Investigation of nonlinear dynamics and load sharing characteristics of a two-path split torque transmission system

Abstract The dynamic responses and load sharing features of a two-path split torque gear transmission system are investigated in this study. The possible combinations of shaft angles to ensure the gear pairs work properly are determined considering the adjacency relationship, concentric relationship, geometrical conditions and installation conditions. A dynamic model of the system considering time-varying mesh stiffness, backlash, static transmission error, stagger angle excitations and gyroscopic effects of gear body and flexible shaft is proposed. The natural characteristics of the system including natural frequencies and critical speeds are obtained. The influences of the shaft angle, asymmetric transmission error excitations and right-to-left stagger angle of double-helical gear teeth on the dynamic transmission error responses and load sharing features of the two-path split torque gear transmission system are investigated. Several references to determine the system parameters to improve the transmission property and load sharing performance of the system are provided based on the numerical simulation results.