Project Details

[Return to Previous Page]

Gearcase Passive Filtration

Company: Wabtec

Major(s):
Primary: ME
Secondary: IE
Optional: ESC, MATSE

Non-Disclosure Agreement: YES

Intellectual Property: YES

Design optimization of an established conceptual design to remove debris from oil in an industrial gearbox. The locomotive traction motor gearcase contains recirculating oil for lubricating a gearset and bearing. Hard particle contamination reduces the life and reliability of these components. We have a design concept for passively quarantining contamination out of recirculation without interrupting the flow. The apparatus is cleaned when the gearcase is opened for overhaul maintenance, approximately every 5-7 years. The project team will use hand calcs, Computational Fluid Dynamic simulations, and Design of Experimentation testing to optimize the design for the operating environment including envelope, oil used, characterization of particles to remove, duty cycles, and required life. Team will demonstrate effectiveness in a test stand by manufacturing prototypes. Stretch Goals • Detailed GD&T to finalize the design for manufacturing variability • Defined method for optimizing to different scales/fluids/contaminants