A synthesis method for planetary gear trains based on new topological model and similarity

Abstract With the development of computer technology, intelligent innovative design of mechanical equipment has become a popular topic. The structural design is a prerequisite for the creation of mechanical equipment. Therefore, this study focuses on the structural synthesis of planetary gear trains (PGTs), and proposes a new topological model and synthesis method of PGTs to address the existing research problems. First, the structural characteristics of PGTs are analyzed to explore the relation between their axles, gears, and planet carriers, and the corresponding topological model and the adjacency matrix expression of PGTs are provided. Then, the topological elements corresponding to the axles, gears, and gear pairs are added sequentially to the topological graph corresponding to the planet carriers, and the constraints are established based on similarity to inhibit the generation of isomorphism. Finally, all the databases of feasible PGTs are obtained through gear loop discrimination. All processes are carried out with computer assistance. The synthesis results of the PGTs with 1–3 degrees of freedom and up to 10 components are presented.