Dynamic simulation and test research on fatigue pitting failure of helical gear pairs
PU Xiangrun
CHEN Yong
LI Guangxin
LI Anhe
HE Bolin
Abstract：[Objective]Pitting corrosion on tooth surfaces is a primary failure mode in helical gear contact fatigue,significantly affecting the operational stability of gear systems.This study aims to investigate the influence of pitting severity on vibration characteristics.[Methods]Firstly,a multi-degree-of-freedom nonlinear dynamic model of a helical gear pair was established.Secondly,based on the actual pitting morphology and location,the time-varying mesh stiffness under varying degrees of pitting was analyzed using an improved potential energy method combined with the finite element method.Finally,this crucial parameter was incorporated into the dynamic model to simulate vibration responses in both time and frequency domains,ranging from mild to severe pitting conditions.[Results]The simulation results show a great agreement with the test data in terms of fundamental frequency harmonics,fault characteristic frequencies,and sideband distributions.These findings provide a foundation and technical basis for the fault diagnosis and health prognosis of helical gear pairs.
Keywords：Helical gearTooth pittingMulti-degree-of-freedomDynamic modelContact fatigue test
Publication Date：2026-05-31
Online Publishing Date：2026-09-12(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：9( 49-57 )