An Application of a Graph Representation to the Analysis of the Kinematics of General Gear Trains

Gear trains have the advantages of high-speed reduction and capability of differential drive,so they are often used in transmission systems. In this paper,a graph representation and matrix representation is used to represent the kinematic structure of the gear trains. These representations are based on graph theory and the methodology of fundamental circuits for gear trains. Based on the proposed representations,the kinematics of the gear trains is analyzed. Finally,a systematic method is further developed for the analysis of the kinematics of general gear trains. The results of this work are used as a tool to design the general gear trains.