Gearbox power loss. Part I: Losses in rolling bearings

This work is devoted to the analysis, modeling and validation of gearbox power loss, considering the influence of the gears, rolling bearings and seals, the influence of the operating conditions, lubricant formulation and the lubrication method.The first part of this work a rolling bearing torque loss model is calibrated for several wind turbine gear oils and for ball and roller contacts. The results achieved clarify the importance of a rolling bearing in a gearbox power loss.In the second part of this work will be presented the same approach for gears. The final part will converge in the application of findings in two full gearboxes, a planetary and a parallel axis gearbox, both in multiplying configuration.     

Friction torque of thrust ball bearings lubricated with wind turbine gear oils

Planetary gearboxes used in wind turbines very often have premature bearing and gear failures, some of them related to the lubricants used. Five fully formulated wind turbine gear oils with the same viscosity grade and different formulations were selected and their physical characterization was performed. The lubricant tribological behaviour in a thrust ball bearing was analyzed. A modified Four-Ball Machine was used to assemble the bearings. They were submitted to an axial load and the tests were performed at velocities ranging between 150 and 1500 rpm. Experimental results for the operating temperatures and for the internal friction torque are presented.     

Torque loss of type C40 FZG gears lubricated with wind turbine gear oils

Five fully formulated wind turbine gear oils were characterised. The gear oils have 320 ISO VG grade and different formulations: ester, mineral, PAO, PAG and mineral+PAMA.A back-to-back FZG test machine, with re-circulating power, was used and a torque-cell was included on the test rig in order to measure the torque loss. Eight thermocouples were included to monitor the temperatures in different locations of the test rig.Tests at 1.13, 2.26 and 6.79 m/s were performed for different FZG load stages: K1, K5, K7 and K9. Both gearboxes were jet-lubricated with an oil flow of 3 l/min. The input flow temperature was kept almost constant (80 ±1 °C).Friction generated between the meshing teeth, shaft seals and rolling bearing losses was predicted.     

Gearbox power loss. Part III: Application to a parallel axis and a planetary gearbox

In the third part of this work, the rolling bearing torque loss model, the lubricant factor extracted from the FZG tests with wind turbine gear oils and the loss factor for helical gears, developed in Part I and Part II of this work, will be applied to predict the power loss in a parallel axis and a planetary gearbox. The numerical results obtained are compared with those from experimental tests.     

Influence of tooth profile and oil formulation on gear power loss

Nowadays power losses are a main concern in transmission systems and the friction between gear teeth during the meshing cycle is one of the main sources. The friction losses reduction is mandatory to promote lower energy consumption, lower operating temperatures, lower oil oxidation and lower risk of failures.In this study the power losses reduction is obtained using two different approaches: using lower modulus helical gears and significant positive profiles shifts and using gear oil formulations with different base oils.The adopted geometries proved to reduce the power losses considerably, promoting a reduction of oil operating temperature up to 20 K.     

Power losses at low speed in a gearbox lubricated with wind turbine gear oils with special focus on churning losses

In this study gear oils were tested for power loss behaviour in a two stage multiplying gearbox, on a back-to-back test rig with recirculating power. The tests were performed at low input speeds and high input torques with oil sump temperature set free.A power loss model simulating the power loss mechanisms was implemented to evaluate gear power losses, but failed to correctly describe the gear churning.Two lubricant flow regimes were identified, which are related to the nature of the fluid circulation, as well as with the gearbox case. A calibration method for the gear churning loss is proposed based on these results and a method to identify the transition between the fluid flow regimes inside the gearbox.     

Lubricating properties of rapeseed‐based oils

Three commercially available hydraulic/transmission lubricants based on rapeseed oil have been investigated for their lubricating properties. The coefficient of friction, scuffing‐load capacity, and pitting resistance were evaluated, and the results compared with a corresponding commercial mineral‐based oil. The results showed in general a substantially lower coefficient of friction and better pitting resistance for rapeseed‐based oils than for the mineral oil. Scuffing load capacity was, with one exception, the same for all oils. As a result of lower shear stresses during contact, and a higher viscosity index, the temperatures in the gearbox were lower for the rapeseed oils tested than for the mineral oil. Insufficient antiwear behaviour at high loads was found to be a major drawback of these vegetable oils.     

风电机组齿轮箱在用润滑油运行状态分析

为监测某风场5台风机的齿轮箱润滑油的运行状态,对影响齿轮油衰变和齿轮箱寿命的指标,如齿轮油黏度、黏温性能、水分、酸值和污染物等进行监测,分析在用润滑油在不同运行时间下各个指标的变化情况。结果表明：在不同运行时间下各齿轮油的运动黏度有一定变化,但未发生明显衰变,对齿轮箱不会产生较大影响;酸值和水分的测试结果也显示齿轮油尚未发生明显的劣化;在不同运行时间下齿轮油的动力黏度变化不大,表明齿轮油并未受到严重的剪切作用,其结构没有发生明显的变化;温度对齿轮油有重要的影响,随着温度的降低,齿轮油的动力黏度逐渐变差,因此,齿轮箱的运行应控制在合适温度范围内。污染度测试结果表明,齿轮油的污染度已超标,最高达到22/20/17,最低为18/16/11,可采用更换过滤器或者安装旁路过滤系统的方式来控制该风场风机齿轮箱润滑油的污染度,以延长齿轮箱的使用寿命。     

Friction coefficient in FZG gears lubricated with industrial gear oils: Biodegradable ester vs. mineral oil

Two industrial gear oils, a reference paraffinic mineral oil with a special additive package for extra protection against micropitting and a biodegradable non-toxic ester, were characterized in terms of their physical properties, wear properties and chemical contents and compared in terms of their power dissipation in gear applications [Höhn BR, Michaelis K, Döbereiner R. Load carrying capacity properties of fast biodegradable gear lubricants. J STLE Lubr Eng 1999; Höhn BR, Michaelis K, Doleschel A. Frictional behavior of synthetic gear lubricants. Tribology research: from model experiment to industrial problem. Elsevier 2001; Martins R, Seabra J, Seyfert Ch, Luther R, Igartua A, Brito A. Power Loss in FZG gears lubricated with industrial gear oils: biodegradable ester vs. mineral oil. Proceedings of the 31th Leeds-Lyon symposium on tribology. Elsevier; to be published; Weck M, Hurasky-Schonwerth O, Bugiel Ch. Service behaviour of PVD-coated gearing lubricated with biodegradable synthetic ester oils. VDI-Berichte Nr.1665 2002.]. The viscosity–temperature behaviors are compared to describe the feasible operating temperature range.Standard tests with the Four-Ball machine and the FZG test rig [Winter H, Michaelis K. FZG gear test rig—desciption and possibilities. In: Coordinate European Council second international symposium on the performance evaluation of automotive fuels and lubricants; 1985.] characterize the wear protection properties. Biodegradability and toxicity tests are performed in order to assess the biodegradability and toxicity of the two lubricants.Power loss gear tests are performed on the FZG test rig using type C gears, for wide ranges of the applied torque and input speed, in order to compare the energetic performance of the two industrial gear oils. Lubricant samples are collected during and at the end of the gear tests [Hunt TM. Handbook of wear debris analysis and particle detection in liquids. UK: Elsevier Science; 1993.] and are analyzed by Direct Reading Ferrography (DR3) in order to evaluate and compare the wear particles concentration indexes of both lubricants.An energetic model of the FZG test gearbox is developed, integrating the mechanisms of power dissipation and heat evacuation, in order to determine its operating equilibrium temperature. An optimization routine allows the evaluation of the friction coefficient between the gear teeth for each lubricant tested, correlating experimental and model results.For each lubricant and for the operating conditions considered, a correction expression is presented in order to adjust the friction coefficient proposed by Höhn et al. [Höhn BR, Michaelis K, Vollmer T. Thermal rating of gear drives: balance between power loss and heat dissipation. AGMA Technical Paper; October 1996. pp 12. ISBN: 1-55589-675-8.] to the friction coefficient exhibited by these lubricants. The influence of each lubricant on the friction coefficient between the gear teeth is discussed taking into consideration the operating torque and speed and the stabilized operating temperature.     

Reduction in axle oil operating temperatures by fluids with optimized torque transfer efficiencies

Effective axle oils must efficiently transfer torque from the drive‐train to the wheels, while maintaining low axle oil operating temperatures. Previous studies have shown that fluids, which form thicker elastohydrodynamic (EHD) films and have lower EHD friction, have higher torque transfer efficiencies (TE) and lower axle oil operating temperatures (OT). In general, oils with higher viscosities form thicker films and those with lower viscosities have lower EHD friction. Therefore, optimizing oil's rheological properties to maximize TE and minimize OT is difficult. In this paper, we examine two approaches to maintaining high TE while reducing OT. One approach is to minimize boundary friction since previous studies have shown that the boundary frictional properties of oils influence OT and not TE. A second approach is to more thoroughly examine the effect of rheology on film thickness and EHD friction. Film thickness and EHD friction are related to the high temperature high shear viscosity and pressure‐viscosity coefficient of oils. We have found that oils with high pressureviscosity coefficients and low high temperature high shear viscosities will form thick films and have low EHD friction. This optimized combination of physical parameters, along with lowering the boundary friction coefficient of axle oils, results in oils with high TE and low OT. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

风电机组粘度对变距减速器功率损失的计算

针对风机运行于低温环境下,变桨减速器对机组变桨距调节控制和变速恒频控制的影响,分析、研究、计算减速器齿轮箱润滑油粘度造成输出功率的损失,统计不同的低温环境下的功率损失值,通过风机WP4100控制系统调节转矩,解决低温环境下变距控制系统的性能对风机的影响。     

Effects of gear modifications on the dynamic characteristics of wind turbine gearbox considering elastic support of the gearbox

The reliability and service life of wind turbines are directly influenced by the dynamic performance of the gearbox under the time-varying wind loads. The control of vibration behavior is essential for the achievement of a 20-year service life. We developed a rigid-flexible coupled dynamic model for a wind turbine gearbox. The planet carrier, the housing, and the bedplate are modelled as flexibilities while other components are assumed as rigid bodies. The actual three points elastic supporting are considered and a strip based mesh model is used to represent the engagement of the gear pairs. The effects of gear tooth modifications on the dynamics were investigated. Finally, we conducted a dynamic test for the wind turbine gearbox in the wind field. Results showed that the contact characteristics of gear pairs were improved significantly; the peak-to-peak value of transmission error of each gear pair was reduced; the amplitudes of the vibration acceleration and the structural noise of the wind turbine gearbox were lowered after suitable tooth modification.     

Influence of Lubricants on Power Loss of Cylindrical Gears©

The total power loss of gears was measured in a back-to-back gear test rig. Test equipment, measuring principle and evaluation of the data are described. The influence of different lubricant type, viscosity and temperature on mesh and churning losses was investigated. The churning losses depended mainly on the viscosity of the lubricant and on the operating conditions, not on the lubricant type. The mesh power loss depended mainly on the type of lubricant, not on viscosity, temperature, or oil additives.

Churning losses can be reduced by using low viscosity lubricants. Mesh power loss can be reduced by as much as 50 percent of the power loss of mineral oils by using polyglycol-type lubricants. In wide application ranges, viscosity and oil additives do not influence mesh power loss. An experimentally-based equation for the coefficient of friction in the gear mesh is given. Earlier derived equations for the mesh power loss of different gear geometry were confirmed.     

Influence of temperature on the friction performance of gear oils in rolling–sliding and pure sliding contacts

The friction behaviour of five different gear oils in rolling–sliding and pure sliding contacts and how temperature influences their friction properties were investigated. It is found that increasing temperature decreases boundary friction with gear oils that contain friction modifiers while not for other gear oils, at all contact pressures investigated. In mixed lubrication region, temperature decreases friction at low contact pressures while increases friction at high contact pressures. The effect of slide–roll ratio on friction is significant in boundary lubrication region especially at higher temperature while less significant in mixed lubrication region at both low and high temperatures. The ranking of gear oils for friction in boundary and mixed lubrication regimes is similar both in rolling–sliding and pure sliding contacts, regardless of temperature. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

基于层次分析和熵权法的齿轮油选型评价

针对风力发电机组齿轮箱的安全用油问题,根据风电设备运行特点以及实际运行过程中可能产生的故障,考虑齿轮油基本理化指标、抗污染性能以及极压抗磨性能3个维度,选择9个具体指标,构建涵盖目标层、准则层以及方案层的层次分析(AHP)结构的评价体系;引入熵权法(EWM)的客观赋权,改进综合权重的计算方法,并应用于某风电齿轮箱OEM的油品选型方案中,通过实例验证该方法的有效性与可行性。结果表明,所提出的方法可以实现对风电齿轮油选型结果的量化,有利于快速评价油品性能相关指标,改善了对多油品选择决策过程中主观因素引发的偏差。该方法可为风电齿轮箱油品选择决策提供参考,并可用于其他行业的油品选型决策中,对油品选型具有重要意义。     

The efficiency of a hypoid axle—a thermally coupled lubrication model

The final drive unit in road vehicles, such as medium and heavy trucks, and four-wheel-drive and rear-wheel-drive passenger cars, usually consists of a hypoid or spiral bevel geared transmission and differential, housed in a self-contained, dip-lubricated axle. Such units are subjected to very variable duty—including extreme combinations of speed, gradient, applied torque and external temperature—and are typically cooled by natural and forced convection on the exterior surface. On the other hand, there are appreciable internal power losses due to gear friction and churning and to bearing and seal losses. These losses are highly dependent upon the lubrication regime of the internal components and hence to the thermal behaviour of the entire axle.In the present paper, we describe a thermally coupled model of axle lubrication. The torque and speed demand is first found from a specified duty (“drive cycle”) which includes terrain as well as speed-versus-time and external temperature data. The evolution of sump oil and component temperatures is followed, and increments of energy loss evaluated in each time-step. Elastohydrodynamic film thickness is determined for the hypoid gear set, using a development of Buckingham's method, and friction losses calculated using a simple oil rheological model based on tribometer (MTM) testing. Churning, seal and bearing (speed-dependent) losses are found using empirical algorithms. Energy losses over complete drive cycles for different lubricants are derived, enabling the relative fuel economy for different oils to be evaluated.Results show that (i) the bulk temperature rise of the axle is highly dependent on the specified vehicle duty and (ii) the efficiency can be strongly influenced by choices available to the lubricant formulator. Taken together, these findings suggest that specialist axle lubricant formulations for particular vehicle types and applications will be attractive as a route to optimum fuel economy.     

Anti‐friction,anti‐wear and load‐carrying characteristics of environment friendly additive formulation

The extreme pressure (EP), anti‐wear and friction‐reducing characteristics of some of the commercial additive formulation and individual components on which these formulations are based have been studied and compared to characteristics of the components synthesised from naturally available non‐traditional vegetable oils and cashew nut shell liquid that have been refined and partially hydrogenated to improve stability. It has been shown that individual components from sulphurised and phosphosulphurised vegetable oils, esters and hydrogenated cardanol (derived from cashews) have better anti‐wear and friction‐reducing characteristics than the sulphurised olefins and alkylaryl phosphorothioates normally used as EP and anti‐wear additives, while the load‐carrying characteristics of a number of the combination of these derivatives are comparable. It has been shown that all these formulations are rapidly biodegradable and non‐toxic in nature as compared to traditional EP, anti‐wear and friction‐reducing additives, which fill in the category of slightly toxic to harmful. It is possible to formulate energy‐efficient EP gear oils that are fully biodegradable and non‐toxic by a combination of vegetable oil‐based additives of sulphurised vegetable oils, phosphosulphurised methyl recinoleate and phosphosulphurised hydrogenated cardanol amine borate, which meet all the performance characteristics of US steel 224 eg 52100, M‐50 AISI 1010 requirements. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An Investigation of the Steady-State Performance of a Pivoted Shoe Journal Bearing with ISO VG 32 and VG 68 Oils

This article presents a report on an investigation into the performance characteristics of a steadily loaded pivoted shoe journal (PSJ) bearing that is lubricated with ISO VG 32 and VG 68 oils. The article describes a testing machine on which the experimental investigation was performed. Measurements of shaft torque, pad temperature distributions, oil inlet and outlet temperatures, oil flow rate, and eccentricity have all been recorded as functions of load and speed. The experimental results from both test oils are presented in graphical form and are compared with theoretical predictions obtained from the author's computer model of the PSJ bearing. These results showed that the thicker ISO VG 68 oil provided thicker oil films. However, it also had higher bearing temperatures and power losses. A good correlation between the theoretical and experimental results has been found. Theoretical analysis of the bearing friction losses indicate that shear losses predominate and churning losses account for approximately 20% of the total losses.     

Finite element structural analysis of wind turbine gearbox considering tooth contact of internal gear system

Gearbox for wind turbine must be designed to have the sufficient structural strength to sustain the extreme torque and forces transferred from rotor blades. Traditionally, the structural analysis of gearbox has been made using the simplified FEM models in which the contacts between gear teeth are replaced with the equivalent forces acting on the gear shafts, because the consideration of the detailed internal gear transmission system requires a huge number of degrees of freedom. But, the traditional method can neither accurately reflect the gear transmission forces, nor is it preferable for the dynamic analysis. In order to solve these problems, a structural analysis method considering the tooth contact of internal gear system is introduced in this paper. The actual tooth contact between a pair of gears is modeled with spring elements and the spring constants are determined through the stiffness analysis of gear teeth. The current analysis technique is justified through the comparison with the simplified gear system model and applied to the structural analysis of a 2-stage differentialtype gearbox for wind turbine.     

Metalworking fluids from vegetable oils

The biodegradability of metalworking fluids has assumed very high priority. Biodegradable metalworking fluid formulations consist of vegetable oil, an emulsifier, co‐surfactant, fungicide and additives. Non‐edible vegetable oils such as neem, ricebran, and karanja oil are renewable, biodegradable and cheaper than synthetic fluids. Oleates and fatty‐acid amides of these oils have been used as emulsifiers to eliminate biohard emulsifiers. Additives are used to achieve a high level of performance. Metalworking soluble oil formulations were evaluated for physico‐chemical characteristics such as emulsion and thermal stability, copper‐strip corrosion, iron chip corrosion, deposit‐forming tendency on hot metal surfaces, and lubricity. Oil–water micro‐emulsions of these oils have higher stability. The emulsions were stable over a wide range of temperatures. Performance of formulations from all three oils are found at par with the ASTM specifications. Neem oil based formulation showed better characteristics than ricebran and karanja oil. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.