The Gear Research Centre Improves TEHL Gear Contacts via Modeling

Thomas Lohner, Gear Research Centre, Technical University of Munich, Germany

Modeling thermal elastohydrodynamically lubricated (TEHL) gear contacts quickly reveals a complex system of interconnected heat, mechanical, and fluid phenomena. Engineers at the Gear Research Centre, Technical University of Munich, enlisted multiphysics simulation to create a mathematical model that would allow them to find ways to improve the power density, efficiency, and noise-vibration-harshness behavior of such systems. Their model was then turned into a simulation app called "TriboMesh" that is shared interdepartmentally, extending the benefits of multiphysics simulation within the research center.