Tribological evaluation of a coated spur gear pair

A numerical thermal elastohydrodynamic lubrication model is developed for a coated gear pair, in which the elastic deformation is calculated through the frequency response function of Green function and the discrete-convolute fast Fourier transform. Tribological performance of the gear pair is evaluated in terms of the pressure, the film thickness, the coefficient of friction, the frictional power loss, as well as the temperature rise during meshing. Effects of the elastic modulus and the coating thickness of the coating material are studied under various working conditions. Results provide tribological guidance for engineering practice of gear coating design.