Nonlinear Dynamics Analysis of the Wheel-Side Planetary Reducer with Tooth Wear for the In-Wheel Motored Electric Vehicle

This paper investigates the nonlinear dynamics of the wheel-side planetary reducer, considering the tooth wear effect. The tooth wear model based on the Archard adhesion wear theory is established, and the impact of tooth wear on meshing stiffness and piecewise-linear backlash of the planetary gear system is discussed. Then, the torsional vibration model and dimensionless differential equations considering tooth wear for the wheel-side planetary reducer are established, in which meshing excitations include time-varying mesh stiffness (TVMS), piecewise-linear backlash, and transmission error. The dynamic responses are numerically solved using the fourth-order Runge–Kutta method. On this basis, the nonlinear dynamics, such as the bifurcation and chaos properties of the wheel-side planetary reducer with tooth wear, are analyzed. Simulation results demonstrate that the existence of tooth wear reduces meshing stiffness and increases backlash. The reduction in the meshing stiffness changes the bifurcation path and chaotic amplitude of the system, inducing chaotic phenomena more easily. The increase in the gear backlash causes a higher amplitude of the relative displacement and more severe vibration.