NGC tested innovative simulation technology against plexiglass covers to assess oil splashing in gearboxes

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When a gearbox is needed, oil sump lubricated gearboxes are used in many cases. Those consist of combined pressurized and splash lubrication. While pressurized oil supplies inside the gearbox can be calculated easily, bulk oil splashing cannot. So far, plexiglass covers were the industry method of choice during testing. But their output is limited, and we wanted to do better.

We started an initial pilot test based on one of our 4MW wind gearboxes with simulation expert Dive. The test results were amazing. Dive’s simulation software offers the advantage to show, quantify and assess cases of oil splashing which could not have been evaluated before. Single parameters can be changed easily, which allows an immediate view of different scenarios and their effects. The whole workflow is mapped securely and conveniently in cloud software.

Due to the positive test outcome, we are happy to continue the project to get more insight into core issues such as oil leakage induced by sloshing and emergency lubrication.

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