Prototype and Process Development Ensuring Stable Quality at the Highest Level

In Part I we explored various motor technologies used today for industrial and traction motor design. Here in Part II we will explore another motor option: reluctance motors.

In this paper, the models for different power loss sources in transmissions from literature are applied and compared, which form the two methods - ISO 14179-2 and the joint model to estimate the power losses in a transmission. A 2-speed transmission in an electric vehicle is used as a case study to compare the two methods and validate them with experimental data.

Key technical drivers which can be addressed by advanced PM manufacturing technologies are, for example, the need for system downsizing in transmissions and differentials, the need for developing systems with higher power density and the strong NVH (Noise Vibration Harshness) requirements - especially for electrified transmissions or e-axle solutions.

In the general context of the reduction of energy consumption and polluting emissions, gearbox efficiency has become a major issue.

How one gearbox manufacturer took an existing design and transformed it to meet the needs of this demanding environment.

In the selection of lubricating greases for plastic worm gears, the user needs to know the influence of each grease constituent on the tribological performance in order to choose the appropriate lubricant. In this work, the effect of NLGI class, viscosity, base oil and thickener type are investigated separately regarding the efficiency and temperature close to the tribocontact. With the help of this contribution the user understands the effect of each parameter and learns about the potentially reachable efficiency and temperature ranges.

In this study, a finite volume CFD simulation model of a single-stage injection-lubricated test gearbox was applied to investigate its oil flow and no-load power loss. The results provide physically plausible information on the oil supply and its distribution.

The proof of the reliability of a gear drive is now an additional requirement. In Europe, the acceptance authorities for wind turbines are requesting a system reliability proof from gearbox manufacturers. The AGMA committee reviewing the AGMA 6006 standard for wind turbines is considering adding a chapter about design for reliability. However, reliability considerations are not new; NASA, for example, was in the 1980s using reliability concepts for gear drives.

For a maintenance crew, it is important to know which bearings need re-lubrication and make sure they are lubricating those bearings. The bearings can be lubricated manually or by automatic lubrication systems. This article will review each method and discover its pros and cons.