Vibration characteristics analysis of flexible helical gear system with multi-tooth spalling fault: Simulation and experimental study

Gear systems operating at high speeds and under heavy loads are susceptible to continuous multiple tooth surface spalling. The time-varying meshing stiffness (TVMS) model of helical gear pair with multi-tooth spalling fault is established by combining image recognition method and loaded tooth contact analysis (LTCA) method to target the actual form of the spalling fault, and its effectiveness was verified through finite element method (FEM). The flexible helical gear dynamic model is established by utilizing 8-node shell model and Timoshenko beam model to simulate the gear foundations and shafts, the TVMS in multi-tooth spalling fault condition is introduced as the excitation. The mapping relationship between the meshing process, TVMS and vibration response under the influence of rotational speed, spalling surface morphology scale, spalling depth and location of spalling occurrence is analyzed by combining simulation and experimental results. As the rotational speed increases, the specific meshing frequency coincides with the natural frequency of the gear system, leading to the phenomenon of superharmonic resonance. Continuous multi-tooth spalling fault results in continuous time-domain shocks and the meshing frequency modulation of the rotational frequency of the gear with spalling fault. In the absence of bottoming out, the increase in spalling surface morphology scale exerts a more pronounced influence on the vibration characteristics of the helical gear system compared to the increase in spalling depth. The research results can provide theoretical basis for gear system fault diagnosis.