BS-ISO helical gear fatigue life estimation and debris analysis validation

Lack of representative theoretical models for wear phenomena in gears causes difficulties in their useful lifetime prediction even under controlled operational conditions. Critical operating parameters such as loading and lubrication affect the wear process in a very complex manner and lead the theoretical modeling to an imperfect zone of assumptions. Complexities in gear wear mathematical modeling allow approximations to predict its useful lifetime. Based on modeling approximations and assumptions, organizations like AGMA (American Gear Manufacturers Association) and BS (British Standards) provides standards for gear useful lifetime formulations. In these standards the useful lifetime values are estimated by means of experimentation controlled with known gear operating conditions and physical dimensions. But for useful lifetime estimation and validation these standards have not considered any experimental approach that represents the actual gear wear. In this paper an effort is made to validate the competency of standard’s gear useful lifetime formulation by using an approach that is able to provide the idea about actual gear wear. During the effort BS-ISO 6336-2 standard formulation is used for helical gear useful life time estimation under linear pitting fatigue conditions. The used formulation estimation is validated by using wear quantitative features analysis which is