Acoustic emission monitoring of teeth surface damage process in a planetary gearbox

Abstract

Each different sensor technology has advantages and disadvantages in pursuit of detection and diagnostic before a catastrophic failure in condition monitoring. Acoustic emission (AE) records the high frequency waves generated by diverse physical sources, employing a piezoelectric sensor. These AE perturbations are produced in the interaction of the gears and other components such as bearings. The asperity contact between surfaces is a fundamental source of AE waves. The good sensitivity of such sensor to any behavior variation of the contacts leads AE to its application in the monitoring of surface damage. This paper investigates the surface damage progression in one gear of a planetary transmission by AE monitoring. One pinion is subjected to a natural but accelerated wearing, thanks to the lack of teeth surface treatment. The evolution of this gear and its influence in the acquired AE signals, centered on the AE event width, are used to analyze the response and potential benefits of this technique in the condition monitoring of planetary gearboxes.