.2kgf and 379693.8kgf to 569540.7kgf
each slice is calculated using the well-known theories of respectively. The face width of 49 is kept constant and the
Hertz assuming an infinitely wide line-contact. When the module is varied from 16 to 24. The corresponding wear
pressure and velocity on the surfaces are known, a strength of tooth and beam strength were observed to
modified Archard’s wear equation (Flodin and Andersson gradually increase from 441079.4kgf to 661619.1kgf and
2001) can be applied to calculate wear depths on the teeth. 395851kgf to 593776.5kgf respectively.
A model accommodates the modification of the tooth
surfaces, gear misalignments and the deformation of tooth
surfaces caused by contact load (Zhang and Fang 1999). In
their model, the gear contact load is assumed to be
nonlinearly distributed along the direction of the relative
principal curvature between the two contacting tooth
surfaces and the proposed model is applied to a pair of
helical gears.

2. Design methodology

The design of helical gear is almost similar to spur gear

design with slight modifications in Lewis and Buckingham
equations due to helix angle.
According to Lewis equation, the Beam Strength of helical
gear tooth is given by
Fb =  b  b  mn  yv (1)
Where, [  b ] =Allowable contact stress in kgf/cm2
b = Face width of gear blank =10 mn,
mn = Normal module which must be
standardized.
yv = Lewis form factor which depends on the
virtual number of teeth
Zv = [z/cos3
] (2)
Buckingham equation

Fd  Ft 
 
21v Cb cos 2   Ft cos  (3) Fig.1 Effect of module on beam strength and wear tooth
21v  Cb cos   Ft
2 load

The wear tooth load is given by 3.1 Optimum values

d  b  Q  Kw
Fw  1
Cos 2  (4)
Optimum values of wear strength of tooth, beam strength
to achieve low cost manufacturing for Steel alloy has been
3. Results and discussions
carried out.

693 | International Conference on Advances in Mechanical Sciences 2014

B Venkatesh et al International Journal of Current Engineering and Technology, Special Issue-2 (Feb 2014)

3.1.1 The effect of gear ratio, face width, helix angle, constant. The fig 3(a) shows the relationship between
module on Wear strength of Tooth for steel alloy Beam Strength and gear ratio. The helix angle, face width,
and module are kept constant. When gear ratio is increased
The variations of Wear strength of Tooth for different from 4 to 8, the corresponding Beam Strength remained
input variables (Venkatesh et al. 2011) are shown in figs. constant. The fig 3(b) shows the relationship between
2(a) – (d). The speed is kept constant. The fig 2(a) shows Beam Strength and Face width. The Helix angles, gear
ratio, module except face width are kept constant. When
face width is increased from 41 to 49, the corresponding
Beam Strength increased from 331222kgf to 395851kgf.
The fig 3(c) shows the relationship between Beam
Strength and Helix angle. The face width, gear ratio,
corresponding to optimum value obtained earlier and
module are kept constant. When helix angle is increased
from 15o to 35o, the corresponding Beam Strength
remained constant. The fig 3(d) shows the relationship
between Beam Strength and module. The values of face
width, gear ratio, and Helix angle for maximum beam
strength are kept constant. When module is increased from
16mm to 24mm, the corresponding Beam Strength found
to increase from 395851kgf to 593776kgf. Thus the
maximum beam strength 593776kgf is obtained for input
parameters viz. gear ratio (i) = 6, helix angle (β) = 150,
face width (b) = 49 and Module (Mn) =24.

Fig.2 Variation of wear tooth load for different input

variables

relationship between Wear strength of Tooth and gear

ratio. The helix angle, face width, and module except gear
ratio are kept constant. When gear ratio is increased from
4 to 8, the corresponding Wear strength of Tooth increased
from 278785kgf to 309762kgf. The fig 2(b) shows the
relationship between Wear strength of Tooth and Face
width. The Helix angle, gear ratio, module are kept
constant. When face width is increased from 41 to 49, the
corresponding Wear strength of Tooth increased from
309762kgf to 370203kgf.The fig 2(c) shows the
relationship between Wear strength of Tooth and Helix
angle. The face width, gear ratio, Corresponding to
optimum value obtained earlier and module are kept
constant. When helix angle is increased from 15o to 35o, Fig.3 Variation of beam strength for different input
the corresponding Wear strength of Tooth increased from variables
370203kgf to 606655kgf. The fig 2(d) shows the
relationship between Wear strength of Tooth and module. 3.2 Results of steel alloy material (40 Ni2 Cr1 Mo 28
The values of face width, gear ratio, and Helix angle for Steel)
maximum wear strength of tooth are kept constant. When
module is increased from 16mm to 24mm, the 3.2.1 Optimum parameters for maximum wear strength of
corresponding Wear strength of Tooth increased from tooth:
606655kgf to 909982kgf. Thus the maximum wear
strength of tooth 909982kgf is obtained for input The effect of gear ratio, face width, helix angle, module on
parameters viz. gear ratio (i) = 8, helix angle (β) = 350, optimum wear strength of tooth is carried out (Venkatesh
face width (b) = 49 and Module (Mn) =24. et al. 2011). The helix angle, face width, speed and
module are kept constant, the gear ratio is increased, and
3.1.2 The effect of gear ratio, face width, helix angle, the corresponding wear strength of tooth increases. The
module on Beam Strength for steel alloy gear ratio 8, corresponding to maximum wear strength of
tooth is taken as constant. Keeping the helix angle, gear
The variations of Beam Strength for different input ratio, speed, module except face width is kept constant and
variables are shown in figs. 3(a) – (d). The speed is kept for variation of face width, the wear strength of tooth
694 | International Conference on Advances in Mechanical Sciences 2014
B Venkatesh et al International Journal of Current Engineering and Technology, Special Issue-2 (Feb 2014)

increases. In the next step the face width 49cm, References

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695 | International Conference on Advances in Mechanical Sciences 2014