Improved analytical models for mesh stiffness and load sharing ratio of spur gears considering structure coupling effect

Due to the lack of efficient formulas, fillet foundation stiffness under double tooth engagement has long been a challenging problem for mesh stiffness calculation of spur gears by analytical method. Direct summation of the mesh stiffness of each meshing tooth pair overestimates the total mesh stiffness, which may lead to a large calculation error. An improved fillet foundation stiffness calculation method is proposed considering the structure coupling effect, namely, one gear body is shared by two meshing teeth simultaneously. On the basis of the proposed method, a mesh stiffness model and a load sharing model are analytically established. In the mesh stiffness model, fillet foundation stiffness correction factor is introduced to improve the calculation accuracy. Based on the minimum potential energy principle (MPEP), the load sharing ratio is determined by the proposed load sharing model. The accuracy of the proposed models is validated by comparing with finite element method (FEM).