Powertrain

Tribology has been an essential part of the development of improved powertrains for decades and - even with a growing shift to electrical vehicles - this continues to be the case today.

piston and chain

The powertrain of a vehicle encompasses every component that is involved in the conversion of power to movement. This is true for any sort of vehicle, from boats to planes and cars to bikes, although each of these will have very different requirements placed on powertrain components. However, one thing all will have in common is that they will consist of many moving parts that are in near-constant contact with other components. It is in these contacts – found in any powertrain – where tribological research has been focused to continually improve and optimise designs.

PCS’ range of instruments are used extensively by industry and academia to achieve this continual improvement. The MTM and ETM are key tools used for this work. Both have independently driven specimens which enable a wide range of contact conditions to be replicated, and together cover an impressive range of contact pressures from close to 0 to 3.5 GPa with standard specimens, and even more with non-standard specimens. This versatility means that researchers can use these instruments to investigate all the different contacts you would find in a whole host of powertrain applications, investigating wear, friction and film build up. The EHD is also extensively used in this area for investigating film thicknesses and traction coefficients of lubricants found in these systems; and the MPR is used to investigate how parts and lubricants will stand up to prolonged use over the years.

As an area of significant power wastage in vehicles, powertrains have always been of interest to tribologists. This interest will only continue to grow, as the frictional losses in the powertrains of electric vehicles are a larger portion of total losses than in internal combustion engines. As such, powertrain research and developments that tribology can bring are only going to become more important in the future.

Powertrain industry research areas include:

  • CV Joints
  • Gearboxes
  • Marine specific lubricants
  • Engine systems
  • Wind turbines
  • Bearings and gears

Powertrain Industry includes the following:

Agriculture

Agriculture

The powertrains in agricultural vehicles must regularly deal with high-stress forces, and be very reliable to prevent down-time. One way this reliability is improved is through the optimisation of tribological contacts.

Automotive

Automotive

Automotive powertrains are an area ripe for continual improvement through tribological study, and this study is important now more than ever as the industry adapts to more complicated systems incorporating electric power.

Aviation

Aviation

With reliability forming the cornerstone of the aviation industry, knowing how components in your powertrain will wear and fail is fundamentally important for knowing when they need to be inspected and replaced.

Machinery

Machinery

The requirements on powertrains in machinery are as varied as the jobs performed by the machines. Every one of them will need lubricating, and choosing the right lubricant comes down to knowing the tribology of the contacts involved.

Marine

Marine

Marine powertrains can be large or small, and some have to deal with as much as 80MW of power and 7.6MNm of torque. These conditions mean lubrication and part protection are critical to the longevity of an engine.

Mining

Mining

Facing constant high loads, harsh and dirty environments, and huge costs associated with downtime, the powertrains in mining vehicles have to be reliable even in the most adverse conditions. Tribological studies helps ensure this is the case.

Trains

Trains

Trains often now work by using a diesel engine to generate power, which is then converted to electrical power, which runs the motors to drive the train. These myriad components and processes are designed with tribology and lubrication in mind.

Wind Turbines

Wind Turbines

Wind power remains one of the most rapidly growing renewable power sources, so the tribological problems found in the powertrain - from the blades to the generator - are the focus of significant research.

Instruments for the Powertrain Industry

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Powertrain Industry Articles & Papers

Article

Easy-Greasy: The New MPR GI

Testing grease in conditions that mimic real-world mechanical stresses has always been a significant challenge for researchers. Starvation during these …

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Paper

Gaseous Lubricity Additives for Hydrogen Gas

There is great interest in using hydrogen as a gaseous fuel in combustion engines to eliminate CO2 emissions.  Unfortunately, hydrogen gas …

There is great interest in using hydrogen as a gaseous fuel in combustion engines to eliminate CO2 emissions.  Unfortunately, hydrogen gas is a poor lubricant for most engineering metals and an effective lubrication solution for pumping and injecting hydrogen is required. This study explores the possibility of additivating hydrogen with a low concentration of a lubricious gas to reduce friction and wear. We find that unsaturated hydrocarbon gas additives form protective carbon-based tribofilms, while gaseous ammonia and amine additives form nitrogen-based films on steel surfaces during rubbing in additivated hydrogen. Gaseous amines are particularly effective in reducing friction and wear, even at concentrations as low as 100 ppm mole/mole. This demonstrates that the addition of a small concentration of lubricious gas is a feasible way to improve the lubricity of gaseous hydrogen.


Keywords: Gas-phase Lubrication, Hydrogen, Tribofilm formation, Gaseous Additives

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Paper

Influence of Atmosphere on Carbonaceous Film Formation in Rubbing, Metallic Contacts

Many previous researchers have reported the formation of carbonaceous tribofilms from organic lubricants on rubbing metallic surfaces. This paper shows …

Many previous researchers have reported the formation of carbonaceous tribofilms from organic lubricants on rubbing metallic surfaces. This paper shows that a very important factor in the formation of such tribofilms is the presence or absence of molecular oxygen. When steel surfaces are rubbed in saturated hydrocarbon lubricants in the absence of oxygen, for example in nitrogen or hydrogen gas, carbonaceous films form very readily, resulting in low friction and wear. However, when a significant amount of oxygen is present, as is the case in air, carbonaceous tribofilms are not generally formed, so friction and wear are very high, with values comparable to those seen when no lubricant is present. In situ Raman analysis combined with gas-switching experiments show that the carbonaceous films formed during rubbing when no oxygen is present are rapidly removed during rubbing in air, while tests in which lubricant is removed during a test in N2 indicate that the films are quite weak. This suggests that these carbonaceous films are being continually removed and replenished during rubbing in oxygen-free conditions. It is proposed that these carbonaceous films are formed from hydrocarbyl free radicals that are generated mechanochemically from hydrocarbon molecules during rubbing. In the absence of oxygen, these free radicals then react together to form a carbonaceous film. However, when oxygen is present, the hydrocarbyl free radicals react extremely rapidly with oxygen molecules to produce hydroperoxyl free radicals and so are no longer available to generate a carbonaceous tribofilm.


Keywords: Carbon film, Free radical, Propane, Hexacane, Isooctane, Oxygen, Tribooxidation, Lubricant Inerting

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