Strong nonlinearity analysis for gear-bearing system under nonlinear suspension-bifurcation and chaos

This study performs a systematic analysis of the dynamic behavior of a gear-bearing system with nonlinear suspension, nonlinear oil-film force, and nonlinear gear mesh force. The dynamic orbits of the system are observed using bifurcation diagrams plotted with both the dimensionless unbalance coefficient and the dimensionless rotational speed ratio as control parameters. The onset of chaotic motion is identified from the phase diagrams, power spectra, Poincare maps, Lyapunov exponents, and fractal dimensions of the gear-bearing system. The numerical results reveal that the system exhibits a diverse range of periodic, sub-harmonic, and chaotic behaviors. The results presented in this study provide an understanding of the operating conditions under which undesirable dynamic motion takes place in a gear-bearing system and therefore serves as a useful source of reference for engineers in designing and controlling such systems. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.