Effect of planetary gearboxes on the dynamics of rotating systems

The coupled dynamic behaviour of planetary geared rotor systems is much less well understood compared to the classical geared rotor systems. For a better understanding, this research project investigates the coupled dynamic behaviour of planetary geared rotor systems and how the planetary gearbox parameters affect their global dynamics. In the numerical study, a six degrees of freedom hybrid dynamic model of a planetary geared rotor system is created in the recently developed “GEAROT” rotor dynamics software by considering gyroscopic effects. Based on the modal analysis results of the hybrid dynamic model, the vibration modes are classified as coupled torsional-axial, lateral and gearbox for the helical gear configuration, and torsional, axial, lateral and gearbox for the spur one. Modal energy analysis is used to quantify the coupling level between the shafts and planetary gearbox, which highlights the effect of a planetary gearbox on the dynamic behaviour of a rotating system. An extensive planetary gearbox parameter study including gear contact, gearbox mass and support, and planet gear parameters is conducted using the hybrid dynamic model to investigate the parameter effects on the modal behaviour of planetary geared rotors. The sensitivity of planetary geared rotor vibration modes to the gearbox parameters is determined by computing the frequency shifts and comparing the mode shapes between the two extreme cases. In the experimental study, free-free impact hammer tests are carried out on a planetary geared rotor assembly to validate the numerical modal analyses results in “GEAROT”. On the basis of both experimental and numerical modal analysis of planetary geared rotors, the lateral vibration modes are identified as “in phase” and “out of phase”. Briefly, the numerically identified lateral modal behaviour of planetary geared rotor systems is successfully validated with the experimental modal analysis results.Open Acces

An investigation of gear meshing behaviour of planetary gear systems for improved fault diagnosis

This research has presented gear dynamic models and associated simulations to improve gear fault detection. These models include the use of finite element and lumped parameter methods for both fixed axis and planetary gear systems. The findings in this research provide an improved understanding of the gear fault mechanism and advance the gear fault detection capability of the whole drive train system. It also suggests further effective ways of monitoring the whole gear train system

Predictive Modeling of a Two-stage Gearbox towards Fault Detection

This research presents a systematic approach to health monitoring using dynamic gearbox models (DGM) and the harmonic wavelet transforms (HWT) for vibration response analysis. A comprehensive DGM is developed, the model parameters are identified through correlated numerical and experimental investigations, and HWT analysis is performed to illustrate the fault detection and diagnosis procedure and capability of this approach. The model fidelity is validated first by spectrum analysis, using constant speed experimental data, and secondly by HWT analysis, using non-stationary experimental data. The comparison confirms that both the frequency content and the predicted, relative response magnitudes match with physical measurements. Model prediction and experimental data are compared for healthy gear operation and seeded gear faults including a pinion with a missing tooth, tooth root crack, tooth spall and varying tooth chip severities, demonstrating that fault type and severity are distinguishable. The research shows fault modeling in combination with HWT data analysis is able to identify fault types, evaluate fault relative severity, and greatly reduce pattern recognition library development. This approach can facilitate successful fault detection, diagnosis and prognosis for gearbox systems, providing a physically meaningful connection of fault indicators to the actual fault patterns thus paving the way to real-time condition monitoring

Dynamic modelling of planetary gear systems for gear tooth fault

Geared systems have been widely used in mechanical applications for more than a hundred years. A large range of literature has been published especially for spur/helical gear systems and the investigations into technical areas of spur/helical gears have been very well developed, including understanding of condition monitoring systems, diagnostic and prognostic methods. However, there is a lack of understanding on the general dynamic behavior of planetary gear systems with tooth faults. Planetary gears are normally used as effective power transmission elements with high power to weight/volume ratios, large speed reductions in compact volume, and high reliability. They tend to have high efficiency and are used in many applications, such as automotive, heavy truck/tractor, helicopter, wind turbines and bucket wheel reclaimer gearboxes.The purpose of this research is to develop a vibration analysis system that simulates dynamic behavior of large low speed, high torque planetary spur gear systems such as used in bucket wheel reclaimer and wind turbine gearboxes, with and without gear element faults. This thesis investigates lumped mass modelling methods for planetary gearbox dynamic behavior based on previous gearbox modelling research including the use of the coupled torsional-transverse behavior of the gear body. The dynamic model of the planetary spur gear system includes effects such as: variable tooth mesh stiffness, dynamic transmission error effects, and pitch and profile excitation for gear fault detection purposes. Different tooth faults are simulated using the concept of combined torsional mesh stiffness. The dynamics of spur planetary gear systems with and without tooth faults are compared and analyzed to improve the understanding of fault detection in the present gear systems.Dynamic modelling of gear systems, such as outlined in this thesis can assist in understanding the consequence of large transient events, including the fluctuations in tooth loads which can reduce gear fatigue life and lead to further tooth damage. Early detection of faults on gear teeth can be used to initiate maintenance actions in order to reduce repair work and avoid catastrophic breakdown

Planetary gearbox condition monitoring based on modulation analysis

The epicycle gearbox or planetary gearbox (PG) is a central power transmission systems of important machines such as helicopters and wind turbines which are mission critical and high cost systems. Condition monitoring (CM) has been explored extensively in recent years to avoid any unexpected interruptions and severe accidences caused by faults PGs. Although, considerable advancements in CM techniques, there still existed significant deficiency such as insensitivity, false diagnosis and high costs in implementing such techniques in industries. To improve CM techniques, therefore, this thesis focuses on an investigation of advanced signal analysis techniques such as higher order spectra (HOS) in order to achieve full characterisation of the nonlinear modulation processes of PG dynamics and thereby develop accurate diagnostic techniques. The lumped mass model is established for modelling the dynamic behaviour of the PG under investigation, which allows the vibration behaviours to be understood for analysing different abnormalities such as tooth breakages and gear errors. This paves the way for subsequent data analytics and fault diagnostics using modulation signal bispectrum (MSB) that allows the vibration data to be examined through HOS, but it is significantly efficient in characterising the multiple and nonlinear modulations of PG dynamics alongside superior noise reduction performance. Different degrees of misalignments in the PG drive system has been investigated and successfully diagnosed using MSB analysis of vibration measurements.. Moreover, the investigation included detection of tooth breakage faults of different severities in both the sun and a planet gear. The tooth faults were diagnosed using the recently developed MSB through accurately representation and estimate of residual sidebands induced by these faults. Consequently, MSB analysis produces an accurate and reliable diagnosis in that it gives correct indication of the fault severity and location for wide operating conditions. Furthermore, these fault diagnosis practices allows the establishment of residual sideband analysis approach. These residual sidebands resulting from the out-of-phase superposition of vibration waves due to asymmetric, multiple meshing sources are much less influenced by gear errors than the in-phase sidebands due to faults or new occurrences of the symmetricity. MSB can provide an accurate characterisation of the residual sidebands and consequently produces consistent diagnosis as confirmed by both simulation and experiment

30th International Conference on Condition Monitoring and Diagnostic Engineering Management (COMADEM 2017)

Proceedings of COMADEM 201

MARE-WINT: New Materials and Reliability in Offshore Wind Turbine Technology

renewable; green; energy; environment; law; polic

Advanced Rotorcraft Transmission (ART) program

Work performed by the McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Company and Lucas Western, Inc. within the U.S. Army/NASA Advanced Rotorcraft Transmission (ART) Program is summarized. The design of a 5000 horsepower transmission for a next generation advanced attack helicopter is described. Government goals for the program were to define technology and detail design the ART to meet, as a minimum, a weight reduction of 25 percent, an internal noise reduction of 10 dB plus a mean-time-between-removal (MTBR) of 5000 hours compared to a state-of-the-art baseline transmission. The split-torque transmission developed using face gears achieved a 40 percent weight reduction, a 9.6 dB noise reduction and a 5270 hour MTBR in meeting or exceeding the above goals. Aircraft mission performance and cost improvements resulting from installation of the ART would include a 17 to 22 percent improvement in loss-exchange ratio during combat, a 22 percent improvement in mean-time-between-failure, a transmission acquisition cost savings of 23 percent of $165K, per unit, and an average transmission direct operating cost savings of 33 percent, or$24K per flight hour. Face gear tests performed successfully at NASA Lewis are summarized. Also, program results of advanced material tooth scoring tests, single tooth bending tests, Charpy impact energy tests, compact tension fracture toughness tests and tensile strength tests are summarized

Fault Detection in Rotating Machinery: Vibration analysis and numerical modeling

This thesis investigates vibration based machine condition monitoring and consists of two parts: bearing fault diagnosis and planetary gearbox modeling. In the first part, a new rolling element bearing diagnosis technique is introduced. Envelope analysis is one of the most advantageous methods for rolling element bearing diagnostics but finding the suitable frequency band for demodulation has been a substantial challenge for a long time. Introduction of the Spectral Kurtosis (SK) and Kurtogram mostly solved this problem but in situations where signal to noise ratio is very low or in presence of non-Gaussian noise these methods will fail. This major drawback may noticeably decrease their effectiveness and goal of this thesis is to overcome this problem. Vibration signals from rolling element bearings exhibit high levels of 2nd order cyclostationarity, especially in the presence of localized faults. A second-order cyclostationary signal is one whose autocovariance function is a periodic function of time: the proposed method, named Autogram by the authors, takes advantage of this property to enhance the conventional Kurtogram. The method computes the kurtosis of the unbiased autocorrelation (AC) of the squared envelope of the demodulated and undecimated signal, rather than the kurtosis of the filtered time signal. Moreover, to take advantage of unique features of the lower and upper portions of the AC, two modified forms of kurtosis are introduced and the resulting colormaps are called Upper and Lower Autogram. In addition, a new thresholding method is also proposed to enhance the quality of the frequency spectrum analysis. Finally, the proposed method is tested on experimental data and compared with literature results so to assess its performances in rolling element bearing diagnostics. Moreover, a second novel method for diagnosis of rolling element bearings is developed. This approach is a generalized version of the cepstrum pre-whitening (CPW) which is a simple and effective technique for bearing diagnosis. The superior performance of the proposed method has been shown on two real case data. For the first case, the method successfully extracts bearing characteristic frequencies related to two defected bearings from the acquired signal. Moreover, the defect frequency was highlighted in case two, even in presence of strong electromagnetic interference (EMI). The second part presents a newly developed lumped parameter model (LPM) of a planetary gear. Planets bearings of planetary gear sets exhibit high rate of failure; detection of these faults which may result in catastrophic breakdowns have always been challenging. Another objective of this thesis is to investigate the planetary gears vibration properties in healthy and faulty conditions. To seek this goal a previously proposed lumped parameter model (LPM) of planetary gear trains is integrated with a more comprehensive bearing model. This modified LPM includes time varying gear mesh and bearing stiffness and also nonlinear bearing stiffness due to the assumption of Hertzian contact between the rollers/balls and races. The proposed model is completely general and accepts any inner/outer race bearing defect location and profile in addition to its original capacity of modelling cracks and spalls of gears; therefore, various combinations of gears and bearing defects are also applicable. The model is exploited to attain the dynamic response of the system in order to identify and analyze localized faults signatures for inner and outer races as well as rolling elements of planets bearings. Moreover, bearing defect frequencies of inner/outer race and ball/roller and also their sidebands are discussed thoroughly. Finally, frequency response of the system for different sizes of planets bearing faults are compared and statistical diagnostic algorithms are tested to investigate faults presence and growth