Analytical Investigation of Planetary Gears Instabilities and the Impact of Micro-Macro Geometry Modifications

Abstract: Due to their large torque-speed ratio and transmission efficiency, planetary gears are widely used in the automotive industry. However, high amplitude vibrations remain their critical weakness, which limits their usage especially when new strict noise legislations come into action. A new approach to handle the instability problems of planetary gears encountered in real industrial context is presented in this work. First, the dynamic response of a planetary gear failing to pass the noise regulations is theoretically investigated through an analytical model. The equations of motion were solved using the Spectral Iterative Method. The observed experimental results correlated well with those from the developed model. In order to limit the resonance phenomena, impacts of different macro and micro-geometry modifications were analytically investigated: quadratic teeth profile, different planets positioning, different number of teeth and number of planets. Optimum modifications were retrieved and are expected to be tested experimentally on a test bench and on the truck. Finally, the analytical model’s limits and sensitivity to different parameters were investigated in order to certify its reliability, and suggestions for improvements were presented.