An Experimental Study of Influence of Lubrication Methods on Efficiency and Contact Fatigue Life of Spur Gears

An experimental investigation of spur gear behavior was conducted with the aim of quantifying the impact of lubrication methods and conditions on the power losses and contact fatigue lives. Variations of dip and jet-lubrication are defined, and these behaviors were observed as a function of the lubrication conditions. Both types of measurements were performed using the same type of back-to-back test machines and the same spur gear test articles such that their evaluations can be correlated. Power loss experiments were performed under both loaded and unloaded conditions to determine both load-independent (spin) and load-dependent (mechanical) losses. Sets of long-cycle contact fatigue experiments were performed under the same lubrication conditions to determine macropitting lives in a statistically meaningful manner. Results indicate that the spin power losses are impacted by the lubrication method significantly while the mechanical losses are not influenced. Contact fatigue lives from jet-lubricated tests are comparable to those under dip-lubricated conditions ones as long as jet velocities are sufficient.