Oil distribution and churning losses of gearboxes: Experimental and numerical analysis

摘要

Currently, energy efficiency represents one of the main requisites in mechanical design. Gearboxes play an important role in several industrial applications and, even if they are already characterized by high efficiency, their performance can still be improved, leading to energy saving and the reduction of pollutant emissions. The possibility to investigate different gearbox geometries and operating conditions in the preliminary stages of design represents a clear advantage for engineers and can significantly contribute to the achievement of these objectives. However, analytical formulations that are able to accurately describe gear losses, especially those due to the interaction with the lubricant, are not available or are not accurate enough. Furthermore, the analytical models are typically not suitable for novel gearbox designs.