Reduction Gears

need:

propellers
waterjet pump
low speed diesels
medium speed diesels
steam turbine
gas turbine

60-300 rpm

300-1500 rpm

70-250 rpm

350-1200 rpm

6000-9000 rpm

3600-15000 rpm

(larger @ lower rpm)

reduction gears make conversion.

some history
ref: Marine Engineering Chapter IX Reduction Gears, by Gary P. Mowers, (SNAME) page 325 ff and
others
19th - 20th century (1890-1910) ships propelled by reciprocating steam engines - direct drive

1904 - study by consulting engineers George Melville Adm (Ret.) and John Alpine

George Melville was Chief Bureau of Steam Engineering and in 1899 President of ASME see
study: - Problem - steam engine succeeding reciprocating engine:
"If one could devise a means of reconciling, in a practical manner, the necessary high speed of revolution of the
turbine with the comparatively low rate of revolution required by an efficient propeller, the problem would be solved
and the turbine would practically wipe out the reciprocating engine for the propulsion of ships. The solution of this
problem would be a stroke of great genius." Ref: Mar. Eng.
First gear generally attributed to Pierre DeLaval in 1892. Parsons (cavitation) and George Westinghouse
developed prototypes and installed gears:

1910 - 15,000 shp with geared turbine drive

1940 - 100,000 shp with geared turbine drive

1917 - double reduction introduced

Development has been evolutionary - few step advances

- single to double
- welding in construction of gear wheel as and casing
- higher hardness pinion and gear materials => higher tooth load
Many types of gears are used (defined) and there is an extensive nomenclature associated with gear definitions.
One source: (formerly available free via registration via:
http://www.agma.org/Content/NavigationMenu/EducationTraining/OnlineEducation/default.htm )

AGMA Gear Nomenclature, Definitions of Terms with Symbols

ANSUAGMA 1012-F90

(Revision of AGMA 112.05)

[Tables or other self-supporting sections may be quoted or extracted in their entirety. Credit lines
should read: Extracted from AGMA 1012-F90, Gear Nomenclature Terms, Definitions, Symbols and
Abbreviations, with the permission of the publisher, American Gear Manufacturers Association, 1500
King Street, Suite 201, Alexandria, Virginia 22314 ] Availability changed to require registration in course.
I have copy from previous registration when it was free.
See: handout from Marine Engineering, (on web site)

11/29/2006

Single Reduction

gear_ratio = R =

R=

Single reduction
input
pinion

diameter_of_gear

diameter_of_pinion

number_teeth_gear
number_teeth_pinion

rpm_pinion
rpm_gear

NP

output

NG

bull
gear

Double Reduction (locked train 50% each drive)

R1 =

dg1
dp1

R2 =

dg2

Double reduction

R = R1 R2

dp2

dp 2
dg 2

dp 1
dg 1

dg 1

dg 1
dp+ 2

dp+2
dp 1

input

output

dg 2

Epicyclic gear summary

various combinations can be used with this
system

Epicyclic gear
ring
+

planets
sun

cage

cage

Type

Fixed

Input

Output

Ratio

Normal range

Planetary

ring

sun

cage

RR/RS + 1

3:1 - 12:1

Star

cage

sun

ring

(-) RR/RS

(-) 2:1 - 11:1

Solar

sun

ring

cage

RS/RR + 1

RS = radius_sun
RR = radius_ring

Application: Planetary gears used in high speed as tooth loading

reduced by multiplicity of planet gears. Also can provide
counter-rotation.

RP = radius_planet
11/29/2006

1.2:1 - 1.7:1

Wr*Rr

ring

Wp*Rp

to show above ratios consider:

R = pitch_diameter

subscripts ...

W = angular_velocity

s = sun

WT = tangential_load

p = planet

Wc

Wr
planet

Ws

Wc*Rr

Wp
Wp*Rp+Wc*Rs
Ws*Rs

sun

r = ring

n = rpm

c = carrier( cage)

ref: Gear Drive Systems; Design and

Application, P. Lynwander TJ184.L94 1983
N.B. in this development Ws and Wc are

1 = primary
for compound
systems

2 = secondary

clockwise and Wr and Wp are ccw

WsRs

1. point on pitch diameter of sun gear has tangential velocity

2. point on sun gear pitch diameter meshing with planet gear pitch diameter has tangential velocity

Wp Rp + WcRs

first term from rotation of planet

second from rotation of carrier about center of carrier and sun

WsRs = Wp Rp + WcRs

mesh =>

WrRr = Wp Rp WcRr

3. similarly at ring ...

Ws Rs = Wr Rr + Wc Rr + Rs
Planetary arrangement ... input sun,

or .. for solving below ...

output carrier (cage),

fixed ring
Ws

WsRs = Wc Rr + Rs

Wr = 0

Star arrangement ... input sun, output ring,

Wc

Solar arrangement ... input ring

Ws

Wr

output carrier (cage)

0 = Wr Rr + Wc Rr + Rs

Wr
Wc

Rr + Rs
Rs

Rr
Rs

+ 1

fixed carrier (cage)

WsRs = WrRr

Wc = 0

11/29/2006

WsRs = Wp Rp + WcRs = WrRr + WcRr + WcRs = WrRr + Wc Rr + Rs

combining ...

Ws = 0

WrRr + WcRr = Wp Rp

or ...

Rr

but these are in opposite directions

can use for reversing

Rs

fixed sun

Rr + Rs

Rs

Rr

Rr

+ 1

but in figure Wr and Wc are

opposite rotation => this is the

same actual rotation in result

defined mcd here for

symbolic calculation,
actually below

k 1 :=

Hertz stress

1 1

k 2 :=

E1

1 2

2
E2

a brief intro to some details. see Timoshenko, Theory of

Elasticity ... page 418 ff for more specifics

It can be shown that the width of contact between two parallel cylinders given: elliptical loading, q o , etc.
b :=

4 P_p k 1 + k 2 R1 R2

this is the solution to the

width of contact given:
elliptical loading, q o , etc.

R1 + R2

where ...

P_pr =

1
2

bq o

R1

(236)

q o = max_pressure_elliptical_distribution
b = half_width_of_rectangular_contact_area

q o :=

2 P_pr

P_pr = P' =

bb

kn =

load

1 n

(235)

length
2

all n

En

R2

(236)

elliptical loading details

b := 2 p_over_Pmax( x ) :=

x

b

x := b , b + 0.01 .. b
elliptical loading numerical plot
2

p ( xx) := P_max 1

want

xx

bb

2
pressure

symbolically

bb

p ( xx) dxx = load

bb

let ...

xx( , bb) := bb cos( )

xx( , bb) (bb) sin( )

distance

then ...
p ( ) := P_max sin( )

bb

bb

p ( xx) dxx = p ( xx) ( bb sin( ))

d

therefore ..
0

1
p ( ) ( bbsin( )) d P_max bb

elliptical loading details

11/29/2006

and with interpretation on

per unit length basis

P_pr =

1
2

b q o

P_pr

qo

substitution for b and solve for q o in terms of

load per unit length P_pr...

1 2 1 2
R2
1
2

P_pr

E + E R1 R + R
1
2
1
2

or ...

2 P_pr

qo =

qo =

R1 + R2

P_pr

R1 + R2

4 P_pr k 1 + k 2 R1 R2

P_pr 4

P_pr

4 P_pr k 1 + k 2 R1 R2

R1 + R2

P_pr

4 P_pr k 1 + k 2 R1 R2

R1 + R2

(k1 + k2)R1R2

P_pr

R1 + R2

1 2 1 2
2
1

E + E R1 R2
1
2

R1 + R2

1 2 1 2
(240)

2
1
+
R R
E
E2 1 2
1

same material E1 = E2, and ... = 0.3 ...

1

qo =

P_pr

R1 + R2

1 2
R R
E 1 2

P_pr E

R1 + R2
2

2 1 R1 R2

2
1
P_pr E R1 + R2

2
R1 R2

2
1

:= 0.3

= 0.418

2
2 1

q o = 0.418

Marine Engineering ...

S=

P_pr E R1 + R2

R1 R2

(241)

r1 + r2
P
0.175 E
L
r1 r2

page 330 between (10) and (11)

S = maximum_compressive_stress psi
P
L

Wt
Fe
unit version

P
L

hp

Wt

= 126051

Wt
Fe

2 1

= 0.175

tangential_tooth_load

lbf

effective_face_width_at_pitch_diameter in

hp = horse_power_transmitted_per_mesh

rpmpiniond pinionFe

Fe

11/29/2006

1
= loading_per_inch_length = P_pr

P d1 + d2

L d 1 d 2

maximum stress ~

E, r straight forward

hp in horsepower
hp

rpmpiniond pinionFe

rpm in min-1
dpinion in inches
Fe in length; carries to result

result ...

lbf

Fe_unit

replace ...

d1 = dg

d2 = dp
dg

+ 1

Wt d p

=
dg
Fe

Wt d g + d p

=
Fe d g d p

maximum stress ~

motivates parameter K factor

maximum stress ~

Wt R + 1

=
Fe d g

Wt 1 R + 1

Fe d p
R

K=

as ...

Wt R + 1

Fe d p R

R=

dg
dp

units of pressure: kPa. psi, N/m^2 etc.

K
Wt

R
hp
= K d p
=
Fe
R+1
n p d p Fe

some observations ...

Fe
=C
d
p
max

for double helical pinion gear

substitute F e = C*d p into

dp =

above ...

dp =

Kn p Fe

2 C 2.5

KCn p R

3
hp R + 1
KCn R
p

classification societies limit to 300 psi

550

6012 = 126051

hp

100psi = 689.5

K used in design 100 - 1000 psi

highest in hardened and ground aircraft engine gears

R + 1

lbf ft 60sec 12in

sec
ft
min

dp =

1.5 for epicyclic

unit conversion

R + 1

hp

hp

=>

kN

1000psi = 6895

m
300psi = 2068

kN
2

kN
2

Marine Engineering suggests the first approximation for the gear ratio for the second reduction be taken as ...
Roverall 1
another Navy study (ref: Prof
Carmichael) suggests

volume ... for solid gear

volume_bull_gear =

total_volume =

11/29/2006

hp

Kn p

Roverall

vol =

d p Fe = d p C =

locked train

for double reduction

Roverall

Roverall + 3

articulated

for triple reduction

d Fe

R + 1

2 2
2 hp R + 1
2
d g Fe = R d p Fe = R

4
4
4
Kn p R

hp R + 1 2
2
2
d p Fe R + 1 =

R + 1
4
4 Kn p R
6

in terms of diameter of pinion

n p = R n g

or substituting

total_volume =

R + 1 2
R +1

2
4 Kn g
R

hp

in terms of diameter of bull gear

overall volume ... increases with

1. power increases (per torque path
2. rpmgear decreases
3. K decreases
4. R increases
data for plot

$/hp

nominal cost plot showing trends

single reduction
double reduction
triple reduction
0

10

20

30

40

overall reduction ratio R

11/29/2006

50

60