On the prediction of friction coefficient and wear in spiral bevel gears with mixed TEHL

A prediction model of the friction coefficient and wear of the spiral bevel gears in the mixed lubrication condition is proposed. Effect of a coupling thermo-elasto-hydrodynamic phenomenon on tooth surface should be considered comprehensively prior to the execution of tooth wear analysis. An effort is devoted to application of TEHL with rough surface contact to analyze the performance of spiral bevel gears in terms of the pressure, flash temperature, friction coefficient, and particularly wear rate. Wear mechanism and rules under a condition of the mixed lubrication are revealed to provide evidence for gear design and engineering application. And comparison of the prediction wear depth with the experimental measurements shows good agreement.