Research on thermal contact conductance of helical gears considering rough surface lateral contact and friction coefficient

Purpose This paper aims to develop a thermal contact conductance (TCC) model for helical gears that considers the effects of lateral contact between rough surfaces and the friction coefficient, thereby providing insights into the contact performance of helical gears. Design/methodology/approach A TCC model for helical gears is developed, considering asperity lateral contact and friction and incorporating the effects of asperity deformation at different stages, including elastic, first elastoplastic, second elastoplastic and fully plastic deformation. Numerical simulations are conducted to analyze the influence of friction coefficient, fractal dimension and fractal roughness on thermal contact conductance. Findings The results indicate that, in engineering applications, a lower friction coefficient increases the contact area on the surface of helical gears under the same loading conditions, thereby enhancing thermal contact conductance, improving heat dissipation and extending service life. In addition, appropriately increasing the fractal dimension while reducing fractal roughness also contributes to a larger contact area, higher thermal contact conductance and improved heat dissipation, which can further prolong the service life of the helical gears to some extent. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the combined effects of lateral contact and friction coefficient on the TCC of helical gears. By analyzing the influence of friction coefficient and fractal parameters on thermal contact conductance, this work not only elucidates the impact of these parameters on helical gear thermal behavior but also provides valuable insights for future research on gear contact performance. Peer review The peer review history for this article is available at: Link to publons