Investigation of the noise and vibration characteristics of a hypoid gear pair using simulation methods

Abstract

Hypoid gears are a widely used drive component in the automotive industry. This is particularly true where high power transmission and compact design are required. They also present significant design challenges in terms of noise and vibration characteristics. The aim of this paper is to analyze the NVH behavior of hypoid gears using simulation methods, with emphasis on the contact pattern, the stability of the transmission torque, and the spectral properties of the Transmission Error (TE). In this research, a multi-body dynamic model of the tooth contact using MSC Adams commercial software was used to investigate the tooth contact. Results show that optimization of the contact pattern can lead to significant noise reduction. The frequency spectrum analysis shows that the most significant noise sources are in the 200–800 Hz range. These frequencies are directly related to the gear excitations. The results suggest further optimization of the contact pressure distribution and tooth profile geometry.