Lecture-6(b)

Gears Design
 Gears
• What we need to Know about them.
1. Type of gears
2. Terminologies or nomenclatures
3. Forces transmitted
4. Design of a gear box
GEARS

Gears are mechanical elements which are used for

transmitting a synchronous motion directly between
shafts; these may be parallel or at any skew axis.

Gears are the most durable and rugged of all

mechanical drives and can be used for transmitting high
power with high efficiency (up to 99% in the case of
parallel shafts).
 Type of Gears
Gears may be classified according to the relative
position of the axes of revolution. The axes may be
a)Parallel, b) Intersecting or c) Non-parallel and non-
intersecting.
Gears Velocity Classification

Gears are further classified according to velocities.

1. Gears are considered to be low velocity type, if their

peripheral velocity lies in the range of 1 to 3 m/sec

2. Gears are considered to be medium velocity type, if their

peripheral velocity lies in the range of 3 to 15 m/sec

3. Gears are considered to be high velocity type, if their

peripheral velocity exceeds 15 m/sec
TYPE OF GEARS

Various types of gears commonly used are described

below:

a. Spur Gears
b. Helical Gears
c. Bevel Gears
d. Worm Gears
 Spur Gears

Spur gears connect parallel shafts and are used when shaft rotates in
the same plane. These have involute teeth that are parallel to the
shaft and can have internal or external teeth. Spur gears are by far
the most commonly used gear type commonly available, and are
generally the least expensive.
Characteristics:
• The speed and change of the force depends on the gear ratio, the ratio of
number of teeth on the gears that are to be meshed.
• They have higher contact ratio that makes them smooth and quiet in
operation.
• They are available for corrosion resistant operation and can be used to
create large gear reductions.
• They cause no external thrust between gears. They give lower but
satisfactory performance.
Applications:
• Spur gears are easy to find, inexpensive, and efficient.
• Generally used in simple machines like washing machines, clothes dryer or
power winches.
• They are also used in construction equipment, machine tools, indexing
equipment, multi spindle drives, roller feeds, and conveyors.
Limitations:
• Spur gears generally cannot be used when a direction change between the
two shafts is required.
• They are not used in certain applications such as automobiles because they
produce sound when the teeth of both the gears collide with each other. It
also increases stress on the gear teeth.
 Helical Gears

Helical gears are similar to the spur gear except that the teeth are at
an angle to the shaft, rather than parallel to it as in a spur gear. The
resulting teeth are longer than the teeth on a spur gear of equivalent
pitch diameter. The longer teeth cause helical gears to have the
following differences from spur gears of the same size.
Characteristics

• The basic descriptive geometry for a helical gear is essentially the

same as that of the spur gear, except that the helix angle must be
added as a parameter.
• The helical teeth result in a greater tooth width which enables
increased load and power transmissibility for a given gear size. Also
they result in a smoother engagement and so are less noisy in
operation than straight spur gears.
• Helical gears may be used to mesh two shafts that are not parallel,
although they are still primarily used in parallel shaft applications.
• Tooth strength is greater because the teeth are longer. Greater
surface contact on the teeth allows a helical gear to carry more load
than a spur gear but the longer surface of contact also reduces the
efficiency of a helical gear relative to a spur gear.
• A special application in which helical gears are used is a crossed
gear mesh, in which the two shafts are perpendicular to each other.
Applications:

• Helical gears can be used on non parallel and even perpendicular

shafts, and can carry higher loads than can spur gears.
• These are highly used in power transmission because they are
quieter even at higher speed and are durable.
• The other possible applications of helical gears are in textile industry,
blowers, feeders, rubber and plastic industry, sand mullers, screen,
sugar industry, rolling mills, food industry, elevators, conveyors,
cutters, clay working machinery, compressors, cane knives and in oil
industry.

Disadvantage:

• A disadvantage of helical gear is the resultant thrust along the axis of

the gear, which needs to be accommodated by appropriate thrust
bearings. This can be overcome by the use of double helical gears
having teeth with a 'v' shape.
• These are expensive compared to spur gears and much more difficult
to find.
 Bevel Gears
Bevel gears are primarily used to transfer power between intersecting
shafts and are useful when the direction of a shaft's rotation needs to
be changed.

The teeth of bevel gears are

formed on a cone surface.
These gears permit minor
adjustment during assembly
and allow for some
displacement due to deflection
under operating loads without
concentrating the load on the
end of the tooth.
Types of Bevel Gears:
Bevel gears come in several types. The teeth on bevel gears can be straight, spiral
or bevel.
Standard bevel gears have teeth which are cut straight and are all parallel to the
line pointing the apex of the cone on which the teeth are based. In straight bevel
gears teeth have no helix angles. In straight when each tooth engages it impacts
the corresponding tooth and simply curving the gear teeth can solve the problem.
Straight tool bevel gears are generally considered the best choice for systems with
speeds lower than 1000 feet per minute: they commonly become noisy above this
point.
Spiral bevel gears are also available which have teeth that form arcs, which gives
performance improvements. The contact between the teeth starts at one end of the
gear and then spreads across the whole tooth.
Hypocycloid bevel gears are a special type of spiral gear that will allow
nonintersecting, non-parallel shafts to mesh. The hypoid bevel gears can engage
with the axes in different planes. This is used in many car differentials. The ring
gear of the differential and the input pinion gear are both hypoid. This allows input
pinion to be mounted lower than the axis of the ring gear. Hypoid gears are
stronger, operate more quietly and can be used for higher reduction ratios. They
also have sliding action along the teeth, potentially reducing efficiency.
Applications of Bevel Gears:

• Excellent choice for intersecting shaft systems. A good example of

bevel gears is seen as the main mechanism for a hand drill. As the
handle of the drill is turned in a vertical direction, the bevel gears
change the rotation of the chuck to a horizontal rotation. The bevel
gears in a hand drill have the added advantage of increasing the speed
of rotation of the chuck and this makes it possible to drill a range of
materials.
• The bevel gears find its application in locomotives, marine applications,
automobiles, printing presses, cooling towers, power plants, steel plants
and also in on all current rotorcraft drive system.
• Spiral bevel gears are important components on all current rotorcraft
drive systems. These components are required to operate at high
speeds, high loads, and for an extremely large number of load cycles.
In this application, spiral bevel gears are used to redirect the shaft from
the horizontal gas turbine engine
• to the vertical rotor.
 Worm Gears
Worm gears are special gears that
resemble screws, and can be used to drive
spur gears or helical gears.
Worm gears, like helical gears, allow two
non-intersecting 'skew' shafts to mesh.
Normally, the two shafts are at right angles
to each other but not in the common plane.
A worm gear is equivalent to a V-type
screw thread. Another way of looking at a
worm gear is that it is a helical gear with a
very high helix angle. They are used for
transmitting motion between non parallel
and non transmitting shafts, depending on
the number of teeth engaged called single
or double. Worm gear mostly used when
speed ratio is quiet high, 3 or more
Characteristics:

• One very important feature of worm gear meshes is their

irreversibility i.e. when a worm gear is turned, the meshing spur
gear will turn, but turning the spur gear will not turn the worm gear.
The resulting mesh is 'self-locking', and is useful in ratcheting
mechanisms. The gear cannot turn the worm because the angle on
the worm is shallow and when the gear tries to spin the worm, the
friction between the two holds the worm in place.

• Worm gear is always used as the input gear. For the operation of
worm gear, torque is applied to the input end of the worm shaft by a
driven sprocket or electric motor. The worm and the worm shaft are
supported by anti-friction roller bearings.

• Worm gears are normally used when a high gear ratio is desired.
Advantages:

• Will tolerate large loads and high speed ratios. These are used
when high speed reduction more than 10:1 is required.
• Meshes are self locking (which can be either an advantage or a
disadvantage).
• Worm gears can provide a high angular velocity between non-
intersecting shafts at right angles. They are capable of
transmitting high tooth loads.
• Worm gears are used when large gear reductions are required.
Worm gear has a unique property of easily turning the gear.
• They offer smoothest, quietest form of gearing. They provide
high-ratio speed reduction in minimal spaces.
Types of Worm Gears:

There are three types of worm gears:

• Non-throated- a helical gear with a straight worm. Tooth contact is a

single moving point on the worm drive.
• Single throated- has concave helical teeth wrap around the worm.
This leads to line contact.
• Double throated- called a cone or hourglass. It has concave teeth
both on the worm and helical gear

Limitations:

• The only disadvantage of worm gear is the high sliding velocities

across the teeth, which results in high friction losses. Because of
high friction worm gears are very inefficient.
• When used in high torque applications, the friction causes the wear
on the gear teeth and erosion of restraining surface.
 Nomenclature

Smaller Gear is Pinion and Larger one is the gear

In most application the pinion is the driver, This reduces
speed but it increases torque.
Internal Spur Gear System
pitch circle, theoretical circle upon which all calculation is based
p, Circular pitch, p the distance from one teeth to the next, along
the pitch circle. p=πd/N
m, module=d/N pitch circle/number of teeth
p= πm
P, Diametral Pitch P=N/d
pP= π
What is diametral pitch?
Diametral pitch P: The number of teeth of a gear per inch of its pitch diameter. A
toothed gear must have an integral number of teeth. The circular pitch, therefore,
equals the pitch circumference divided by the number of teeth. The diametral
pitch is, by definition, the number of teeth divided by the pitch diameter.

Is diametral pitch the same as pitch diameter?

Pitch diameter in a mechanical gear is the diameter of the pitch circle.
Diametral pitch in a gear is the number of teeth in a gear divided by the pitch
diameter. Thus could be expressed in teeth per inch.
Module

Module is the unit of size that

indicates how big or small
a gear is. It is the ratio of the
reference diameter (pitch
diameter (d) of
the gear divided by the
number of teeth (N) on the
gear:

m = d/N

Two gears would be perfectly

mating only if their modules are
similar.
Angle Φ has the values of 20 or 25 degrees. Angle 14.5 have
been also used. 20 Degrees is the most commonly used
Pressure angle in gearing applications.
Gear profile is constructed from the base circle. Then additional
clearance are given.
How Gear Profile is constructed

A1B1=A1A0, A2B2=2 A1A0 , etc

 Standard Gear Teeth
Item 20o full depth 20o Stub 25o full depth
Addendum a 1/P 0.8/P 1/P
Dedendum 1.25/P 1/P 1.25/P
Clearance f 0.25/P 0.2/P 0.25/P
Working depth 2/P 1.6/P 2/P
Whole depth 2.25/P 1.8/P 2.25/P
Tooth thickness 1.571/P 1.571/P 1.571/P
Face width 9/P<b<13/P 9/P<b<13/P 9/P<b<13/P
 Gear Trains

n5 N1 N3 N4
= (− )( − )( − )
n1 N2 N4 N5
 Planetary Gear train
You can get high torque ratio in a smaller space

There are two inputs to the planetary gears, RPM of sun and Ring,
The out put is the speed of the arm.
Planetary Gear train
Example of planetary Gear train

Gear 1, sun , RPM 1200, Number of teeth 20,

Planet Gear , Number of teeth 30
Ring Gear, Rotates RPM 120, and teeth of 80,
 Transmitted Load
• With a pair of gears or gear sets, Power is
transmitted by the force developed between
contacting Teeth
Ft = Fn cos
Fr = Fn sin  These forces
2RPM have to be
V = d / 2 = d * d in, RPM rev./min, V
60 in/sec corrected for
dn dynamic effects ,
V = d in, n rpm, V fpm
12 we discuss later,
Tn considering
hp =
63000 Toque lb-in AGMA factors
33000 hp
Ft =
V V fpm
FV Tn
KW = t =
1000 9549 T= N.m, V m/s, F Newton
 Some Useful Relations
• F=33000hp/V V fpm English system

• Metric System
• KW=(FV)/1000=Tn/9549
• F newton, V m/s, n rpm, T, N.m
• hp= FV/745.7=Tn/7121
 Bending Strength of the a Gear Tooth
Mc ( Ft L)t / 2 6 Ft
= = 3 = 2
I bt / 12 bt

Earlier Stress Analysis of the Gear Tooth was based on

A full load is applied to the tip of a single tooth
The radial load is negligible
The load is uniform across the width
Neglect frictional forces
The stress concentration is negligible

This equation does not consider stress concentration,

dynamic effects, etc.
Design for the Bending Strength of a Gear
Tooth: The AGMA Method
P Ks Km
 = Ft K 0 K v U.S. Customary
b J
1 .0 K s K m
 = Ft K 0 K v SI units
bm J
= Bending stress at the root of the tooth
Ft = Transmitted tangential load
K0 = Overload factor
Kv = Velocity factor
P= Diameteral pitch, P
b= Face width
m= Metric modue
Ks = Size factor
Km = Mounting factor
J= Geometry factor
 Your stress should not exceed
allowable stress
St K L
 all =
KT K R
 all = Allowable bending stress

St = Bending Strength

KL = Life factor

KT = Temperature factor

KR = Reliability factor
Overload Factor - Ko
 Dynamic Factor - Kv

-Even with steady loads tooth impact can cause shock loading
-Impact strength depends on quality of the gear and the speed of
gear teeth (pitch line velocity)
-Gears are classified with respect to manufacturing tolerances:
-Qv 3 – 7, commercial quality
-Qv 8 – 12, precision
-Graphs are available which chart Kv for different quality factors
 Load Distribution Factor - Km

-Failure greatly depends on how load is distributed across face

-Accurate mounting helps ensure even distribution
-For larger face widths even distribution is difficult to attain
-Note formula depends on face width which has to be estimated for initial iteration
-Form goal: b < Dp; 6 < b*P < 16
 Reliability Factor - KR

-Adjusts for reliability other than 99%

- KR = 0.658 – 0.0759 ln (1-R) 0.5 < R <0.99
- KR = 0.50 – 0.109 ln (1-R) 0.99 < R < 0.9999
 AGMA Geometry Factor - J

-Updated Lewis Form Factor includes effect of stress concentration at fillet

-Different charts for different pressure angles
-Available for Precision Gears where we can assume load sharing (upper curves)
-HPSTC – highest point of single tooth contact
-Account for meshing gear and load sharing (contact ratio > 1)
-Single tooth contact conservative assumption (bottom curve)
-J = 0.311 ln N + 0.15 (20 degree)
-J = 0.367 ln N + 0.2016 (25 degree)
Bending Strength No. – St,
Fatigue bending strength

-Tabulated Data similar to fatigue strength

-Range given because value depends on Grade
-Based on life of 107 cycles and 99% reliability
 St – Analytical Estimate

-Through hardened steel gears

-Different charts for different manufacturing methods
-Grade 1 – good quality
St = 77.3 HB + 12,800
-Grade 2 – premium quality
St = 102 HB + 16,400
Bending Strength Life Factor- KL

-Adjusts for life goals other

than 107 cycles
-Fatigue effects vary with
material properties and surface
finishes
-KL = 1.6831 N -0.0323 N>3E6

Note: @ 2000 rpm reach 3

million cycles in 1 day of
service
Example #1
A 15-tooth spur pinion has a module of 3 mm and runs
at a speed of 1600 rev/min. The driven gear has 60
teeth. Find the speed of the driven gear, the circular
pitch, and the theoretical center to center distance.

Solution:
Example #2

A spur gearset has a module of 6 mm and a velocity

ratio of 4. The pinion has 16 teeth. Find the number of
teeth on the driven gear, the pitch diameters, and the
theoretical center-to-center distance..

Solution:
VELOCITY RATIO AND GEAR RATIO
Consider a simple schematic of a gearbox with an input and output shaft:

Gear ratio is a number, usually expressed as a decimal fraction, representing

how many turns of the input shaft cause one revolution of the output shaft.
The speed ratio is more usually referred to as the gear ratio and this term is
used here

Speed (n) is usually in revolutions per minute (RPM) but the ratio is the
same whatever units of speed are used. The ω is the angular velocity.
 SPEED RATIO & POWER RATIO

Gear ratio can also be defined as the relationship (ratio) between

numbers of teeth on the two gear wheels.

A high gear ratio implies a high torque. If the input gear is turning
faster than the output gear, the system is said to have “power ratio”.
If the input gear is turning slower than the output gear then the
system is said to have a “speed ratio”.

TORQUE & EFFICIENCY

The power (in watts) transmitted by a torque T (in Nm) applied to

shaft rotating at ‘n rev/min’ is given by 2 * π * n * T / 60. In an ideal
gear box, the input and output powers are the same so

or
It follows that if the speed is reduced, the torque is increased and vice versa.
Example:

A gear box has an input speed of 1500 RPM clockwise and an

output speed of 300 RPM anticlockwise. The input power is 20 kW
and the efficiency is 70%. Determine:

a. gear ratio,
b. input torque;
c. output power;
d. output torque and,
e. the holding torque.
Solution

1) Gear Ratio
GR = Input speed / Output speed = n1 / n2 = 1500 / 300 = 5

2) Input Torque
Power in = 2 π n1 T1 / 60, therefore T1 = 60 x Power in / (2 * π * n1)
T1 = 60 x 20000 / (2 * 3.14 * 1500) = 127.3 Nm (Negative clockwise)

3) Output Power
Efficiency = 0.7 = Power out / Power in, therefore Power out = 0.7 x Power
in = 0.7 x 20 = 14 kW

4) Output Torque
Power out = 2 π n2 T2 x 60 therefore T2 = 60 x Power out / (2 * π * n2)
T2 = 60 x 14000 / (2 * 3.14 * 300) = 445.6 Nm (Positive anti-clockwise)

5) Holding Torque (T 3 )
We know the total torque must add up to zero T1 + T2 + T3 = 0 or
-127.3 + 445.6 + T3 = 0
T3 = 127.3 – 445.6 = -318.3 (Anti-clockwise)
Example:

A simple train has 3 gears. Gear A is the input and has 50 teeth.
Gear C is the output and has 150 teeth. Gear A rotates at 1500
RPM clockwise. Calculate the gear ratio and the output speed.
Also if the input torque on A is 12 Nm and the efficiency is 75%,
calculate the output power and the holding torque.
Solution:

1) Gear Ratio

2) Output Power
P (input) = 2 * π * nA * TA / 60 = 2 * π * 1500 * 12 / 60 = 1885 W
(note that TA = 12 Nm)
P (output) = P (input) x efficiency = 1885 x 0.75 = 1413.7 W

3) Holding Torque
TC = 60 * P (output) / (2 * π * nC) = 60 * 1413.7 / (2 * 3.14 * 500) = 27 Nm
TA + TC + THOLD = 0
12 + 27 + THOLD = 0
THOLD = -39 Nm (clockwise)
Example:
A conveyor drive involving heavy-shock torsional loading is operated by an
electric motor, the speed ratio is 1:2 and the pinion has Diameteral pitch P=10
in-1, and number of teeth N=18 and face width of b=1.5 in. The gear has Brinnel
hardness of 300 Bhn. Find the maximum horsepower that can be transmitted,
using AGMA formula.