Efficient CFD Simulation Model for a Planetary Gearbox

Planetary gears are used to transmit power at high gear ratios in limited space. Typical applications are drive trains in the automotive industry, e. g. in cars, trucks and buses. The oil distribution in planetary gearboxes is difficult to predict. There is only basic knowledge about lubrication designs with effective oil distribution and high efficiency. Advanced methods are very helpful in improving the design of planetary gearboxes in respect of their lubrication. In recent years, CFD (computational fluid dynamics) has become a valuable tool for simulating the oil distribution in gearboxes. By comparison with experimental and empirical methods, CFD provides oil distribution simulation results and can be applied to arbitrary geometries. However, CFD simulations tend to require comparatively high computing time and capacities. Therefore, efficient CFD simulation models are required, especially for complex gearbox topologies. Within the framework of this study, a finite volume CFD model of a dip-lubricated planetary test gearbox has been developed. It includes the modelling of all gear meshes and bearings and has a very high level of detail. The element number was reduced as far as reasonable possible, resulting in little computing time with regard to the modeling depth. Moreover, the computational effort was further reduced by considering the bearings to be static. Through use of the developed simulation model, the influence of different parameters was investigated. This work will help to improve the lubrication design of planetary gearboxes.