Numerical Calculation Analysis and Characteristic Research on Windage Loss of Oil-Jet Lubricated Aviation Gear Pair

Abstract

The VOF (volume of fluid) multiphase transient simulation model of the windage loss of the gear pair under oil-jet lubrication was carried out by using the dynamic mesh technology with the powerful parallel computing capabilities of the Super Cloud Computing Center. Firstly, a two-phase (oil-gas) turbulence numerical model was established in the process of oil-jet lubrication. The numerical simulation test was designed by orthogonal experiment. The influence of the oil-jet lubrication parameters and their interaction on the windage power loss was studied by means of variance analysis. The results showed that the influence of injection speed on the windage power loss was the largest and proportional, followed by injection temperature and injection pressure, and the latter two factors were inversely proportional. Then, the fitting calculation formula of windage loss related to each influencing factor is obtained based on the numerical simulation results. Furthermore, by observing the velocity vector distribution of the internal flow field of the gearbox with different time, the formation mechanism of windage loss is understood intuitively, and the measures to reduce windage loss are put forward. Finally, the mechanical and energy characteristics of the windage loss under different oil injection parameters are proposed, by analyzing and calculating the differential pressure force, viscous force, turbulent kinetic energy, and turbulent dissipation rate around the gear pair. This paper provides a method guidance for the calculation of windage power loss and efficiency of aviation gear pair under elastohydrodynamic lubrication in engineering application.