Research on load sharing performance of wind turbine gearbox involving multiple-errors and tooth crack

The current research on wind turbine gearboxes (WTG) considering multiple-factors influence mainly focuses on dynamic response. However, load sharing performance (LSP) is also extremely important for gear transmission system reliability. In this paper, considering the comprehensive effects of manufacturing errors, assembly errors, clearance floating between stages, mesh stiffness and time-varying load, a coupled translation-torsion dynamic model for WTG was developed to study the LSP. Based on the amplitude variations of time-varying mesh stiffness caused by tooth crack, an approach is provided to introduce the tooth crack into the dynamic model. The results indicate the LSP is mostly sensitive to multiple-errors and severe tooth crack, followed by the time-varying load. The LSP of a system is periodically affected by tooth crack, and the fluctuation ranges increase with the crack growth. Furthermore, the crack of sun gear has greater influence on LSP than that of planet and ring gear.