Determining efficiency of cycloid reducers using different calculation methods

Abstract

Cycloid reducers are gear trains which can be classified as planetary transmissions. These transmissions have a very wide range of uses in industry in transporters, robots, satellites, etc. This research presents a comparative analysis of three analytical methods for determining cycloid drive efficiency. The paper explores every mathematically formulated method and compares them to experimental results from literature. The presented methods for determining efficiency have a common property, in that they all determine losses due to friction on the bearing cam surface of the shaft, the rollers of the central gear and the output rollers. The calculation of efficiency values is done for standard power values. The methods differ primarily in the way they calculate losses. For each method of calculating efficiency there is an analysis of pros and cons. The paper concludes with suggestions as well as possible directions for further research.