Dynamic characteristics analysis of locomotive traction gear pair system under internal and external excitations

Purpose As the transmission component of a locomotive, the traction gear pair system has a direct effect on the stability and reliability of the whole machine. This paper aims to provide a detailed dynamic analysis for the traction system under internal and external excitations by numerical simulation. Design/methodology/approach A non-linear dynamic model of locomotive traction gear pair system is proposed, where the comprehensive time-varying meshing stiffness is obtained through the Ishikawa formula method and verified by the energy method, and then the sliding friction excitation is analyzed based on the location of the contact line. Meantime, the adhesion torque is constructed as a function of the adhesion-slip feature between wheelset and rail. Through Runge-Kutta numerical method, the system responses are studied with varying bifurcation parameters consisting of exciting frequency, load fluctuation, gear backlash, error fluctuation and friction coefficient. The dynamic behaviors of the system are analyzed and discussed from bifurcation diagram, time history, spectrum plot, phase portrait, Poincare map and three-dimensional frequency spectrum. Findings The analysis results reveal that as control parameters vary the system experiences complex transition among a diverse range of motion states such as one-periodic, multi-periodic and chaotic motions. Specifically, the significant difference in system bifurcation characteristics can be observed under different adhesion conditions. The suitable gear backlash and error fluctuation can avoid the chaotic motion, and thus, reduce the vibration amplitude of the system. Similarly, the increasing friction coefficient can also suppress the unstable state and improve the stability of the system. Originality/value The numerical results may provide a systemic understanding of dynamic characteristics and present some available information to design and optimize the transmission performance of the locomotive traction system.