Planetary Gearbox Lubricant Transfer for Low-Leakage Multi-Stage Lubrication

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing planetary gearboxes face challenges in reliable and low-loss lubricant transport, requiring complex designs and additional lubricant supplies, which increase production costs and reduce compactness.

Innovation Solution

A planetary gearbox design featuring a lubricant transfer device with a discharge component co-rotating with a rotating component of the second stage, allowing lubricant transfer to the first stage without external lubricant supplies or additional bores, and a lubricant conduit extending over the axial extent of the sun gear, enabling efficient lubrication of multiple stages with reduced installation space and production costs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a lubricant conduit is routed through rotating components of planetary stages with additional bores in housing walls, then lubricant supply to multiple stages is achieved, but device complexity and production costs increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelubricant supply reliabilityVSAvoidconduit routing complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The discharge component and receiving component are merged into a single integrated lubricant transfer device that performs both lubricant discharge and reception functions. This eliminates the need for separate conduits and bores through housing walls, reducing device complexity while maintaining reliable lubricant supply to multiple planetary stages

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The lubricant transfer device is designed with multi-functionality, serving as both a discharge mechanism for the second planetary stage and a reception mechanism for the first planetary stage. This universal design eliminates the need for additional dedicated lubricant supply systems, reducing overall device complexity while ensuring reliable lubrication

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Reliability

If external lubricant supplies and additional bores are added to housing walls, then lubricant reaches the first planetary stage, but manufacturing precision requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelubricant delivery reliabilityVSAvoidbore alignment precision

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSManufacturing precision

Solution Approach 1:

By merging the discharge and receiving components into a single integrated transfer device, the invention eliminates the need for multiple separate bores in housing walls. This reduces manufacturing precision requirements as fewer precise bore alignments are needed, while still ensuring reliable lubricant delivery to the first planetary stage

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Loss of energy

If a compact lubricant transfer device is used with co-rotating discharge and receiving components, then leakage is reduced and compactness is achieved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelubricant leakage lossVSAvoidtransfer device structure

Core Design Contradiction:

Loss of energyVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The discharge component and receiving component are merged into a single integrated transfer device with co-rotating elements. This merging reduces lubricant leakage losses by creating a more compact, sealed system while the integrated design actually simplifies the overall structure compared to separate components, thus not increasing device complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Reliability

If lubricant conduit extends over axial extent of sun gear, then lubrication coverage is improved, but installation space requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvelubrication coverageVSAvoidinstallation space

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The lubricant transfer device integrates the discharge component, receiving component, and conduit into a single compact assembly that extends over the axial extent of the sun gear. This merging provides comprehensive lubrication coverage while maintaining a compact overall volume that does not significantly increase installation space requirements

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS12044306B2Planetary gearbox having improved lubricant transfer, drive train, wind turbine and industrial application

Publication Date: 2024.07.23 FLENDER GMBH

AI summary

A planetary gearbox includes a first planetary stage with a component, a sun gear, and a planet gear meshing with the sun gear via a toothing system, a second planetary stage, and a lubricant transfer device arranged between the first planetary stage and the second planetary stage. The lubricant transfer device includes a discharge component arranged in a co-rotating manner on a component of the second planetary stage, and a receiving component designed to receive lubricant and arranged in a co-rotating manner on the component of the first planetary stage. A lubricant conduit communicates with the lubricant transfer device and is configured to extend over an entire axial extent of a tooth engagement region of the sun gear of the first planetary stage radially within the toothing system of the sun gear with the planet gear of the first planetary stage.