Lubrication system for a gear assembly
A lubrication system for a gear assembly. The gear assembly includes a first gear and a second gear. The first gear and the second gear mesh with each other at a mesh. The lubrication system includes one or more lubricant injectors. The one or more lubricant injectors include one or more first lubricant outlets directed to the mesh. The one or more first lubricant outlets supply a first portion of lubricant to the mesh. The one or more lubricant injectors include one or more second lubricant outlets directed to a location that is different than the mesh. The one or more second lubricant outlets supply a second portion of lubricant to the location different than the mesh.
1 . A lubrication system for a gear assembly including a first gear and a second gear that mesh with each other at a mesh, the lubrication system comprising:
a lubricant supply line that directs a lubricant therethrough; and
a lubricant injector in fluid communication with the lubricant supply line, the lubricant injector including:
one or more first lubricant injector portions extending axially across the first gear and the second gear and spaced from the gear assembly, wherein the one or more first lubricant injector portions include one or more first lubricant outlets directed to the mesh, the one or more first lubricant outlets supplying a first portion of lubricant from the lubricant supply line directly to the mesh; and
one or more second lubricant injector portions extending from the one or more first lubricant injector portions and to a location that is different than the mesh, wherein the one or more second lubricant injector portions include one or more second lubricant outlets directed to the location that is different than the mesh, the one or more second lubricant outlets supplying a second portion of lubricant from the lubricant supply line to the location different than the mesh, the location that is different than the mesh including at least one of a first axial side of the first gear and the second gear, a second axial side of the first gear and the second gear, an input shaft of the gear assembly, an output shaft of the gear assembly, a housing of the gear assembly, a sump, or one or more bearings.
2 . The lubrication system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more first lubricant outlets are oriented to supply the first portion of lubricant to an in-mesh side of the mesh.
3 . The lubrication system of claim 1 , wherein a size of the lubricant injector is determined to provide the lubricant at a total mass flow rate within the lubricant injector.
4 . The lubrication system of claim 3 , wherein the size of the lubricant injector is based on a flow split between the first portion of lubricant and the second portion of lubricant.
5 . The lubrication system of claim 3 , wherein the total mass flow rate is determined based on a first mass flow rate summed with a second mass flow rate.
6 . The lubrication system of claim 5 , wherein the first mass flow rate is a function of a power loss due to friction at the mesh of the first gear and the second gear, a specific heat capacity of the lubricant, and a maximum delta temperature of the first gear and the second gear.
7 . The lubrication system of claim 5 , wherein the second mass flow rate is a function of a power loss due to windage from an interaction of the gear assembly with the lubricant, a specific heat capacity of the lubricant, and a maximum delta temperature of the first gear and the second gear.
8 . A method of supplying lubricant via the lubrication system of claim 1 , the method comprising:
supplying, through the one or more first lubricant outlets of the one or more first lubricant injector portions, the first portion of lubricant from the lubricant supply line directly to the mesh; and
supplying, through the one or more second lubricant outlets of the one or more second lubricant injector portions, the second portion of lubricant from the lubricant supply line to the location that is different than the mesh.
9 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising supplying, through the one or more first lubricant outlets of the lubricant injector, the first portion of lubricant to an in-mesh side of the mesh.
10 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising providing the lubricant at a total mass flow rate within the lubricant injector, wherein a size of the lubricant injector is determined to provide the total mass flow rate.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the size of the lubricant injector is based on a flow split between the first portion of lubricant and the second portion of lubricant.
12 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the total mass flow rate is determined based on a first mass flow rate summed with a second mass flow rate.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the first mass flow rate is a function of a power loss due to friction at the mesh of the first gear and the second gear, a specific heat capacity of the lubricant, and a maximum delta temperature of the first gear and the second gear.
14 . The method of claim 12 , wherein the second mass flow rate is a function of a power loss due to windage from an interaction of the gear assembly with the lubricant, a specific heat capacity of the lubricant, and a maximum delta temperature of the first gear and the second gear.
15 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the location that is different than the mesh is at least one of the first axial side of the first gear and the second gear or the second axial side of the first gear and the second gear.
16 . The method of claim 8 , further comprising supplying, through the one or more first lubricant outlets of the lubricant injector, the first portion of lubricant to an out-of-mesh side of the mesh.
17 . The lubrication system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more first lubricant outlets are positioned to supply the first portion of lubricant circumferentially to the mesh.
18 . The lubrication system of claim 1 , wherein the location that is different than the mesh is at least one of the first axial side of the first gear and the second gear or the second axial side of the first gear and the second gear.
19 . The lubrication system of claim 18 , wherein the one or more second lubricant injector portions include one or more axially extending portions that extend axially from the one or more first lubricant injector portions and one or more tangentially extending portions that extend tangentially with respect to a circumferential direction of the gear assembly from the one or more axially extending portions, the one or more second lubricant outlets being positioned on the one or more tangentially extending portions to supply the lubricant to the at least one of the first axial side or the second axial side.
20 . The lubrication system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more first lubricant outlets are oriented to supply the first portion of lubricant to an out-of-mesh side of the mesh.