Effect of Interstage Torsional Damping on Nonlinear Dynamic Characteristics of Two-Stage Planetary Gear System

This paper explores the influence of interstage torsional damping on the nonlinear dynamics of a two-stage planetary gear transmission system. A comprehensive nonlinear dynamic model is developed, incorporating interstage torsional damping, stiffness, time-varying meshing parameters, damping, and tooth side clearance. The nonlinear equations are derived and solved using the fourth-order Runge–Kutta method. The investigation reveals that the changes in torsional damping between stages significantly affect the nonlinear dynamic characteristics of the system, especially under load fluctuations. Bifurcation characteristics are analyzed using phase diagrams, Poincaré diagrams, time history diagrams, and frequency–domain spectrograms. The simulation results demonstrate that heightened torsional damping between stages distinctly affects the motion states across excitation frequencies. Notably, it mitigates the unstable motion state caused by high-frequency excitation when tooth side clearance is minimal.