Thermal Elastohydrodynamic Lubrication Analysis for Rolling Cone Enveloping End Face Worm Drive

Abstract

To explore the thermal elastohydrodynamic lubrication performance of rolling cone enveloping end face worm drive, the mathematical model of thermal elastohydrodynamic lubrication is established based on the meshing theory of rolling cone enveloping end face worm drive and elastohydrodynamic lubrication theory. With the help of the numerical analysis software MATLAB, the thermal elastohydrodynamic lubrication performance under smooth conditions is selectively analyzed by the multigrid method. Besides, the effects of throat coefficient, cone apex radius and half cone angle of the rolling cone on thermal elastohydrodynamic lubrication performance are analyzed at the meshing out of the transmission pair. The results show that the thermal elastohydrodynamic lubrication film thickness at meshing out of the worm gear is the smallest; the oil film thickness, oil film pressure and oil film temperature are reduced from meshing in to meshing out. The oil film temperature at the interlayer is the largest. The oil film temperature at the end face worm surface is the smallest. The small half-cone angle of the cone apex radius and larger throat coefficient and cone apex radius may achieve better thermal elastohydrodynamic lubrication performance of rolling cone enveloping end face worm drive.