Abstract
Different lubrication methods such as oil dip or injection lubrication are used in gearboxes to lubricate tribological contacts and to dissipate frictional heat. To improve resource and energy efficiency, novel needs-based lubrication methods like the drop-on-demand lubrication are being developed. It includes an ink-jet nozzle driven by a piezo element to generate picoliter droplets injected to tribological contacts. This study evaluates the feasibility of drop-on-demand lubrication of gears. Friction measurements in rolling-sliding contacts indicate the formation of typical elastohydrodynamic contacts. Power loss measurements of gears show a similar behavior compared to continuous minimum quantity lubrication. Hence, the study confirms that the operation of gears with drop-on-demand lubrication is possible. It introduces the possibility of dynamic and flexible oil supply on a contact needs-based level.
Highlights
The selection of a gearbox lubrication method depends on several factors
This study shows that it is generally feasible to operate gears with drop-on-demand lubrication
Friction and temperature measurements in gear-like rolling-sliding contacts indicate the formation of typical elastohydrodynamic contacts
Summary
The selection of a gearbox lubrication method depends on several factors. Gearboxes with relevant power transmission are generally lubricated by grease or oil. Hinterstoißer et al (2019) (Hinterstoißer, 2014) conducted experiments at a gear efficiency back-to-back test rig and showed for oil dip lubrication a significant increase in no-load power losses with increasing circumferential speed. Otto (2009) and Höhn et al (2009) further reduced the noload power loss by continuous minimum quantity lubrication (MQL) using a continuous air stream as transporting fluid for very small oil quantities supplied to the gear mesh with flow rates between 3.5 and 108 mL/h Such results with continuous MQL prove that the required lubricant amount for lubrication of tribological contacts in gearboxes is small. For gearboxes with small load-dependent power losses, the lubricant amount and supply to tribological contacts in machine elements can be drastically reduced.
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