Torsional Vibration Characteristics of the Marine Propulsion Shafting System Containing Epicyclic Gears with Elastically Supported Internal Gear : 1st Report, Experimental Results

Abstract

New epicyclic gears in which in internal gear is elastically supported by rubber bushed are designed and manufactured in order to shorten the length of reduction gears in a marine propulsion shafting system. Then, torques on the output shaft of a diesel engine and the input shafts on both the epicyclic gears and a hydraulic dynamometer as well as fillet stresses on the internal gear teeth are measured on a test bench similar to the marine propulsion shafting system. Consequently the following is revealed : Effects of elastically supporting the internal gear on reduction of both the dynamic tooth load and the torques of the input shafts are large in the low and middle engine speed ranges especially.