Title: Spur gear safety prediction through the analysis of stress intensity factor

Authors: Fung Z. Hiung; Haidar F. Al-Qrimli; Mustafa J. Al-Dulaimi; Kenobi I. Morris

Addresses: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Curtin University Sarawak, Miri, Malaysia ' Studies, Planning and Follow up Department, Ministry of Oil, Baghdad, Iraq ' Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Department, Al Esraa University College, Baghdad, Iraq ' Department of Engineering, Ashesi University, Berekuso, Ghana

Abstract: Application of gear in the heavy industry is extremely challenging with the exposure to high load and high speed during transmission. These exposures produce an unfavourable condition in the gear operation as they induce crack. Induced crack might not only cause machine failures but catastrophic incidents that cost lives. Provided that the crack does not grow towards the shaft, the gear might still function but at a lower efficiency. Vice versa, the gear will tear into parts and cause catastrophic damages. Therefore, the study of crack propagation pathway was conducted by analysing the crack tip behaviour. The crack tip behaviour was indicated using the stress intensity factor (SIF) by identifying the potential fracture mode of the crack gear model. The analysis had implemented the application of the extended finite element method (XFEM) in ABAQUS to avoid the need of re-meshing as in the finite element method (FEM). The simulation outcomes show that the cracked gear model is experiencing a significant compressive in-plane shear than tensile stress. It also allows the witnesses of crack propagation along the tooth.

Keywords: gear; crack; safety; contact stress; extended finite element method; XFEM.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCAET.2021.114492

International Journal of Computer Aided Engineering and Technology, 2021 Vol.14 No.3, pp.441 - 454

Received: 13 Jun 2017
Accepted: 11 Jun 2018
Published online: 26 Apr 2021 *

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