Effect of bionic texture on the lubrication efficiency and mechanical efficiency loss for rotating gears

Abstract

In order to enhance lubrication effectiveness and transmission efficiency in gear transmission, it is imperative to minimize mechanical efficiency losses and frictional wear of the gears during the lubrication process. This paper proposes a bionic design scheme for the tooth surface structure of gears based on the surface texture of bay scallop shells, considering the operational conditions within the gearbox. Firstly, the microstructure of the bay scallop shell surface is analyzed, and a bionic gear mapping model based on the bay scallop shell surface is established. Meanwhile, the oil coverage rate and convective heat transfer coefficient of gear surfaces with different textures was analyzed using finite element analysis. The results showed that the oil coverage rate of gear tooth surfaces with bionic fringes surpassed that of conventional gear lubrication. Thirdly, based on the jet lubrication test calculation, it is proposed that the bionic gear exhibits a smaller torque compared to conventional gears, while the mechanical efficiency of arc groove bionic gear type surpasses that of vertical groove gears. Finally, the optimal structure of the arc groove gear was predicted through orthogonal data analysis, and the validity of the data prediction was verified through experiments and simulations. The optimal combination of texture parameters for the arc groove gear is as follows: a texture depth of 225μm, a texture width of 275μm, a texture interval of 275μm, and a texture length of 1600μm. As a result, lubrication efficiency increased by 41.98%, heat dissipation efficiency increased by 32.21%, and mechanical efficiency increased by 89.39%.