Research Topic
| Short Title | TriboWorm |
| Start of Project | Q4/2019 |
| Funding | German Academic Exchange Service, DAAD |
| Project Partner | Division of Machine Elements, Luleå University of Technology, Sweden |
| Contact | Dr.-Ing. T. Lohner |
Project Description
Worm gears have a wide application in industry. However, the tribological contact of worm gears has been rarely analyzed in detail in the literature. To increase power density and efficiency, tribological simulation models are an important method to aid the understanding and development of worm gears. The aim of the project is the research and application of a tribological simulation model for worm gears in order to analyze the elastohydrodynamically lubricated (EHL) conditions considering mixed lubrication. The geometry and contact conditions for worm gears are obtained using tooth contact analysis. Based on that, the complete area of the worm gear contact is analyzed using a validated EHL numerical model. The numerical model is based on the Reynolds equation, the linear elasticity equation and the energy equation. The equations are solved by finite element method (FEM) full-system approach. The obtained results include i.e. contact pressure, lubricant film thickness, friction and temperature for each meshing position. Both worm gears with non-conjugate and conjugate meshing are analyzed so that the influence on the lubricating film build-up can be evaluated. The obtained results should improve the understanding of the mechanisms of worm gears and their design.
Literature
Tošić, M.; Larsson, R.; Lohner, T. Thermal Effects in Slender EHL Contacts. Lubricants 2022, 10, 89. https://doi.org/10.3390/lubricants10050089
Tošić, M.; Larsson, R.; Stahl, K.; Lohner, T. Thermal Elastohydrodynamic Analysis of a Worm Gear. Machines 2023, 11, 89. https://doi.org/10.3390/machines11010089