Analysis of wear life of engaging splines based on dynamic engagement model of clutch

Purpose During the clutch engagement process, spline wear reduces transmission accuracy and exerts a significant impact on the performance of the tail-push clutch system. This paper aims to conduct research on the sliding wear of engaging splines in aviation wet friction clutches and propose a method for calculating the wear amount of engaging splines as well as a method for evaluating wear failure. Design/methodology/approach Considering the dynamic torque characteristics between the steel plate and friction plate during the engagement process of the tail-push clutch, a model is proposed to convert friction torque into dynamic torque on the spline. The spline wear depth is calculated based on the Archard wear model, and a neural network model is used to characterize the spline life. Findings The minimum service life of the spline occurs at Friction plate 1, which is 564.29 h. The influence of various factors on the service life of the engaging spline is analyzed, and it is found that clutch piston pressure is the most important, and the clutch driving end speed is the least important. A neural network model is used to characterize the service life of the spline, and it is evaluated that the model has a good fitting effect on the data. Originality/value This study provides an effective method for analyzing the wear life of the engaging spline in the helicopter tail-push clutch.