Abstract
The subsurface stress field beneath the gear's contact surface caused by the contact pressure in lubricated condition has been calculated. To evaluate the influence of the clearance shape on the stress field, two kinds of tooth profile models were chosen. One is the conventional cylinder contact model and the other is the new numerical model. Love's rectangular patch solution was used to obtain the subsurface stress field. The analysis results show that the subsurface stress is quite dependent on both the contact pressure and the profile model. The maximum effective stress of the new model is lower than that of the old model. The depth where the maximum effective stress occurs in the new model is not proportional to the intensity of the external load.