Analytical modelling of spur gear tooth crack and influence on gearmesh stiffness

Due to excessive service load, inappropriate operating conditions or simply end of life fatigue, damage can occur in gears. When a fault, either distributed or localised, is incurred by gears, the stiffness and consequently vibration characteristics of the damaged tooth will change. In this work an analytical formulation of the time varying gearmesh stiffness was derived. An original analytical modelling of tooth cracks is presented and the gearmesh stiffness reduction due to this fault is quantified. A comparison with finite element model is presented in order to validate the analytical formulation. (C) 2008 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.