Effects of Temperature on Spur Gear Hertzian Contact Stress and Plotting of Graph for Gray Cast Iron by Finite Element Method

Gears are the most significant element of mechanical systems. In this paper, Hertzian contact stress is studied which is one of the main failure causes of gears. As it is known, the rotation motion of meshing gears as a result of torque creates repeated contact stress on the surface of the teeth, and this stress creates fatigue stress in the contact area of the material over a certain period of time. This type of stress is considered as one of the most serious problems of gears, and its optimization is important for increasing the gears’ stability. There are many factors affecting contact stress. In this study, as the most important factors, the contact stress values were measured which modify with the varying values of temperature. Taking into account that contact stress is a theoretical value and cannot be measured practically, the analysis was done by the Finite Element Analysis method using Solidworks simulation software. The contact stress values are measured by means of two gears modeled by applying a high mesh density in contact with each other. The process is repeated in several stages, and the teeth surfaces of each gear in contact are exposed to different temperatures.

Keywords:

Hertzian contact stress , Contact pressure , thermal effects on contact stress , optimization of contact stress , contact stress of hot gears , contact stress of cold gears , stress at ۲۵ °C