An Analytical and Numerical Investigation of Modulation Sidebands of a Planetary Gear Under Fluctuated External Torque

Certain operating conditions such as fluctuation of the external torque to planetary gear sets can cause additional sidebands. In this paper, a mathematical model is proposed to investigate the modulation mechanisms due to a fluctuated external torque (FET), and the combined influence of such an external torque and manufacturing errors (ME) on modulation sidebands. Gear mesh interface excitations, namely gear static transmission error excitations and time-varying gear mesh stiffness, are defined in Fourier series forms. Amplitude and frequency modulations are demonstrated separately. The predicted dynamic gear mesh force spectra and radial acceleration spectra at a fixed position on ring gear are both shown to exhibit well-defined modulation sidebands. Comparing with sidebands caused by ME, more complex sidebands appear when taking both FET and ME into account. An obvious intermodulation is found around the fundamental gear mesh frequency between the FET and ME in the form of frequency modulations, however, no intermodulation in the form of amplitude modulations. Additionally, the results indicate that some of the sidebands are cancelled out in radial acceleration spectra mainly due to the effect of planet mesh phasing, especially when only amplitude modulations are present.