Online residual life calculation for high speed applications

 

Starting Situation

One of the focal points of the "Internet of Production" (IoP) excellence cluster is high-speed drives, which are relevant both in turbomachinery and in e-mobility. A demonstrator will be set up for this purpose. The fatigue strength of gearboxes at load cycles of LW = 108 (UHCF - Ultra High Cycle Fatigue) is unknown today. Nevertheless, due to the very high input speeds, the individual components achieve or exceed this number of load cycles by far. For the analysis of materials and damage mechanisms in the UHCF range, no economic test bench concept for gear testing is available today. Conventional stress test benches generally achieve speeds of nan = 10,000 min-1, while more than nan = 20,000 min-1 are required for application-oriented and efficient tests.

Research Objective

With the help of a new high-revving stress test rig for spur gears, the UHCF range is researched and the structural residual service life is determined in the IoP concept. This enables an increase in the power density and service life of gearboxes in the series production of electric drives and turbines. From a scientific point of view, knowledge is gained about the influence of high load cycles on the strength of gears and the potential of tailor-made materials for the safe use of future drive systems. The condition assessment of high speed gearboxes requires a complex investigation of cause-effect relationships between stresses and surface changes. Condition monitoring based on vibration, temperature and torque analysis is required to update the digital shadow of the components with respect to remaining life. In addition to the acquisition of condition data using suitable sensors for continuous monitoring, an intelligent evaluation for the quantification of stresses in the high-speed range and the evaluation of the condition of the test bench is being developed.