PSI - Issue 80

Simone Messina/ Structural Integrity Procedia 00 (2019) 000–000

Simone Messina et al. / Procedia Structural Integrity 80 (2026) 232–243

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Fig. 2 First reduction stage discretized.

2.2 Discretization strategy The first crucial step has been to discretize the geometry. This process have had to ensure an accurate representation while preserving the key features of the real geometry. The goal has been not only to optimize the number of elements, balancing computational precision, but also to ensure a reasonable element number to minimize simulation time. Since the total contact ratio has been approximately 4.8 , and fatigue analysis of a single tooth has required capturing the entire meshing sequence from engagement to disengagement, the simulation has had to include 2x+1 teeth, where x is the smallest integer greater than the contact ratio. In this case, this procedure has resulted in a discretization of 11 teeth. 2.3 Tooth discretization Several discretization strategies have been analyzed and evaluated followed by a sensitivity analysis of mesh size. The most promising meshing procedure begins with a 2D discretization of the two faces of a single tooth, followed by a 3D discretization operation based on the reference lines along the profile of the tooth, as shown in Fig. 3(b). Once a single tooth has been successfully discretized, it has served as a base to replicate and generate the remaining ten teeth. This approach has been applied both to pinion and gear. Fig. 3(a) presents the results of the optimal discretization strategy, which has been ultimately selected for the simulation. Its key feature is the inclusion of a “washer” in the external region, in green in Fig. 3(a), ensuring a consistent element size while also refining the fillet zone, the critical area for fatigue life analysis. Another advantage of this strategy is the differentiated subdivision of the various zones on the tooth face, which reduces the total element count without affecting the stiffness of the most relevant regions for the analysis.