Modeling of flexible bevel gear rotor systems: Modal and dynamic characterization

Bevel gears, a crucial part of aircraft transmission systems, are more susceptible to wheel body vibration issues as lightweight requirements rise. In the past, the gear wheel body was often considered rigid while assessing the dynamic properties of gear systems. Constructing a bevel gear model with a thin-walled structure might not be appropriate for this modeling technique; this research suggests a dynamic model that considers the flexibility of bevel gears. The web and teeth structure of the gear are preserved by realistic modeling using three-dimensional hexahedral components. The component mode synthesis (CMS) approach reduces the model order for increased computational efficiency. To confirm the accuracy of the modeling method, the modal frequencies and vibration shapes of the proposed model single-gear shaft are compared with results from experiments and ABAQUS. By contrasting ABAQUS system-level meshing modal frequencies and vibration shapes, the accuracy of the system model assembly is further confirmed. The model examines the impact of bevel gear flexibility on the modal frequencies, modal vibration shapes, and system dynamic properties. The mode shape diagram at dangerous modal frequencies found using the modal strain energy technique and the vibration displacement cloud maps at resonance speeds computed using the Newmark-β method are mutually verified, and this demonstrates that lightweight bevel gears are more susceptible to excitation due to nodal diameter type vibrations. Proposed and traditional models anticipate substantially different resonance speeds since the traditional model assumes that the gear, being a rigid disk, can only excite the shaft's bending mode of vibration. The proposed model provides a more comprehensive description of the dynamic characteristics of bevel gear systems, providing a theoretical basis and optimization tool for the high-performance design, vibration reduction, and noise control of high-speed lightweight gear transmission systems.