Comparative Performance Evaluation of Spur Gears Made from Cast Iron and Epoxy Resin-Based Hybrid Composite Materials Utilizing the ANSYS Methodology

Gears are pivotal components within power transmission systems, responsible for driving a majority of rotating machinery in industrial contexts. Optimizing their design is imperative to improve power transmission efficiency. Gear failure often stems from contact stress surpassing the material's fatigue strength, resulting from repeated loading on the tooth surface. This research primarily centered on conducting static stress analysis on spur gears to determine equivalent stress, principal stress intensity, total deformation, and shear stress. The process commenced with 3-D modeling of the gear, incorporating technical specifications using Solidworks software, followed by finite element analysis (FEA) in ANSYS software. FEA analysis was conducted to assess the performance disparity between cast iron gears and epoxy matrix-based composite gears. The composite gears comprised a consistent composition of 1% boron carbide and glass particles, with reinforcement weight percentages varying at 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20%. The specifications for the spur gear were derived from the gear box of the TATA Super ACE commercial vehicle. The simulation takes into account variables such as load distribution, stress concentrations, and structural integrity, offering a comprehensive understanding of composite gear performance. Analysis reveals that among all materials, the polymer composite with 20% glass particles and 1% boron carbide displayed the least total deformation. Additionally, the equivalent stress and shear stress decreased with increasing reinforcement content in the epoxy polymer, with these stresses being higher in the polymer composite compared to cast iron. However, the disparity in equivalent stress and shear stress between cast iron and polymer composite was negligible. Principal stress was observed to escalate with higher reinforcement particle content. Integrating ANSYS simulations with cast iron and epoxy-based composite materials can enhance the effectiveness and reliability of gears in a range of engineering applications.