S. P. Liu
S. I. Hayek
K. W. Wang
M. W. Trethewey
Penn State Univ., University Park, PA 16801
F. H. K. Chen
GM Res. & Development Ctr., Warren, MI 48090
A chain drive system consists of a closed loop roller chain wrapped around
two or more sprockets. One of the most significant noise sources in an operating
roller chain drive emanates from the repeated impacts between the chain links
and sprocket teeth during their meshing. Previous studies on the local-global
meshing of the chain with the sprockets only considered the dynamic transverse
motion of an axially moving chain while uncoupled from the sprockets. In this
study, the analysis is extended to axial-transverse motions of the moving roller
chain coupled with the dynamic response of the rigid sprockets over which the
chain is wrapped around. The analysis thus integrates the local impact meashing
to the global response of the chain-sprocket system. Numerical simulations of
the analytical model showed that the coupling effects between the two sprockets,
the two chain spans, and the chain-sprocket meshing impulse intensity increase
with decreasing sprocket inertia and chain longitudinal stiffness. Controlled
tests on a roller chain/two-sprocket system verified the results of the
numerical simulations; that the meshing noise SPL is directly related to the
chain speed and its vibrational characteristics. [Work supported by the GM
Corp.]