Study on Starved Lubrication Performance of a Cycloid Drive

ABSTRACT

The lubrication performance of cycloid drives affects the dynamic characteristics, mechanical efficiency, and contact fatigue behavior. Starved lubrication performance of a cycloid gear drive is studied using a numerical thermo-starved elastohydrodynamic lubrication model. The parameter of the inlet oil film thickness is chosen to represent the starvation degree. Effects of the inlet film thickness on the central film thickness, friction coefficient, frictional power loss, starting position of the effective film thickness, and lubrication efficiency are investigated. The optimum inlet film thickness is defined and is calculated under different rolling–sliding ratios, speeds, and loads. Finally, the optimum inlet film thickness during the meshing process of a cycloid drive is calculated.

KEYWORDS:

• Cycloid gear
• elastohydrodynamic
• starved lubrication
• lubrication efficiency
• inlet film thickness

Funding

This work was supported financially by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51405042, 51575061, 51535012) and the National Science and Technology Support Program (Grant No. 2012BAA01B05).