Effect of operating parameters of worm gearbox on lubricant oil temperature

Abstract

Worm gearbox has the relative sliding motion between a tooth of worm and worm wheel which causes friction energy loss. The loss in friction energy is transfer into an equivalent amount of heat and that heat dissipate into lubricant oil. The frictional heat dissipation into lubricant oil causes an increment in the temperature of the lubricant oil and a decrement in the overall performance of the gearbox. To observe the effect of different operating parameters on increment in temperature of lubricant oil, one response parameter was defined i.e. Lubricant Heating Time (time required to raise the temperature of lubricant from 350 to 500. Oil volume, oil type, load on worm wheel and process time were taken as operating parameters. Every operating parameter was varied at three different levels. From the experimental results, it is observed that for all the oils if the load on the worm wheel increases keeping the oil volume constant then Lubricant Heating Time decreases and it follows the linear decrement relationship with the load on worm wheel. Also, for all the oils if the oil volume increases keeping the load on the worm wheel constant then Lubricant Heating Time increases and it follows a linear increment relationship with oil volume. It is observed that the rate of increase of temperature of lubricant oil initially was very high, latter on it decreases. The viscosity of oil affects the rate of increases in the temperature of lubricant oil. There exists an inverse relationship between Lubricant Heating Time and oil viscosity.