EFFECTS OF RIM THICKNESS ON SPUR GEAR BENDING STRESS

Thin rim gears find application in high-power, lightweight aircraft tr ansmissions. Bending stresses in thin rim spur gear tooth fillets and root areas differ from the stresses in solid gears due to rim deformat ions. Rim thickness is a significant design parameter for these gears. To study this parameter, a finite element analysis was conducted on a segment of a thin rim gear. The rim thickness was varied and the loca tion and magnitude of the maximum bending stresses reported. Design li mits are discussed and compared with the results of other researchers.