Title: Design And

Analysis Of Composite
Material Helical Gear

Mrigyank Mishra,
Mohit Yadav
Mohit Pratap Singh
MD Rehan Ansari

Abstract—Gearing stands out as a highly efficient means of transmitting power and rotary motion,
whether altering speed or direction or not. Among the primary causes of gear failure lie in the
bending and surface strength of gear teeth. Consequently, research in gear mechanics has focused
on stress analysis to mitigate failures and optimize gear design. This thesis delves into the
characteristics of involute helical gear systems, particularly emphasizing bending and contact
stresses through both analytical and finite element analysis approaches. Bending stress estimation
involves generating three-dimensional solid models of gears with varying tooth counts using
Pro/Engineer and conducting numerical analysis via ANSYS. Analytical investigation relies on the
Lewis stress formula. Additionally, the study examines contact stresses between mating gears using
Hertz’s equation, analyzing equivalent contacting cylinders. Results from ANSYS are juxtaposed
against theoretical values. Face width and helix angle emerge as critical geometric factors
influencing stress distribution in gear design. Hence, the paper conducts a parametric study,
manipulating face width and helix angle to observe their impact on helical gear bending stress..

INTRODUCTION Researchers like Vijayaragan and Ganesan have

The increasing demand for precise analysis of
gear systems stems from their critical role in var-
ious machinery such as automobiles, elevators, and
generators. In industries like automotive, the neces-
sity for reliable yet lightweight gears is paramount.
Additionally, reducing engine noise often requires the
implementation of silent gear systems. Helical gears
have gained popularity due to their smooth operation,
high load capacity, and elevated operating speeds.
Designing robust helical gears for power transmission,
which are both strong and quiet, requires effective
analysis methods providing insights into contact and
bending stresses.
utilized three-dimensional finite element methods to
statically analyze composite helical gear systems,
studying displacements and stresses across gear teeth.
Others, such as Rao and Muthuveerappan, have ex-
plored helical gear geometry and stress analysis
through mathematical equations and finite element
methods. Cheng and Tsay have explored the contact
and bending stresses in helical gear assemblies with
localized bearing contact through finite element anal-
ysis.
Key geometric parameters in gear design, like face
width and helix angle, significantly influence stress
distribution. Nagesh Alemu conducted a parametric
study, varying face width and helix angle to observe
their effects on helical gear bending stress. Simi-

Published by the IEEE Consumer Technology 2162-2248 © E 1

 larly, Ali Raad Hassan analyzed contact stress in spur
gear teeth at various contact positions during rotation.
Hedlund and Lehtovaara’s study primarily focuses on
modeling helical gear contact with tooth deflection.
These studies collectively contribute to advancing
our understanding of helical gear systems, aiding in
the development of stronger, quieter, and more
efficient gear designs.
1. Literature Review
Gear analysis stands as a pivotal concern in the
realm of machine elements, particularly in gear design
and manufacturing. Numerous researchers have pro-
posed various concepts for optimizing gear design to
enhance system performance. S. Jyothirmai et al. con-
ducted a comparative study on helical gear design and
performance, employing finite element analysis (FEA)
and theoretical analysis based on AGMA standards,
with subsequent comparison of FEA and theoretical
results. Similarly, J. Venkatesh et al. explored methods
for calculating bending and contact stresses in involute
helical gear pairs, comparing ANSYS and AGMA
calculations. A. Sathyanarayana Achari et al.
compared bending and contact stresses of helical gears
calculated by AGMA standards and FEA, utilizing NX
CAD 8.5 and NX Nastran 8.5 software packages for
modeling and analysis. Juha Hedlund et al. focused on
modeling helical gear contact with tooth deflection,
emphasizing friction, wear, and life studies. K. Mao
addressed gear tooth contact analysis and wear
reduction through mathematical tooth profile
generation and non-linear FEA simulations, proposing
wear solutions based on gear micro-geometry
modification. B. Venkatesh et al. investigated the
combined effect of gear ratio, helix angle, face width,
and module on bending and compressive stress of steel
alloy helical gear pairs. Kailash Bhosale analyzed the
bending strength of helical gears using FEM,
employing three-dimensional photoelasticity and
ANSYS Workbench 12.1.
These studies collectively aim to enhance gear
system effectiveness through weight reduction, wear,
vibration, and noise reduction, primarily focusing on
involute and asymmetric gear tooth profiles. However,
the estimation of allowable surface fatigue stress,
contact stress, surface fatigue strength, tooth surface
strength, and permissible bending stress has received
limited attention. Furthermore, alternative tooth pro-
files such as circular and cycloidal, despite manu-
facturing challenges or reduced root strength, remain
2 IEEE Consumer Electronics
relatively unexplored in terms of performance analysis.
2. General Terminology
Pitch circle diameter: often denoted as the PCD,
refers to the diameter of the pitch circle. It serves as
a standard specification for the size of gears Adden-
dum: The addendum represents the radial separation
between the pitch circle and the addendum circles,
signifying the height of the tooth above the pitch
circle. Dedendum: The dedendum denotes the radial
dis- tance between the pitch and the dedendum circles,
indicating the depth of the tooth below the pitch circle.
Module: The module refers to the ratio of the pitch
circle diameter to the number of teeth.
Pressure angle: The pressure angle is the angle
formed by the line of action with the common tangent
to the pitch circles.
Number of teeth: This indicates the total count of
teeth present on the gear.
Helix angle: The helix angle stands as a consistent
angle formed by helices with respect to the axis of
rotation.
2.1. FEA of Gear Tooth Using
Ansys Workbench 11.1
Solution Procedure Using ANSYS Workbench
11.1:
1. Finite Element Formulation: For three-
dimensional stress analysis, solid elements are
essential for solving complex problems. These solid
elements are categorized into tetrahedral, triangular,
and hexahedral families. In this thesis, the choice
is the three-dimensional eight-noded solid element
from the hexahedral family due to its suitability for
analyzing components with complex shapes, such as
helical gears, where simple triangular or rectangular
elements are inadequate.
2. Solid Modeling: Solid modeling entails the geo-
metric representation of real objects without losing any
pertinent information. It possesses volume, allowing
for the incorporation of material density, resulting in
mass and inertia properties. Unlike surface models,
modifications like holes or cuts automatically generate
new surfaces, with the model recognizing the solid
material’s presence. One significant advantage of solid
modeling is its inherent ability to prevent the creation
of ambiguous or physically unrealizable computer
models.
General Procedures for Creating an Involute
Curve: The steps for generating the involute curve are
outlined as follows:
1. Establishing Geometric Parameters: - Determine
the number of teeth. - Specify the diametral pitch. -
Define the pressure angle. 1. Specify Key Geometric
Parameters: - Determine the pitch diameter. - Define
the face width. - Specify the helix angle.
2. Establish Basic Geometry: - Generate essential
elements such as addendum, dedendum, and pitch
circles to support the gear tooth structure.
3. Define Involute Tooth Profile: - Utilize
equations within a cylindrical coordinate system to
establish the involute tooth profile, employing a
datum curve.
4. Create Tooth Solid Feature: - Develop the tooth
solid feature through cutting and extrusion processes.
This step necessitates additional helical datum curves
to facilitate the sweeping of helical gear teeth.
5. Implement Tooth Pattern: - Apply a pattern to
distribute the tooth around the centerline axis, ensuring
uniformity in tooth placement.
2.2. FEM Package
The FEM package commonly referred to as AN-
SYS encompasses ANSYS Mechanical, a versatile
finite element analysis (FEA) software suite developed
by ANSYS Inc. ANSYS Mechanical serves as a com-
prehensive analysis tool, integrating pre-processing
functionalities such as geometry creation and meshing,
along with solver and post-processing modules, within
a unified graphical user interface.
The solution procedure utilizing ANSYS typically
involves the following steps:
1. Importing Geometry: - The gear geometry slated
for analysis is imported from the solid modeling soft-
ware Pro/Engineer in IGES format, ensuring compat-
ibility with ANSYS.
2. Specifying Element Type and Material Proper-
ties: - Defining the element type and material proper-
ties, including parameters like Young’s modulus and
Poisson’s ratio, is crucial for accurate analysis.
3. Mesh Generation: - Meshing the three-
dimensional gear model is performed to discretize
the geometry into smaller elements. This step ensures
proper representation of the geometry for analysis.
(See Figure 4 for an illustration of the meshed 3D
solid model of the gear.)
4. Applying Boundary Conditions and Loads: -
Boundary conditions and external loads are specified
to simulate real-world operating conditions.
5. Solution Generation: - The solution process is
initiated based on the input parameters provided in the
previous steps.
6. Viewing Results: - Finally, the results of the
analysis are viewed through various display options,
allowing for comprehensive interpretation and assess-
ment.
3. Material Properties
The primary aim of this research endeavor is
to investigate the structural and vibrational attributes
of composite material gears intended for heavy-duty
transmission systems in comparison to traditional steel
alloy gear assemblies. The materials under consider-
ation encompass carburized steel 10c4, case-hardened
as per IS 1570 standards, and Metal Matrix Composite
(MMC) materials Al-SiC. The chosen Al-SiC compos-
ite features an AL 6061 matrix reinforced with 18
Conventional steel alloys employed for gear ma-
terials exhibit drawbacks such as low specific stiff-
ness and strength coupled with high weight. Sub-
stituting composite materials for gears offers several
advantages, including higher specific strength, reduced
weight, enhanced damping capacity, extended
lifespan, elevated critical speed, and increased torque
carrying capacity, thereby facilitating significant
weight reduc- tion compared to steel. Composite
materials exhibit orthotropic elastic behavior rather
than linear elastic properties.
The analysis conditions are assumed to be static.
For Finite Element Analysis (FEA) of gears manufac-
tured from composite materials, Young’s modulus is
theoretically calculated, while Young’s Modulus and
Poisson’s ratio for alloy steel are sourced from design
data books. The anisotropic nature of Young’s modu-
lus in composite materials, varying with direction, is
estimated using the rule-of-mixtures.
4. Conclusion
The durability of gear teeth is essential to avoid
potential failures. This study demonstrates an effec-
tive approach for estimating root bending stresses by
employing a three-dimensional model of the gear. To
validate this method, results obtained with varying
numbers of teeth are compared against standard for-
mulas.
Moreover, the analysis of contact stress suggests
that enhancing the hardness of the gear tooth profile
can mitigate the risk of pitting failure. Pitting failure
involves the removal of small particles from the
surface of the gear, a phenomenon that can be
addressed
3
 through improved tooth hardness.

5. Reference
Here are the references rephrased for research
paper:
[1] Vijayarangan and Ganesan conducted a study
titled ”A Static Analysis Of Composite Helical Gears
Using 3D FEM,” published in Computer and Struc-
tures.
[2] Rao and Muthuveerappan explored ”Finite El-
ement Modeling And Stress Analysis of Helical Gear
Teeth,” as documented in Computers and Structures.
[3] Cheng Y. and Tsay C.B. presented their work
on ”Stress Analysis Of Helical Gear Set With Lo-
calised Bearing Contact,” published in Finite Element
Analysis And Design.
[4] Negash Alemu conducted an investigation
titled ”Analysis Of Stresses In Helical Gears By Finite
Element Method.”
[5] Ali Raad Hassan contributed to the field with
”Contact Stress Analysis of Spur Gear Teeth Pair,”
published by the World Academy of Science, Engi-
neering and Technology.
[6] For additional information, refer to
nptel.iitm.ac.in/courses/IITMADRAS/Machine.

4 IEEE Consumer Electronics