Vibration characteristics of spur gear system with non-linear damping under no lubrication condition

Gear rattle induced by backlash between meshing gears results in excessive vibration and noise in many gear systems. A dynamic model of a light-loaded spur gear pair with non-linear damping under no lubrication condition is presented in this paper. Unlike previous models, the effect of backlash on damping is considered, so the damping is not linear. In order to illustrate the effect of non-linear damping on the dynamic response, the dynamic behaviors of gear system with non-linear damping (GSND) and linear damping (GSLD) under different impact status are compared by using the numerical integration method. The results show that the behavior of gear pair with non-linear damping is different from that with linear damping, and the impact vibration of GSND is much greater than GSLD under some conditions. The influences of parameters such as load ratio, load value, meshing stiffness, and damping ratio on the dynamic responses of GSND are also discussed, and some suggestions to reduce impact vibration of gear system are proposed. The results provide a theoretical basis for the design and manufacture of gear system.