With ever shorter development times and market demands on overall system performance such as efficiency, reliability and low maintenance, accurate predictive tools are necessary and gear drives prove to be no exception. All these characteristics have an impact on a process which has remained a riddle: running-in. Even though no consensus on a definition of this phenomena is readily available, this thesis examines efficiency, surface roughness and simulation through the optics of running-in. Geared transmissions are known for their formidable efficiency and their extreme reliability. However, with an ever increasing power density, the ability to accurately predict mesh losses becomes of utmost importance. The accurate quantification of bearing losses as well as efficiency of ground and superfinished gears under dip lubrication are examined with respect to running-in. Results show a considerable influence on the calculation of gear mesh losses originating from which bearing loss model is chosen. Furthermore, when a larger running-in load is used on ground gears, an increase in efficiency can be observed during working operation, while for superfinished no significant changes are found. These efficiency/frictional changes are also shown to occur in the initial cycles of the running-in phase. From a surface transformation point of view running-in is shown to be a reduction of asperity tips in case hardened ground gears, while in superfinished gears no changes were seen. These gear surface changes were measured with a novel method with a surface profilometer in-situ before, after running-in and after efficiency testing. Results also show that such changes in ground gear roughness profile occur during the very initial cycles. In order to predict running-in, a simulation method was developed. Such method utilizes a 2D surface integral method to simulate contact between rough surfaces, but requires the use of surface hardness and an accurate lower cutoff wavelength. This cutoff wavelength proved to play a pivotal role in determining an accurate contact pressure at the proper level of granularity, hence a well defined real contact area. The predicted and measured run-in surfaces are compared and are found to be in accordance with each other. / <p>QC 20170928</p>

Background Quantifying joint deformity in people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA), using high resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography (HR-pQCT), remains problematic because it is difficult to estimate where the healthy joint surface would have been. Methods The second metacarpophalangeal of RA, PsA and healthy subjects were imaged with HR-pQCT. Using the bone surfaces of the healthy cohort as a reference, the method predicted the healthy surface of each individual diseased bone surface. Quantifiable outcomes were measured based on differences between the predicted healthy surface and the actual diseased surface. Sensitivity studies were conducted to measure precision, and the algorithm was validated against artificially created deformities with known geometries. Results Subjects with PsA and RA had significantly greater occurrences of erosion based surface outcomes than the healthy cohort. Sensitivity analyses revealed precision errors of up to 0.26 mm. Validating the algorithm showed an average accuracy error of 0.12 mm (4%) for detecting erosions and 0.27 mm (20%) for detecting periosteal bone growths. Conclusions The new method allows for visualization and quantification of surface changes within the affected joint by identifying areas of erosion and periosteal bone formation. Surface based outcomes are a novel way to interpret and further quantify articular bone changes affected by PsA and RA.

Requirements today for machines have moved beyond functionality intoefficiency and reliability, gears are no exception. The presented work focuseson the analysis of the measurement, evolution and effect of running-in on geardrives from a surface roughness and efficiency point of view. With no consen-sus on a definition or observation of running-in of gear drives, measurementsof both efficiency and surface transformation during the predefined running-inis explored. A verified methodology on how to separate form, waviness androughness is presented. Two finishing methods, namely generation groundand superfinished, are analyzed in terms of efficiency and surface characteris-tics as manufactured, after running-in and after efficiency testing in order todetermine the effects of load level during running-in.Results show that separation of form can be achieved with a carefullychosen polynomial, while waviness is more subject to how the user definesa cut-off wavelength for the surface roughness. Ground gears show distinctsmoothening in terms of surface roughness at high running-in load, and nogeneral trend for low load. This behavior is also reflected in the efficiencysince higher loads gave overall lower efficiency after running-in when com-pared to lower loads. Superfinished gears in contrast show no running-in ef-fects in terms of efficiency. Additionally, ground gears exhibit general changein friction and surface roughness during the first cycles of running-in whenanalyzing high load. Overall gains in efficiency can be obtained from running-in; however, at most speeds improvements from polishing a surface, in thiscase superfinishing, proved to lead to higher efficiency. / <p>QC 20150922</p>