Parametric vibrations and instabilities of an elliptical gear pair

Parametric vibrations and instabilities can be induced in an elliptical gear pair. This study examined the effects of basic parameters on vibration instability. Geometric parameters and time-variant mesh stiffness are calculated. A torsional dynamic model is established by introducing the lumped parameter assumption. Based on the model, the parametric vibrations caused by the excitations of eccentricity and time-variant mesh stiffness are investigated, and the additive and difference combination resonances are identified. Comparison between the elliptical and circular gears implies that the vibration amplitude at mesh frequency of the elliptical gears is lower than that of the regular circular gears. The vibrations caused by load torque are also examined. The results show that the vibrations with different frequencies are coupled with each other. The inherent reason behind the coupling is the interaction between the eccentricity, time-variant stiffness, and load.