Analysis of Vibration Parameters for the Fault Diagnosis of Reduction Unit for High-speed Train

The reduction unit is one of the most important components in railway cars, due to the transmission of torque from the motor to the wheels. Faulty reduction gears in high-speed trains result from excessive wear on the gear or damage to the gear. These types of gear defects have a significant effect on high-speed rail operation and safety; thus, a diagnosis system for the reduction unit is needed. Vibration diagnosis technology is one of the most effective diagnostics. In this paper, the vibration parameters of a reduction unit were evaluated during a driving-gear test and a full-vehicle test, using kurtosis and the crest factor. These tests were performed under normal operating conditions; a specimen tester was used to diagnose problems in defective gears.