In a planetary gear system, what component carries the planet gears and can be fixed or rotated?

In a planetary gear system, what component carries the planet gears and can be fixed or rotated?

• A. Sun gear
• B. Ring gear
• C. Carrier
• D. Planet gears

Answer: (C)

In a planetary gear set, the planet gears are mounted on shafts that are all carried by a single frame—the carrier. The carrier provides the support for the planet gears and their shafts, and it can either be fixed to the housing (so it doesn’t rotate) or allowed to rotate (becomes part of the output). When the carrier is fixed, the planet gears spin on their own shafts as they mesh with the sun and ring gears, but the frame itself doesn’t move. When the carrier is allowed to rotate, its motion adds to the system’s output, altering the overall speed and torque. The sun gear is the central gear that drives the planets, and the ring gear is the outer gear that meshes with them. The planet gears are the ones that mesh with both sun and ring. Hence, the component that carries the planet gears and can be fixed or rotated is the carrier.

In a planetary gear set, the planet gears are mounted on shafts that are all carried by a single frame—the carrier. The carrier provides the support for the planet gears and their shafts, and it can either be fixed to the housing (so it doesn’t rotate) or allowed to rotate (becomes part of the output). When the carrier is fixed, the planet gears spin on their own shafts as they mesh with the sun and ring gears, but the frame itself doesn’t move. When the carrier is allowed to rotate, its motion adds to the system’s output, altering the overall speed and torque. The sun gear is the central gear that drives the planets, and the ring gear is the outer gear that meshes with them. The planet gears are the ones that mesh with both sun and ring. Hence, the component that carries the planet gears and can be fixed or rotated is the carrier.