Effect of Gear Tooth Cracks on the Dynamic Characteristics of Gear Transmission System of High-Speed Train

Abstract

In order to study the dynamic characteristics of a high-speed train gear transmission system with cracks, time-varying meshing stiffness of gear teeth with different cracks was obtained using energy method. A torsional vibration model of the gear transmission system of a high-speed train was established. Based on the model, the ρ-value describing the change in stiffness was used to obtain the analytical solution of a system with crack faults. The influence of the degree of crack on the dynamic characteristics of a system under torque excitation of the driving end and load end was analyzed. In contrast with a normal gear system, a system containing a crack fault generated no harmonic response. Moreover, for a given set of working conditions, the degree of crack only affected the resonance amplitude and frequency of the system. These results form a robust guide for the detection of crack faults in the gear transmission system of a high-speed train.