Premium
Torque loss in a gearbox lubricated with wind turbine gear oils
Author(s) -
Gonçalves David E. P.,
Fernandes Carlos M. C. G.,
Martins Ramiro C.,
Seabra Jorge H. O.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
lubrication science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.632
H-Index - 36
eISSN - 1557-6833
pISSN - 0954-0075
DOI - 10.1002/ls.1222
Subject(s) - turbine , torque , marine engineering , non circular gear , churning , friction loss , friction torque , mechanical engineering , mineral oil , automotive engineering , power (physics) , viscosity , bearing (navigation) , engineering , materials science , environmental science , spiral bevel gear , computer science , composite material , metallurgy , physics , thermodynamics , labour economics , economics , artificial intelligence
In this study, four different fully formulated ISO VG 320 wind turbine gear oils were select: a mineral oil‐based, a polyalphaolefin‐based, an ester‐based and a polyalkyleneglycol‐based fluids. Their physical properties (viscosity, thermoviscosity, piezoviscosity etc.) were characterised for a wide range of operating temperatures. A two‐stage multiplying gearbox, with helical gears, was selected to evaluate the influence of the wind turbine gear oil formulation on torque loss with the gearbox operating at low speed (130–230 rpm) and high torque (500–1000 Nm). The results obtained showed that each wind turbine gear oil formulation generated very different torque losses, evacuated heat flows and operating temperatures, with differences above 20 °C under the most severe operating conditions. A numerical model was developed, simulating all power loss mechanisms inside the gearbox, in particular the churning and friction losses. The coefficients of friction, between gear teeth and between rolling elements and bearing raceways, were calculated for all the tested oils. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.