An adhesive wear model of rough gear surface considering modified load distribution factor

The gear wear is closely relative to the rough tooth surface morphology and the load distribution; however, their interactions have been rarely given focus. In this work, an adhesive wear model of rough gear surface is proposed considering modified load distribution factor. The mesh stiffness and load distribution factor are modified by the tooth surface morphology and wear depth. Then, the mean pressure is obtained by Hertzian theory, and the wear depths of the pinion and gear are calculated using Archard model. The wear model is verified by comparing with the pervious works. The effects of surface morphologies, geometric and operating parameters on the wear depth, mesh stiffness, and load distribution factor are investigated. Results indicate that (1) the wear depth is determined by profile error rather than roughness, and the wear depth and the load distribution factor increase with the profile error. (2) The roughness decreases, remains unchanged and then increases with the increment of the mesh cycle. (3) As the module and tooth width decrease or the input torque and mesh cycle increase, the tooth wear depth increases. These findings are significant in reducing tooth wear and improving the service life of gear drive.