Nonlinear methodology for assessing vibrational dynamics of a single gear pair under different tribological conditions

In the paper an experimental technique for diagnosing anomalous gear operations, focused on the tribological conditions, is described and tested. The method evaluates vibrational data to find the teeth engagement discontinuity during the transmission due to different lubrication conditions. Lubrication in gears is of great importance because it reduces dissipative actions and temperature. In particular the study considers a “boundary” lubrication regime, i.e. a poor lubrication typical of gear tooth contacts without oil external feeding. The qualitative indexes adopted in the paper, based on a non-linear signal analysis, show a good sensitivity to different behaviors in the various operative conditions.