Mesh stiffness variation instabilities in two-stage gear systems

Mesh stiffness variation, the change in stiffness of meshing teeth as the number of teeth in contact changes, causes parametric instabilities and severe vibration in gear systems. The operating conditions leading to parametric instability are investigated for two-stage gear chains, including idler gear and countershaft configurations. Interactions between the stiffness variations at the two meshes are examined. Primary, secondary, and combination instabilities are studied. The effects of mesh stiffness parameters, including stiffness variation amplitudes, mesh frequencies, contact ratios, and mesh phasing, on these instabilities are analytically identified. For mesh stiffness variation with rectangular waveforms, simple design formulas are derived to control the instability regions by adjusting the contact ratios and mesh phasing. The analytical results are compared to numerical solutions.