A novel accurate- efficient loaded contact analysis method for hypoid gears based on ease-off topography discretization and TE-interference assessment

Abstract

Due to the highly complex geometry of hypoid gears, calculating contact pressure and load distribution in their design remains a challenging problem. This paper presents a novel method for efficiently and accurately performing load contact analysis. It begins with the introduction of a conforming discretization approach to improve the accuracy of the ease-off topography, facilitating precise determination of contact curves and gaps. A time-indexed matrix is developed to reconstruct the ease-off topography, enabling rapid indexing of contact curves and gaps during computation. By segmenting the contact curves using the matrix columns and incorporating the relationship between the contact gap and gear rotation angle, a rotation-load response model is formulated. This model enables the determination of contact force and pressure distribution after contact curve interference, accounting for substrate deformation in the compensated rotation. The relationship between the transmission error (TE) curve and interference is established, permitting calculations of the number of contact pairs at various moments under different loads, thereby supporting load distribution computation. Finally, finite element analysis results of a hypoid gear pair and a spiral bevel gear, alongside experiments, confirm the method's accuracy, efficiency, and versatility.