An Analytic Methodology for the Kinematic Synthesis of Epicyclic Gear Mechanisms

Abstract

This paper presents an analytic method for the determination of the gear ratios of an epicyclic-type transmission mechanism for a given set of speed ratios. For the transmission mechanism with the associated clutching sequence table, the overall speed ratios are first derived and expressed in terms of the gear ratios of all the mating gears using the concept of fundamental geared entities. Next, the associated speed ratio relations are derived as a criterion to detect the feasibility of any given set of speed ratios. Finally, the transmission mechanism is decomposed into a system of fundamental geared entities such that the gear ratios of all the mating gears are determined from given speed ratios in an analytic way.