Helical Gears

Group 2
 Introduction
Helical gears are similar to spur gears except that their
teeth are cut at an angle to the axis rather then straight
and parallel to it.

Helical gears are generally used to connect non

intersecting shaft.
 Introduction…
When two teeth on a helical gear system engage, the contact
starts at one end of the tooth and gradually spreads as the
gears rotate, until the two teeth are in full engagement.

This gradual engagement makes helical gears operate much

more smoothly and quietly than spur gears. For this reason,
helical gears are used in almost all car transmission.

Because of the angle of the teeth on helical gears, they create

a thrust load on the gear when they mesh. Devices that use
helical gears have bearings that can support this thrust load.
 Introduction…
Introduction…
Helical gears are used to connect parallel shafts and
sometimes shafts at right angles.

There are right hand helical gears and left hand helical
gears.

Opposite hand gears run with parallel shafts and same

had gears run with shafts of 90 degrees.
Gears on parallel shafts
Gears on shafts at right angle
 Advantages of a Helical Gear
• Silent operation: In a helical gear train, the teeth
engage a little at a time rather than the entire face
at once. This causes less noisy power transfer.

• Non-parallel shaft: Helical gears can be used for

transferring power between non parallel shafts.
Though you have to compromise on efficiency in
this case.

• Strength: For same tooth size (module) and

equivalent width, helical gears can handle more
load than spur gears because the helical gear tooth
is effectively larger since it is diagonally positioned.
 Why is it used for high power
transmission?
o Tooth strength is greater because the teeth are longer,

o Greater surface contact on the teeth allows a helical

gear to carry more load than a spur gear

But
o The longer surface of contact reduces the efficiency of a
helical gear relative to a spur gear
 Disadvantage of Helical Gear

A disadvantage of helical gears is a resultant

thrust along the axis of the gear, which needs to
be accommodated by appropriate thrust
bearings, and a greater degree of sliding friction
between the meshing teeth, often addressed
with additives in the lubricant.
 Types
Single Helical Type Double Helical Type

• There is some axial thrust • There is no axial thrust.

between the teeth, which is • It is also called herringbone
a disadvantage. gears.
 Terms used in Helical Gear

• Helix Angle
– Angle between axis and
tangent to the tooth ( α)
• Axial Pitch
– It is the distance between
similar faces of adjacent
teeth.
– This is equivalent to circular
pitch as we know before.
(pc)
 Terms used in Helical Gear
• Normal Pitch
– It is the distance between
similar faces of adjacent teeth
along a helix on the pitch
cylinders normal to the teeth.
(pN)
– pN = pc cos α … 12.43

• Normal Pressure Angle

– It is pressure angle in normal
plane of a tooth.(ΦN)
tan ΦN = tan Φ cos α
 Face Width of Helical Gears
• At least one pair of teeth
should always be in contact.
So the tooth displacement or
overlap should at least be
equal to axial pitch.

Overlap = pc = b tan α
 Face Width of Helical Gears

• Normal tooth load (WN) has 2

components
– Tangential component (WT)
– Axial component (WA)

• The axial or end thrust is

given by
WA = WN sin α = WT tan α …12.51
• Overlap = pc = b tan α …i
• WA = WN sin α = WT tan α … ii
i) if helix angle increases overlap increases
ii) if helix angle increases end thrust increases
..so overlap is taken as 15 percent of circular pitch.
Overlap = b tan α = 1.15 pc
1.15 pc
𝑏=
tan α
1.15 π m
𝑏= … 12.54
tan α
where b is minimum face width
• For max. face width
– b = 12.5 m to 20 m … 12.58a
– In terms of pinion diameter (DP),
• b = 1.5 DP to 2 DP

• In case of double helical gears, min. face width

is given by
2.3 pc
𝑏= … 12.56
tan α
• For max. face width
– b = 20 m to 30 m … 12.58b
Equivalent/ Formative Proportions for Helical Gears
Number of Teeth Proportions are not
standardized, yet following are
T
recommended by AGMA:
• TE= … 12.52a
cos3 α

where,
T = Actual number of teeth on a
helical gear
 Strength of Helical Gears
For tangential tooth load, a modified Lewis equation is
used. (applied to the weaker one, as in spur gear)

where

… 12.59
For velocity factor (CV)

πDN
Here, v=
60
• y’ can be found from equation 12.17a, 12.17b
and 12.17c or from Table 12.5 from data book.

**But instead of using number of teeth(T or z),

equivalent number of teeth(TE of z’) must be
used.
• Allowable static stress is obtained from Table
12.7
 Dynamic Tooth Load
…12.62

Where
Dynamic factor (C) can be evaluated from Table 12.12
It can also can be evaluated by using the formula

In which value of e is evaluated from Table12.13

And, K=.107, for 14.5 full depth involute In spur gear
K=.111, for 20 full depth involute
K=.115, for 20 subsystem
E is the modulus of elasticity
 Static Tooth Load

• Also called endurance strength.

… 12.63

where,
σe = endurance limit

We use Table 12.15 to find endurance limit.

 Maximum Wear Tooth Load

…12.64

where DP, Q and b have usual meanings as discussed in spur

gears.
The ratio factor (Q) can be found by using equation 12.36c.
In this case
…12.65
where
ΦN = Normal Pressure Angle
 Numerical Problem 1

A pair of helical gears are to transmit 15 kW. The teeth are

20°stub in diametral plane and have a helix angle of 45°.
The pinion runs at 10 000 r.p.m. and has 80 mm pitch
diameter. The gear has 320 mm pitch diameter. If the gears
are made of cast steel having allowable static strength of
100 MPa; determine a suitable module and face width from
static strength considerations and check the gears for wear,
given σes = 618 MPa.
 Solution
Given : P = 15 kW = 15 × 103 W; φ = 20° ; α = 45° ;
NP = 10 000 r.p.m. ; DP = 80 mm= 0.08 m ;
DG = 320 mm = 0.32 m ;
σOP = σOG = 100 MPa = 100 N/mm2 ;
σes = 618 MPa = 618 N/mm2
To find: m=? ; b=?
 Calculate torque transmitted by the pinion
 Tangential tooth load on the pinion,
 Equivalent number of teeth for the pinion
 Tooth form factor for the pinion for 20° stub teeth
 Velocity factor
 Take max face width as 12.5m to 20m
 Use tangential tooth load expression and solve for m.
 Numerical Problem 2
A helical cast steel gear with 30° helix angle has to
transmit 35 kW at 1500 r.p.m. If the gear has 24
teeth, determine the necessary module, pitch
diameter and face width for 20° full depth teeth. The
static stress for cast steel may be taken as 56 MPa.
The width of face may be taken as 3 times the
normal pitch. What would be the end thrust on the
gear? The tooth factor for 20° full depth involute
0.192
gear may be taken as 0.154 T- where TE
𝑇𝑒
represents the equivalent number of teeth.
 Solution
Given : α = 30° ; P = 35 kW = 35 × 103 W ;
N = 1500 r.p.m. ; TG = 24 ; φ = 20° ;
σo = 56 MPa = 56 N/mm2 ;
b = 3 × Normal pitch = 3 pN
To find: m , Dg
 Firstly calculate torque transmitted by the gear
 Equivalent no. of teeth
 Tooth factor
 Solve tangential tooth load equation for m
 Calculate pitch diameter, face width and end thrust on gear