Design and Operation of “Siklob”, a Mechanised Falling Gear Operated in Northern Iloilo, Philippines

Fisheries in the Philippines is multispecies, and this is seen with the wide variety of fishing gears used in major and minor fishing grounds in the country. These gears constantly face modification and development to improve catch quality, quantity, and overall efficiency. This study investigated the features of “siklob”, a mechanised falling gear operated along the municipal waters of Northern Iloilo, Philippines. Some coastal residents claimed that fishers use fine mesh nets for this gear, and this was because of some incidences of the capture of very small fish. Results of this study, however, indicate that the mesh size of nettings used for “siklob” is 4.35 cm, which is above the minimum set by the national law (3 cm). The gear is operated offshore, in a fishing vessel, with lights and fish-finding devices. The catch included an array of pelagic to benthic species, with Sardinella gibbosa (Bleeker, 1849) as the top species. The catch per unit effort values for two fishing operations were 17.40 kg.cast-1 and 16.5 kg.cast-1, respectively. If a management plan for the gear is to be implemented in the area, it would be necessary first to study the spawning seasons of commercially important species and impose closed fishing seasons. Before any attempt to ban or control the use of the gear, it is necessary first to understand the gear design, performance, and selectivity.

Duncan Dowson: Pioneer of elastohydrodynamic lubrication of gears

The paper briefly reviews Duncan Dowson's ground-breaking contribution to the theory of elastohydrodynamic lubrication in relation to the understanding of lubrication of gear tooth contacts. His early work with Higginson on numerical modelling of elastohydrodynamic lubrication finally explained how gears can operate successfully, and avoid wear, due to the generation of a stiff, protective oil film. The resulting minimum film thickness equation stands as a reliable reference formula for calculations in gear design standards. The paper includes examples of how elastohydrodynamic lubrication theory has been developed by the present authors and their co-workers, and applied to aid the design of engineering components such as worm gears, thrust rims and profile-modified helical gears. Also included is its extension to include the important effects of surface roughness at the asperity level (micro-elastohydrodynamic lubrication) and its relevance to the current, troublesome problem of micropitting.

Gear shape optimization for non-circular gearing

The quality of gearings is largely decided by their geometric design. If the geometric design is incorrect, the reliability of the transmission will not be ensured even by the use of the highest quality materials. Conversely, sometimes excellent geometric gear design can save expensive material costs. The work describes the procedure of optimizing the geometric model of a non-standard elliptical gear eccentrically mounted with a continuously changing gear number for specific parameters.

Catch Pattern for Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) of Different Commercial Trawls in Similar Times and Overlapping Fishing Grounds

Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) is harvested using different design midwater trawls. Knowing the selective properties between trawls is crucial information for the management of the krill resources. This study compared the catch patterns between different commercial krill trawls at similar times and overlapping fishing grounds based on scientific data collected by scientific observers onboard commercial trawlers Long Teng (LT) and Fu Rong Hai (FRH). The results showed significant differences in the length-dependent catch densities and cumulative catch densities of krill between the two trawls. The krill length range in catches from LT's trawl was wider than that of FRH's trawl. Furthermore, the catch would consist of a larger proportion of smaller krill in the LT's trawl. The LT's trawl caught significantly higher proportions of krill below 38 mm than FRH's trawl. Even, the LT's trawl caught substantial numbers of krill <30 mm, whereas the FRH's trawl caught very few of them. The main factors causing the difference between trawls in catch pattern were inferred to be related to gear design including differences in mesh sizes used. The results of this study enhance the quality of comparative analysis of scientific data from commercial trawls and the understanding of gear selectivity of different configuration trawls used for harvesting krill.

Scuffing of cylindrical gears with pitch line velocities up to 100 m/s

Increasing demands on the power density of gearboxes require a precisive gear design regarding common failure mechanism. Particularly in turbo gearboxes with low-viscosity lubricants, the damage mechanism scuffing is relevant. In this paper an innovative test rig for the experimental investigation of scuffing at pitch line velocities up to 100 m/s is presented. The scuffing load capacity depending on the pitch line velocity of two gear design variants running at constant temperatures and lubricant conditions was investigated. Furthermore, the morphology of scuffing was investigated with regard to the damage location and the surface condition. Based on the experimental results, a simulation approach with an accuracy superior to the existing standards for calculating the scuffing load capacity of highspeed gears has been derived.

Techniques and Equipment Types to Harden Gears

Material science and thermodynamics are applied in heat treating to achieve mechanical performance in gears. The technique includes part design, fixturing, and process development. Different furnaces may offer unique advantages, like minimizing part distortion, while operating and maintenance costs vary greatly for hardening furnaces. The challenge is to understand which furnace type can most effectively process the gear design and material grade. Protective-atmosphere furnace solutions are well-suited for hardening of gears. The process techniques include gas or vacuum carburizing, carbonitriding, and neutral hardening in a carbon-based atmosphere or in a vacuum. This paper will discuss vacuum, controlled atmosphere, and hybrid furnace types highlighting available processes while sharing respective associated operation and maintenance costs. Batch integral quench (BIQ) furnaces will be the base case for comparison, as they comprise the largest installed base for gear heat treatment. While a discussion of when to consider continuous atmosphere furnace equipment by defining what is high production versus today’s BIQ furnace capacities for gear heat treatment.