Troubleshooting Hot Gear Drives

BY ROBERT ERRICHELLO - GEARTECH

Gearboxes that run hot usually have short lives. Gears, bearings, seals and lubricant all suffer from overheating. Therefore, it is important to
find the root cause of overheating and promptly correct the problem before it causes gearbox failure and lost revenue. This article summarizes
methods for detecting overheating, gives guidelines for finding root causes and explains methods to make gearboxes run cooler.

Detrimental Effects of Overheating

Lubricant deterioration: Lubricant oxidation life is cut in half for
every 10C increase in temperature. Lubricants decompose at
high temperature to form acids, resins, varnishes, sludges and
carbonaceous deposits.1
Decreased oil film thickness: As temperature increases, lubricant
viscosity decreases, and elastohydrodynamic lubrication (EHL)
oil film thickness decreases between gear teeth and between
bearing rollers and raceways. This increases interaction between
asperities on opposing surfaces, which increases tractional
stresses and reduces Hertzian fatigue life of gears and
rolling-element bearings. Inadequate oil film thickness often
causes micropitting or macropitting.
Increased gear tooth temperature: If gear tooth total temperature
(sum of the gear tooth temperature and flash temperature)
exceeds the lubricant scuffing temperature, the oil film vaporizes
and local welds form between mating gear teeth. Severe scuffing
can result in catastrophic gear failure.
Geometry changes: Internal clearance of rolling-element bearings
may decrease to the point where bearings are overloaded. Gear
tooth backlash may decrease to the point where teeth bind. Load
distribution on gear teeth may become nonuniform due to
thermal distortion. Loss of operating clearance or thermal
distortion may cause excessive loads, increased heat generation
and catastrophic failure.
Reduced material strength: Fatigue strength and yield strength
decrease as temperature increases. Reduced fatigue strength
may cause gears and rolling-element bearings to fail by macropitting
or subcase fatigue. Reduced yield strength may cause journal
bearings to fail by wiping (plastic deformation of the babbitt), or
gears and rolling-element bearings to fail by hot flow (extreme
plastic deformation). Nonmetallic components such as plastic
Gear Pitchline Velocity (m/s)
15
< 25
> 25-40
> 40
> 80

Oil Application Method

Splash
Splash with baffles
Pressure-fed incoming
Pressure-fed outgoing
Pressure-fed incoming
and outgoing

Table 1. Types of Gear Lubrication Systems

bearing cages may soften or melt. Even if temperatures are less

than the melting temperature, sustained high temperature may
cause chemical reactions between the lubricant and lip seals
leading to embrittlement and cracking of the seals.

Types of Gear Lubrication Systems

As shown in Table 1, a gear lubrication system should be
designed based on the pitchline speed of the gears.
Splash lubrication systems are the simplest, but have the lowest
speed limit. They must be carefully designed to ensure adequate oil
flow to all gears and bearings. The gears should dip into the oil bath
for about twice the tooth depth to provide adequate splash for
pinions and bearings while minimizing churning losses. Splash lubrication can be extended to 25 m/s by using baffles to reduce
churning. However, auxiliary cooling may be required above 15 m/s.
Pressure-fed systems are required above 25 m/s. For gearboxes
with rolling-element bearings, it is permissible to spray oil at only
the gear mesh and rely on splash to lubricate bearings up to 35
m/s. Above this speed, and for gearboxes with journal bearings,
both gears and bearings should be pressure-fed.
Oil jets should be placed on the incoming side of the gear mesh
for pitchline velocities less than 40 m/s. Above 40 m/s, more oil is
needed for cooling than lubricating, and the oil flow removes heat
best when directed at the outgoing side of the gear mesh.
At speeds above 80 m/s and with oil flow only on the outgoing
side, there is risk to the amount of oil carried to the incoming side
of the gear mesh may be inadequate. Therefore, it is prudent to add
flow at the incoming side. About two thirds of the total flow should
be supplied to the outgoing side for cooling, and one third of the
total flow directed at the incoming side for lubrication. For
maximum cooling, the jets on the outgoing side should be directed
radially at the center of the pinion and gear, and feed pressure
should be as high as practical.2

Amount of Oil Flow

In pressure-fed systems, the following items must be carefully
designed to provide adequate lubrication and cooling:
Quantity of flow
Feed pressure
Jet size
Number and placement of jets
Table 2 gives empirical values for the quantity of oil flow. 3 P/Q is
the ratio of transmitted power to oil flow rate.

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Gearbox Efficiency

Splash-Lubrication System

Gearbox efficiency depends on the gear type, bearing type and

lubrication system. For spur or helical gears, power loss ranges from
about one percent per mesh for a high-efficiency helicopter gearbox
with rolling-element bearings, to about two percent loss per mesh
for a high-speed industrial gearbox with journal bearings. Table 3
gives typical efficiencies for different gear and bearing types.

Table 4 gives normal operating temperatures for gearboxes with

splash lubrication without an oil cooler. Oil sump temperatures
vary widely depending on the application. Industrial gearboxes that
operate indoors may have a relatively stable ambient temperature
and constant oil sump temperature. In contrast, wind turbine
gearboxes can be subjected to widely varying loads and ambient
temperatures. Similarly, mobile equipment such as trucks operating
year-round and traveling to many locations can be exposed to
widely varying loads and ambient temperatures.
ANSI/AGMA 6010-F97 4 gives a method to calculate thermal
ratings for spur, helical and bevel gearboxes. Unless the customer
specifies otherwise, thermal ratings are based on 93C (200F)
maximum allowable oil sump temperature.

Normal Operating Temperatures

Gearbox temperatures are determined by the application, gear
type, bearing type and lubrication system. Slow-speed gearboxes
(pitchline velocity < 40 m/s) that transmit low power are usually
splash lubricated. Often, there is no cooler and heat is dissipated
primarily by convection from the gear housing. Heat conduction to
the foundation and convection from shafts and couplings is usually
a small portion of the total heat flow. Heat transfer by radiation is
usually insignificant.
High-speed gearboxes (pitchline speed > 40 m/s) or highly-loaded
gearboxes usually have pressure-fed lubrication systems with a
cooler to remove heat and control oil temperature. Gearbox operating
temperature depends largely on the type, size and effectiveness of
the cooler.
P/Q
kW / (1/min)
40
80
160
200

Flow Conditions
Copius
Adequate
Lean
Starved

Pressure-fed Lubrication System

Table 5 gives normal operating temperatures for gearboxes with a
pressure-fed oil system with an oil-to-water oil cooler. Typical
applications are an electric motor driving a centrifugal compressor
through a speed-increasing gearbox, or a gas turbine driving a
generator through a speed-decreasing gearbox. Temperature depends
Application
General Industrial
Typical Aviation
Lightweight, High-Efficiency Aviation
Only for Unusual Conditions

Typical Temperature Rise

T (C)
20
28
55
>70

Table 2. Oil Flow Rate per Gear Mesh

Gear Type
Spur or Helical
Spur or Helical
Spur or Helical
Bevel
Hypoid
Worm
Worm

Bearing Type
Rolling-Element
Rolling-Element
Journal
Rolling-Element
Rolling-Element
Rolling-Element
Rolling-Element

Efficiency per Gear Mesh,

0.990
0.985
0.980
0.980
0.960
0.900
0.500

Application
High-Efficiency Aviation
Industrial
Industrial
Industrial
Automotive Rear Axle
Industrial, Low Ratio
Industrial, Low Ratio

Table 3. Typical Gearbox Efficiency

Application
Industrial Speed Reducer
Wind Turbine
Truck Transmission
Truck Rear Axle

Typical Oil Sump

Temperature (C)
50-80
40-90
60-90
40-75

Table 4. Splash-Lubricated Gearbox Without Oil Cooler

Temperature Measuring Point

Oil Inlet to Gearbox
Oil Outlet from Gearbox
Thermocouple on Bearing OD
Thermocouple in Bearing Oil Drain
RTD in Journal Bearing Babbitt
Water Inlet to Cooler
Water Outlet from Cooler

Typical Temperature (C)

35-55
65-85
65-85
65-90
75-115
30 Max
35-45

Table 5. Gearbox with Pressure-fed Oil System and Oil Cooler

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Limiting
Temperature (C)

Component
Oil
Mineral EP
Mineral R&O
Synthetic PAO
Synthetic PAG
Synthetic Ester
Gear Material
Carburized
Through Hardened
Nitrided
Rolling-Element Bearing Material
52100 Through Hardened
8620 Carburized
440C Stainless
M50 Tool Steel
Silicon-Nitride Balls M-50 Rings
Rolling-Element Bearing Cages
Polyamide 66
Phenolic
Fiberglass-Reinforced Polyamide
Polyphenylene Sulfide
Journal Bearings
Babbitt (Tin-Based Whitemetal)
Seals
Felt
Nitrile
Polyacrylic
Fluoroelastomer caution:
fluoroelastomers emit dangerous
fumes at temperatures > 300C
and remain dangerous after
cooling. Contact manufacturer
before handling overheated
fluoroelastomers.6

100
140
160
180
200
150
400
500
140-175
150
170
315
425
120
120
150
230
160
95
120
150
200

Table 6. Limiting Temperatures

Reaction of Water Spray
Evaporates Quickly
Boils
Boils Quickly
Crackles and Sizzles

Probable Temperature (C)

95
100
120
>180

Table 7. Estimating Temperature with Water Spray

Sense of Temperature
Comfortably Warm
Uncomfortable
Maximum 30 sec. touch
Maximum 3 sec. touch

Probable Temperature (C)

40
50
55
65

Table 8. Estimating Temperature by Touching with Palm of Hand

on where it is measured. Table 5 gives normal temperatures measured

at several locations on the gearbox and lubrication system.
Temperature rise across the gearbox can be calculated with
equation 1:
(1)
T = Temperature rise across gearbox (oil outlet temperature
minus oil inlet temperature, degree C)
= Transmitted power, kW
Q = Total oil flow, 1/min
= Overall gearbox efficiency
Cp = Specific heat of oil at operating temperature, J/[kg*K]
= Density of oil at operating temperature, kg/m3
Example:
Single stage industrial gearbox with helical gears and journal bearings
Mineral ISO 320 gear oil
Transmitted power = 1000 kW
Total oil flow Q = 20 l/min
Overall efficiency = 0.98 (Table 3)
Specific heat of oil Cp = 2025 J/[kgK]
Density of oil = 856 kg/m3

Abnormal Operating Temperatures

Oil temperatures greater than 95C are abnormal for the sump
oil in a splash-lubricated gearbox, or the drain oil in a gearbox with
a pressure-fed oil system. Temperatures measured on the outer ring
of rolling-element bearings should not exceed 100C, and
temperatures measured with RTDs embedded in the babbitt of
journal bearings should not exceed 125C.

Limiting Temperatures
Table 6 gives limiting temperatures that should never be
exceeded. Temperatures greater than those in Table 6 will eventually
cause component failure. At high temperature, antiwear and
antiscuff additives in gear oil tend to shorten the life of nonmetallic
components such as bearing cages and shaft seals. For example, at
120C the life of polyamide cages is reduced from 10,000 hours
with an R&O oil, to 1000 hours with a hypoid (GL5) oil. 5

Estimating Temperature with Water Spray

Water spray can be used for a rough estimate of temperature for

components that are too hot to touch. Table 7 gives the reaction of
water spray versus component temperature.

Estimating Temperature by
Touching with Palm of Hand

Your hand is a sensitive indicator of temperature and can be used

to estimate temperature of gear housings and piping. CAUTION:
Use water spray before touching to ensure the component is not
too hot to handle, and beware of rotating shafts and couplings.
Table 8 gives a sense of temperature for various temperatures.

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Estimating Temperature
from Temper Colors

Dark oil color in sight glass or on dip stick

When steel is heated in an oxidizing atmosphere, the oxide layer

grows in thickness and changes color as temperature increases. The
thickness and color of the oxide also depend on time at temperature.
Table 9 gives temper colors obtained by heating clean bars of SAE
1035 steel in an air-circulating furnace for various times at several
temperatures.7 Because temper colors may vary with steel alloy,
experiments with the actual alloy are required to accurately
determine temperatures from temper colors.

Measuring Temperature
Table 10 lists several devices for measuring temperature. 8
Temperature-sensitive paints, crayons and labels are low-cost
devices for obtaining quick estimates of temperature on external
surfaces of gear housings and shafts. Techniques have been developed for using temperature-sensitive paint on internal
components.9 A digital thermometer with a metal probe is useful
for surveying external surfaces of a gear housing to find hot spots.
Infrared thermometers and infrared imaging cameras allow
noncontact temperature surveys on housings or on moving shafts
and gears. Bi-metal thermometers, RTD probes and thermocouple
probes are commonly installed on gearboxes and lubrication
system components.

Water in sight glass or sludge on filter (may indicate oil

cooler failure)
Metal chips on magnetic plugs, chip detectors or filters (may
indicate gear or bearing failure caused by overheating).

Detecting Overheating with Oil Analysis

Onsite tests

Look at a sample of used gearbox oil in a clean, glass bottle. A

narrow, tall vessel is best. Compare its color to a sample of new,
unused oil. Tilt the bottle and observe whether the used oil appears
more or less viscous than new oil. A darkened color or increased
viscosity may indicate oil oxidation caused by overheating or
contamination with fine wear particles. Carefully smell the sample
and compare it to the smell of new oil. It should smell the same as
new oil. Oxidized oil smells acrid (like rotten eggs), sour or pungent.
Thermally degraded oil smells like burnt food. No odor may indicate
overheating to the point where all aromatics have evaporated.
Viscosity gauges are available for onsite viscosity tests, and
blotter tests are useful for disclosing oil oxidation. The crackle test
can be used to detect water.

Laboratory Tests

Detecting Overheating
with Visual Inspection
The following may be symptoms of overheating:
Smoke from shafts, seals, or breathers
Discolored or burnt paint on housings
Water sprayed on housing or shafts evaporates quickly, boils,
or crackles
Temper colors on unpainted surfaces
Melted plastic components such as shipping plugs
Low oil level in sight glass or on dip stick

Color of Oxide on Clean

SAE 1035 Steel
Very Faint Straw Gold
Faint Straw Gold
Straw Gold
Bronze
Purple
Deep Blue
Blue, Purple Tinge
Deep Gray-Blue

Foam in sight glass

Probable Temperature (C)

Heating Time
10
1
5
20
min hour hours hours
205
225
205
245
225 205
270
245 225 205
280
270 245 225
310
280 270 245
340
310 280 270
370
340 310 280

Table 9. Estimating Temperature from Temper Colors7

Laboratory tests for viscosity, acid number (AN) and Fourier

transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) can help disclose oxidation.1,10
Measuring
Device

Typical
Accuracy

Paints
Crayons
Labels
Digital Thermometer
Glass Thermometer
Bimetal
Thermometer
Infrared
Thermometer
Infrared
Imaging Camera
Thermistor Probe
Platinum RTD Probe
Thermocouple Type T
Thermocouple Type J
Thermocouple Type E
Thermocouple Type K
Thermocouple Type R
Thermocouple Type S

1%
1%
1%
1% of full scale
0.5 C

Temperature
Range (C)
min
max
20
1370
-3
1050
-3
1050
-75
230
-200
500

.5% of reading

-45

540

1-3% of reading

-45

3000

2% of reading
0.4 C
0.4% of reading
0.5% of reading
0.5% of reading
0.5% of reading
0.5% of reading
0.4% of reading
0.4% of reading

-10
-40
-180
-180
0
0
0
0
0

600
150
500
370
720
870
1260
1480
1480

Table 10. Temperature Measuring Devices8

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Test results should be compared to baseline values from new, unused

oil. Increased viscosity, increased acid number or a shift in the FTIR
spectrum may be evidence of oil oxidation caused by overheating.
Ferrographic analysis showing black oxide particles, severe
sliding wear particles, temper colors on particles, or friction polymers
indicate high temperature that may be caused by lubricant starvation
or gear tooth scuffing.
Spectrometric analysis or ferrography may show iron particles due
to failure of gears or rolling-element bearings, or whitemetal (babbitt)
particles due to failure of journal bearings caused by overheating.

Measure oil sump temperature.

Detecting Overheating
with Gearbox Inspection

Survey gearbox-housing temperature using infrared thermometer

or infrared imaging camera. Look for local hot spots.

For pressure-fed systems with an oil cooler, measure temperature

at the gearbox oil inlet and outlet, and the cooler water inlet
and outlet.
Estimate gearbox housing and shaft temperatures using water spray.
Survey gearbox-housing temperature by touching with palm of
hand and using temperature-sensitive paint, crayons, labels or
digital thermometer probe. Look for local hot spots.

If the gearbox has inspection ports, it may be possible to inspect

internal components. If there are no inspection ports, borescope
inspection may be possible through pipe plugs, breather holes or
other access points. Before opening an inspection port, clean the
cover and immediate area around it. Be careful not to contaminate
the gearbox when cleaning and removing the cover.
Your inspection should include the following:

Analyze gearbox oil for signs of oxidation or thermal degradation

using onsite and laboratory tests. Use particle counts,
spectrometric analysis and ferrography to detect wear debris.

Inspect active flanks of gear teeth for damage, especially

micropitting or scuffing.11

Measure gearbox vibration and compare to allowable limits. 12

Inspect components for temper colors, especially active flanks

of gear teeth.
Observe gear tooth contact patterns for signs of misalignment.

Inspect gearbox internal components through inspection ports

for signs of overheating, misalignment, inadequate backlash,
inadequate bearing endplay or oil oxidation.

Root Causes of Overheating

Gearboxes overheat if heat generation is excessive, heat dissipation
is inadequate, or both.
Excessive heat generation may be caused by:

Rock gears back and forth to ensure every gearset has

backlash. Unidirectional drives should show no distress on
backsides of teeth.

Inadequate load capacity

If bearing overheating is suspected, check bearing endplay with

a dial indicator while prying shafts in the axial direction.

Inadequate clearances

Notice if the gearbox interior smells acrid, sour, or pungent. If so,

the oil may have oxidized.
Inspect components for resins, varnishes, sludges or
carbonaceous films.

Detecting Overheating
with Vibration Analysis

High vibration is often a symptom of overheating. For example,

overheating may cause scuffing that destroys gear tooth accuracy
and generates high vibration. Similarly, if oil viscosity decreases
under high temperature and causes bearing failure, vibration may
be excessive. High-speed gears may suffer high vibration due
to trapping air (see root causes of overheating). ANSI/AGMA
6000-B9612 gives allowable limits for displacement, velocity and
acceleration. Vibration exceeding Class B is excessive and may
indicate damage caused by overheating.

Checklist for Detecting Overheating

Visually inspect gearbox exterior for signs of overheating.
Record temperatures from gearbox thermometers, thermocouples
or RTDs.

Misalignment

Inadequate lubrication
Inadequate run-in.
To determine if the gearbox has adequate load capacity, the
design of gears and bearings should be audited for conformance to
ANSI/AGMA 6010-F97. 4 It is especially important that gears have
adequate macropitting and scuffing resistance and bearings have
adequate load capacity. Otherwise, gears and bearings may overheat.
Misalignment is a common problem that causes nonuniform
load distribution on gear teeth. When gear teeth are misaligned,
stresses may be excessive and overheating may occur. ANSI/AGMA
2001-C9513 explains possible causes for gear tooth misalignment
including design features and manufacturing variations.
Gear backlash and bearing clearances must be adequate to
avoid overheating. This is especially important for tapered-roller
bearings, which may become overloaded if thermal growth exceeds
assembly endplay.
Gearbox lubrication should conform to the requirements of
ANSI/AGMA 9005-D94.14 Oil viscosity must be appropriate for the
pitchline velocity. Viscosity must be high enough to provide
adequate EHL film thickness, but low enough to avoid excessive
churning losses. Oil application method must be appropriate for
the pitchline velocity (Table 1).

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For high-speed gears (pitchline velocity > 40 m/s), churning

losses contribute most of the total power loss, and oil viscosity
must be limited to avoid overheating. Lubricant additives have
essentially no influence on churning losses. Foam in the oil may be
a symptom of excessive churning.
For low-speed gears (pitchline velocity < 25 m/s), frictional
losses in gear teeth contribute most of the total power loss, and
oil viscosity must be high enough to provide adequate EHL film
thickness. Antiwear and antiscuff additives may increase or
decrease gear tooth frictional losses. If the additive promotes
polishing wear, and tooth surfaces become smoother, frictional
losses may decrease. On the other hand, if the additive prevents
polishing wear and tooth surfaces do not become smooth,
frictional losses may be higher than without the additive.
Compared to mineral oils, polyalphaolefin (PAO) and polyglycol
(PAG) lubricants have low tractional coefficients and low frictional
losses. They improve gear efficiency especially for worm gears,
which have relatively low efficiency due to high sliding velocities.
CAUTION: PAG lubricants are not miscible with mineral or PAO
lubricants, not compatible with many nonmetallic seals and paints
and are not recommended for bronze alloys that contain aluminum.
Therefore, follow the lubricant manufacturers recommendations
before using PAG lubricants.
The oil level in splash-lubricated gearboxes must be high enough
to provide adequate oil supply to all gears and bearings, but low
enough to avoid excessive churning. It is especially important to
minimize churning for the high-speed gearsets in a multistage gearbox.
Dry sump lubrication is often used for high-speed gears (pitchline
velocity > 80 m/s) to minimize churning. The oil is drained to a
separate reservoir where it is processed by filters and coolers before
it is pumped back to the gearbox. Drain lines must be adequately
sized and shielded from gear windage to avoid oil buildup.
Oil capacity must be adequate for both splash-lubricated and
pressure-fed gearboxes to ensure adequate dwell time to allow for
air release. The longer the better, but at least three minutes dwell
time should be provided. Excessive air entrainment may cause
the oil pump to cavitate and overheat. Cavitation usually can be
eliminated by reducing air entrainment or by lowering the height
of the oil suction line.
If there are heaters in the oil sump, they should be used only
when the oil is cold. Heater capacity should not exceed 0.8 W/cm2
to avoid local overheating.14
Helical gears are best for high-speeds, because they run
smoother than spur gears and are less prone to trapping air
between meshing teeth. When a driving gear tooth enters a driven
gear tooth space, it must displace the air and oil-mist that occupied
the space before tooth engagement. Helical gears displace air more
efficiently because they pump air in the axial direction. In contrast,
spur gears tend to trap and compress air into spaces between tips
and roots of meshing teeth. Spur gears are not usually used at
pitchline velocities above 50 m/s because air trapping can cause
high vibration and overheating.

Even with helical gears, the quantity and distribution of oil flow
and the clearances between high-speed gears (pitchline velocity >
80 m/s) and housing must be carefully designed to avoid over heating due to air trapping. Adequate space between the gears and
housing must be provided for the air expelled at one end of the gear
face. Otherwise, expelled air may strike the gear housing with
sufficient force to cause high vibration and overheating.
Gear teeth are most vulnerable to overheating and scuffing when
new and tooth surfaces have not yet been smoothed by running-in.
For this reason, it is wise to run-in a new gearbox under one-half load
for at least 10 hours to reduce the surface roughness of the teeth
before applying full load.15 Run-in is especially important for worm
gears to allow the teeth of the bronze worm wheel to plastically
deform to match the steel worm. Without run-in under moderate
loads, a worm gearset may overheat and the teeth may scuff.
The following are recommendations for avoiding overheating of
lip seals:
Shaft surface speed should be 18 m/s.
The seal should be below oil level (seals partially submerged or
above oil level run hot).
If the lip seal is above oil level, consider changing to a labyrinth seal.
Use single-lip seals (secondary, dirt lips make seals run
much hotter).
Use lowest possible lip pressure without leakage.
There should be no pressure differential (ensure gearbox
breather is not clogged; internal pressure increases load on the
seal lip and increases temperature).
Use polyacrylate or fluoroelastomer (these materials have
the best resistance to antiscuff gear oils and resist hardening
and cracking).

Checklist for Decreasing Heat Generation

If load capacity is inadequate per ANSI/AGMA 6010-F97, reduce
input power or use higher capacity gears.
Ensure gear tooth contact patterns are adequate. If not, correct
misalignment. (This may require replacing or reworking some
gears; see ANSI/AGMA 2001-C95 for sources of misalignment.)
Ensure gear backlash is adequate (may require replacing or
reworking gears).
Ensure bearing endplay is adequate (may require replacing or
adjusting bearings).
Ensure lubricant conforms to ANSI/AGMA 9005-D94
recommendations.
Ensure lubricant viscosity is appropriate for pitchline velocity
(see ANSI/AGMA 9005-D94).
Ensure oil application method is appropriate for pitchline
velocity (Table 1).

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 Ensure antiwear and antiscuff additives are adequate (especially

important for low-speed gears).
Use PAO or PAG lubricants (especially important for worm gears).
For splash-lubricated gearboxes, use proper oil level. High-speed
gears should not be immersed.
For high-speed pressure-fed gearboxes, use a dry sump.
For pressure-fed gearboxes, ensure oil drains freely (look for oil
buildup or foam). If not, increase size of drain line or shield drain
from gear windage.
Ensure oil capacity is adequate to allow adequate dwell time.
If not, increase oil volume by increasing size of reservoir or
increasing oil level.

High altitude
Solar energy or radiant heat
For pressure-fed gearboxes, most heat is removed by the lubricant,
and oil flow must be adequate for gears and bearings (Table 2). Oil
must be distributed uniformly across gear face widths to effectively
remove heat.3
The cooler should have capacity to dissipate the total power
loss. Equation 1 can be used to calculate the expected temperature
rise across the gearbox for a given oil flow rate. If the temperature
rise is higher than expected, the oil flow rate may be too low, water
inlet temperature may be too high, or the water flow rate may be
too low because the cooler is fouled by corrosion.

Checklist for Increasing Heat Dissipation

Eliminate oil pump cavitation by reducing air entrainment or

lowering height of oil suction line.

The following measures improve the thermal capacity of a

splash-lubricated gearbox:

Ensure heater capacity 0.8 W/cm2 and heaters are used only
when oil is cold.

Provide adequate space around the gearbox to allow freely

circulating air.

For high-speed gears, ensure that air trapping does not occur.
If it does, use helical gears.

Increase airflow and provide lowest possible air temperature.

For high-speed gears, ensure housing clearances are adequate.

Increase housing surface area by increasing size or by adding fins.

Clean exterior surfaces of housing.

Run-in new gears under reduced loads before applying full load
(especially important for worm gears).

Improve oil circulation and wetting of internal surfaces.

Follow recommendations for lip seals.

Insulate gearbox from high ambient temperatures or hot

processing equipment.

Inadequate heat dissipation may be caused by:

Inadequate thermal capacity (splash-lubricated)
Inadequate oil flow or distribution (pressure-fed)
Inadequate cooler capacity (pressure-fed)
To determine if a splash-lubricated gearbox has adequate
thermal capacity, the design of the gearbox should be audited for
conformance to ANSI/AGMA 6010-F97. 4 It is especially important
that the gear housing has adequate surface area, adequate external
airflow and adequate internal oil circulation. Otherwise, the
gearbox may overheat. Heat transfer is strongly influenced by the
cleanliness of the exterior surface of the gear housing and airflow
over the housing. Oil circulation within the gearbox is important for
good heat transfer, and oil must vigorously wet the interior surfaces
of the housing. Otherwise, local hot spots occur and heat transfer
is impaired. Some adverse conditions are:4

If these measures prove ineffective, auxiliary cooling may be

necessary. This may include:16
Add a shaft-mounted fan or a separate electric fan to increase
air velocity over the housing.
Add an oil-to-air cooler with an electric fan.
Add an oil-to-water cooler and a pump to circulate oil through
the cooler.
Add finned cooling tubes in the oil sump. As oil circulates
around cooling tubes, fins transfer heat from the oil to water
flowing inside the tubes.
The following measures improve the cooling capacity of a pressure-fed gearbox:
Increase size or effectiveness of the cooler.

Gearbox in an enclosed space

Gear housing exterior insulated by buildup of environmental
contaminants
Gearbox in high ambient temperature near boilers, machinery
or turbines
Gearbox near hot processing equipment

Shield gearbox from solar energy or radiant heat.

Increase oil flow rate (Table 2).

Increase water flow rate (ensure cooler is not fouled).
Lower water temperature.
Improve oil distribution within gearbox (use proper quantity of
flow, feed pressure, jet size, number of jets and jet placement).

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 For high-speed gears (pitchline velocity > 40 m/s), oil jets should
be on the outgoing side of the gear mesh.

8.

Cole-Parmer General Catalog, 2001/02, Cole-Parmer Instrument

Company, Vernon Hills, IL.

For maximum cooling, the jets on the outgoing side should be

directed radially at the center of the pinion and gear and feed
pressure should be as high as practical.

9.

Hoeprich, M.R. (1996). Rolling-Element Bearing Internal

Temperatures. STLE Tribology Transactions, Vol. 39, No. 4,
p. 855-858.

References

10. Wurzbach, R.N. Airing Out Lubricant Oxidation - The Why and
How of Oxidation Testing. Practicing Oil Analysis, Vol. 2, No. 6,
May/June 2000, p. 19-23.

1.

Abner, E., Jr. (1983). Lubricant Deterioration in Service. CRC

Handbook of Lubrication, Vol. I, CRC Press, p. 517-532.

2.

Kubo, A., and Townsend, D.P. (1992). Gear Lubrication. Dudleys

Gear Handbook, Chap. 15. McGraw-Hill, p. 15.1-15.34.

3.

Errichello, R.L. (1997). Gear Lubricant Selection and Application.

Tribology Data Handbook, Chap. 67. CRC Press, p. 781-799.

4.

ANSI/AGMA 6010-F97, Standard for Spur, Helical, Herringbone

and Bevel Enclosed Drives.

5.

FAG Rolling Bearings, Catalog WL 41 520 ED, FAG Bearings

Corp., 1995.

6.

SKF Product Guide, Publication 100-700, SKF USA Inc., 2002.

7.

ASM Handbook, Vol. 4, Heat Treating, ASM International, 1991.

11.

Errichello R.L. and Muller, J. How to Analyze Gear Failures.

Practicing Oil Analysis, Vol. 3, No. 4, Jan/Feb 2001, p. 26-34.

12. ANSI/AGMA 6000-B96, Specification for Measurement of Linear

Vibration on Gear Units.
13. ANSI/AGMA 2001-C95, Fundamental Rating Factors and
Calculation Methods for Involute Spur and Helical Gear Teeth.
14. ANSI/AGMA 9005-D94, Industrial Gear Lubrication.
15. Errichello R. Friction, Lubrication, and Wear of Gears. ASM
Handbook, Vol. 18, Oct. 1992, p. 535-545.
16. Schunck, R. Cooling Takes on New Importance for Speed Reducer
Life. Power Transmission Design, March 1994, p. 45-47.

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