Analysis of scuffing through temperature measurement experiment and numerical simulation for spiral bevel gears

Tooth surface scuffing failure, as one of the primary failure modes of gears, frequently occurs during the operation of gear mechanisms. Scuffing properties of spiral bevel gears were investigated through a numerical analysis and experimental study. A novel temperature model for a single tooth was proposed to predict scuffing temperatures on the tooth surface. The model allows the analysis of variations in tooth surface temperature, considering both operating conditions and tooth contact scenarios. Experiments were carried out to explore tooth surface adhesion of spiral bevel gears under precisely defined operating conditions. Measurement of tooth surface temperatures was conducted by combining non-contact infrared temperature sensors and temperature-measuring cameras. This experiment verifies temperature changes on the tooth surface adhesion of spiral bevel gears. The combination of two temperature measurement methods ensures accurate temperature measurements, with errors below 8%, and facilitates the swift opening of the end cover. Experimental validation of the scuffing prediction model yields a maximum temperature difference of 5.93%. The method establishes a theoretical foundation for evaluating tooth surface adhesion of spiral bevel gears.