ABSTRACT

The analysis of mechanical efficiency is becoming an increasingly important topic in the design analysis of gear drives. Automotive industry is looking for mechanical systems that are able to transmit maximum power with minimum weight and marked life; nevertheless the efficiency is a constantly growing topic: design must work together with efficiency study from the beginning. Taking into account weight and efficiency topic, the epicyclic gear train systems permit to achieve very high density power. In epicyclic systems, there are lot of variables that could be chosen by designers, even though it is awkward to have a clear picture from each effect in this global system. 

The method proposed in this study illustrates, studying a large number of variables, how to find optimal restraint system that meets different resistance requirements and geometrical limitations, studying all possible combinations. The general algorithm’s development and the process of selection of the epicyclic gears are at the heart of this investigation. Modern computers allow us to have multi-objective optimization with more realistic constraints; they can easily handle big data. This paper illustrates a practical case study of gear design optimization, in turn the design is constrained by geometric limitations; each proposal design is considered in term of resistance. The choices must all be integrated in a single loop to detect the best design compromise.

The novelty of the article lies in the way of presenting the results: the results are listed in a matrix plot which is very helpful to notice cross correlations between design variables.

Author(s): Claudio Autore, Massimiliano Turci

ISBN: 978-1-64353-147-2