Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
J. WHITTLE
120
100
90
80
70
q60
YI
f
240
5 30
0.
20
10
0
POWER LOSS-h.p.
x Minerdoils.
oils.
Figures indicate test number.
0 Synthetic-type
OIL VISCOSITY
a Mild conditions.
b Moderate conditions.
c Severe conditions.
121
brought about a substantial reduction in running temperature. The addition of 15 per cent acidless tallow resulted in
a further slight reduction of temperature. At this concentration of acidless tallow the thinner oils gave lower temperatures than the highest viscosity oil. The addition of fat to
the highest viscosity oil also appears to result in a slight
reduction in the operating temperature at this condition
(Figs. 3b and 4).
0
7;
ACIDLESS TALLOW-per
15
cent
10
KINEMATIC VlSCOSlN
20
30
AT 21O0F-centirtokes
Non-mineral lubricants
7+
ACIDLESS TALLOW-per
15
cent
Certain vegetable and animal fats possess excellent lubricating properties for bronze and steel combinations. A
particularly effective material is castor oil, which is well
known as a worm-gear lubricant. However, it oxidizes and
thickens rapidly in axle use and is not very susceptible to
oxidation inhibitors. Blends of castor oil and low-viscosity
synthetic esters have also been studied. Such blends have
fkictional properties similar to those of castor oil but a lower
viscosity and, in addition, powerfd oxidation inhibitors
soluble in esters but insoluble in castor oil can be used.
More recently the performance in worm-gears of polyalkylene oxide derivatives has been studied at Thornton.
Laboratory disc-machine tests showed that the friction
obtained with this material was much lower than that with
a mineral oil and possibly lower than that obtained with
castor oil. When suitably inhibited this lubricant is much
more oxidation-stable than are inhibited mineral oil or
castor oil.
The temperature-rise data obtained on these materials
No 3 196061
J. WHITTLE
122
t
a
01
0
100
TEMPERATURE--'F
110
300
ot
1
',
OIL VISCOSIT'I
+
x
----
Castor-synthetic blend.
Syntheticoil A.
Castor oil.
Synthetic oil B.
Mineral oils.
123
Axle
Test conditions
Overslung
6f.in. centres
6.7511 ratio
Steady 30 d e b on a flat
route
oil
Remarks
28
24.5
20
Oil A
Castor-s ynthetic
27
22
175
27
20
18.5
Overslung
6+ in. centres
6.75/1ratio
Overslung
6+ in. centres
6.7511 ratio
Overslung
6+ in. centres
6.7511 ratio
7 in. centres
6.7511 ratio
84 in. centres
54/1 ratio
2 axles
~~
Operated on a high-torque
dynamometer with constant input power of 35
h.p. The axle was watercooled for these tests in
order to measure power
loss.
44.5
Castor-synthetic
275
30
Castor-synthetic
98
52
53
~~
70
54
60
48
41
37
I
sAE140mind
ehicle 1
oil
ehicle 1
3
2
Single-deck
trolley-buses
84 in. centres
9-7/1ratio
76
67
Double-deck
trolley-buses
Single axles
9.67/1ratio
Trolley-buses in normal
services. Hilly route
97,121
72,74
81.5
J. WHITTLE
124
2 70
160
UI
:50
y1
40
2
2 30
n.
u
E 20
iti
10
0
40
50
OIL
70
60
90
80
IM)
110
120
I30
Mineral oils.
o Non-mineral oils.
4
I 3
v)
m
9
DL
g2
0
Ioo0
ZNlP
Zoo0
where Z is oil viscosity in centistokes at the bulk oil temperature and atmospheric pressure, N is the wormshaft
speed in rev/&, and P is the wormshaft torque in lb. ft.
In Fig. 8 there is a certain amount of scatter in the power
loss (corrected to 35 h.p. input power), but the trend follows
the classical pattern, that is, there is a critical value of
Z N / P which gives a minimum power loss; above this value
power loss increases slowly with change of ZN/P, and
below the critical value power loss increases rapidly. In
Fig. 9 the power loss results have been corrected by subtracting the churning loss and the results replotted on the
basis of log ZN/P in order to emphasize the difference
between the two types of oil. The superior result given by
the non-mineral oils at low values of ZN/P is most marked.
At high values of ZN/P above the critical value, the nonmineral oils still give less power loss than the mineral oils.
This result appears to be at variance with the statement
that the lubrication is hydrodynamic but there is another
factor which helps to explain this apparent anomaly and t h i s
is the effect of viscosity at high pressure. For simplicity the
viscosity used in the expressionZN/P has been the viscosity
of the oils at the temperature in the axle and at atmospheric
pressure. However, in the case of hydrodynamic lubrication
the important viscosity is the viscosity of the oil in the tooth
contact where the temperature and pressure are higher than
in the bulk oil.
Now the non-mineral oils (that is, castor oil, castor-ester
blend, synthetic oils A and B) have lower viscosities at high
pressure than mineral oils of initially equal viscosity as
shown in Fig. 10. It is difficult, however, to calculate the
actual pressures in the contact so that only a qualitative
correction can be made to the viscosity. If this is done and
temperature rise is related to viscosity at a high pressure
3Mo
o Non-mineral oils.
Fig. 8. Relation between total power loss in a worm
rear axle and ZN/P
Mineral oils.
4
? , 3
52
I
10
I00
1000
low0
ZAYP
10
5000
1oooo
15ooO
PRESSURE-lb/in2
x NIP, the curves for the two types of oil tend to approach
each other. Obviously the higher the pressure (that is,
torque) the greater will be the correction. This fits in with
the observed greater discrepancies between the two types
of oil at the lower values of ZN/P.
W E A R A N D PITTING
Wear and pitting of the bronze worm-wheel are two closely
allied phenomena which are very important in the economic
operation of worm axles. There is, however, very little
published information, and reliable test data on axles take
a very long time to accumulate. Wilford (5) comments that
wear and pitting vary to a considerable extent even within
a group of vehicles at a particular garage and it is this
variability which defeated earlier attempts to differentiate
the performance of one lubricant from another.
125
Oil
Redwood
No.1
a t 140F
Mean $me
to pmmg,
h
618
66
446
347
40
34
1
I
Oil
SAE 90 mineral oil
Hours
run
51a
20
;:
8b
I ::::;:I
20
8
8
a Scouting test-includes
Proc Instn Mech Engrs (A.D.)
0.0060
0.0026
0~0010
0.0045
0.0026
Wear rate,
in.x10-3/h
0.226
0.173
0.067
0.16
Wear,
in.
Time on
weaktest,
26.6
15
::
15
3
3
24 hours run-in.
0.067
1.5
0.87
Pitting
None
None
1 small pit
None
Heavy
Moderately heavy
Heavy
Heavy
b Scouting test.
No 3 1960-61
J. WHITTLE
126
Oil
Oil
Before testing
Acidity,
Viscosity,
mg. KOH/gl CS at 210F
o
;:765
32
2:4
After testing
Acidity,
mg. KOH/g
Acidicoil
Viscosity,
CSat 210F
I ;:% I id: I 1
0.15
0.10
32.72
39.23
59.10
31.12
34.21
60.36
Pitting started, h
Y
Z
0.68
0.15
723.2
780
725
0
7.5
0.3
7.65
0.162
0-80
1.72
0.587
Oil
13.3
20.5
Synthetic lubricants
With the advent of the synthetic lubricants it was necessary
to find out their wear and pitting tendencies before carrying
out extensive field tests. The performance of synthetic oil A
was of particular interest and tests gave the idormation
shown in Table 8.
Because of the lower operating temperature expected with
oil A in service and its lower viscosity in the comparative
test it was considered that it should give a reasonable performance in axles.
39.73
39.38
39.7
38.65
Time to pitting,
h
SAF! 140mineral
.
Neutral oil blend
Acidic oil before test
Neutral oil after test (averagej
Acidic oil after test (average).
Time to pitting, h
67.4
91
Mean 86.1+
loo+
Axle tests
Oil A is the only oil with which comparative data in axles
have been obtained in this series of investigations and some
details of the results obtained follow.
Heavy-goods lorry on chassis dynamometer
The vehicle used was fitted with a 4-cylinder, 4.88-litre
diesel engine, friction clutch, 5-speed gearbox, and %in.
No 3 1960-61
Plate I
No 3 196041
J. WHITTLE
Plate 2
No 3 196061
127
22.59
2264
0.05
0.10
TACHOMETER DIAL
NGINE
RACK SOLENOID
AC.
MAINS
REAR
AXLE
TACHOMETER ~
FIELD SWITCH
LOAD
BANK
A
GENERATOR
OXIDATION
Whilst the mechanical aspects of worm-gears are very
important, another performance criterion-oil oxidationmust now receive consideration.
No 3 1960-61
128
J. WHITTLE
Mineral oils
Mineral oils thicken in use in worm-gear rear-axles of road
vehicles because they oxidize at the high operatingtemperatures in the axles, the oxidation being catalysed by
the bronze wear particles from the worm-wheels. Additives
may be used to inhibit oxidation and hence increase oil life
and prolong drain periods. Several additives are available
which are satisfactory under moderate operating conditions.
An additive oil was recently developed which on the basis of
laboratory tests appeared to be more resistant to oxidation
under severe conditions than the equivalent base oil and
other inhibited mineral oils.
A field oxidation test was carried out to determine
whether this new additive oil would give results in service
comparable to those in the laboratory. The trials were
arranged in collaboration with Bradford City Transport
who kindly placed full test facilities at the authors disposal.
The operating conditions in the rear axles of trolley-buses
at Bradford are considered to be as severe as any in Great
Britain; hence if the additive oil were to give improved life
at Bradford the laboratory findings would be substantiated.
It was decided to test three oils as follows:
(1) An inhibited SAE 140 mineral oil, coded Yellow.
(2) A straight SAE 140 mineral oil, coded White.
(3) The White oil plus the new additive, coded Blue.
10
EFFECTIVE MILEAGE-
12
I4
16
1000 miles
30
32
34
36
38
40
42
44
46
48
50
52
129
Bus
Oils
White
Yellow
580
58 1
582
585
586
589
590
592
593
594
595
596
20.46'
11.71'
15.67'
1 .96'
0.77b
0.26b
14.27b
27,54b
5.36c
4.4lC
2.6OC
5.40c
8.37c
8.51a
6.20'
14.6W
4.99'
21.24b
13.46b
1140b
6.6Sb
8.21b
4-7OC
7~15~
6*17c
24.Ogc
11.35a
2.13a
26.62a
35.25'
Mean
9.20
11.40
13.84
Blue
Oil temperature
45 CS at 210F
116.5"C
32 CSat 210F
103.1"C
43
37
39
32
32
34
34
34
38
33
43
37
11
5
7
0
0
2
2
2
6
1
11
5
103
99
108
97
97
101
98
101
104
97
117
118
96
98
IW
118 I20
OIL TEMPERATURE-*C
corrected for
011
viscosity
94
580
581
582
585
586
589
590
592
593
594
595
596
90 92
that for long life the oil temperature should be kept low,
at least below 9O"C, and preferably appreciably cooler. This
could be achieved either by axle design or improved
lubrication.
Although the test was inconclusive so far as the new
additive was concerned it revealed two important details :
(1) For an oxidation inhibited oil to show a definite
advantage in the field its performance in the laboratory
must be several times better than a mineral oil.
(2) It transpired that the reduction of operating oil
temperature was a very powerful method of increasing the
oxidation life of the oil (the old working rule that a
reduction of 10C halves reaction rate-in this case
oxidation rate-seems to apply fairly well to these results).
Synthetic oil
Early tests with synthetic oil A indicated that with suitable
choice of inhibitor it would give the required life under
No 3 1960-61
J. WHITTLE
130
oil would have a much longer life than that of a mineral oil.
Consequently a long-term field test was commenced.
Meanaxle
temperature,
Vehicle
numbei
"C
7
8
9
10
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
:?}
Y
Y
Y
Y
F4
F4
F4
F4
F4
F4
F4
F4
78
95
67
76
77
Average 78
"C
24
Y
Y
Y
Y
Y
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
F4
F4
F4
F4
F4
F4
F4
20
21
22
23
Average
85
")
74
Mean axle
temperature,
Vehicle rYPe
number
Average
75
-- -
86
Average
92
95
83
Average 88
* Faulty thermocouple.
t No temperature reading taken.
Table 14. Data on used synthetic oil A
Vehicle
number
I00
200
300
400
500
TIME-h
8
9
10*
32*
33
zzt 1
37
_.
38
39
milage
Test
Unused
71 152
72 233
73 603
68 651
68 296
1352
29205
69
.. 759
70 258
69208
V.I.
Acidity,
mg.KOH/g
100F 210F
-~
141
149
154
201
253
183
141
156
160
153
165
23.0
24.6
25.1
296
44.6
23.8
23.3
25.2
22.6
24.9
23.1
142
141
141
137
138
133
142
141
136
141
136
0.05
0.85
1a 0 0
3.00
2.05
2.10
0.10
0.90
1.90
0.65
1.90
131
CONCLUSIONS
APPENDIX
REFERENCES
(I) ~ ~ Z R I T TH.
,
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
(6)
(7)
E.
Discussion in London
Mr A. T. Wilford (Companion) said, in opening the discussion, that he would like to compliment the author on his
paper because that was a subject in which he had been very
interested and he had the feeling that he had inspired the
Shell organization to do some of the work they had done.
In the second paragraph of the Introduction to his paper
the author regretfilly remarked that worm-gear lubricants
had not received the same attention from the petroleum
industry as had hypoid-gear oils. There followed a kind
reference to himself, but he, too, had his regrets when he
recalled that castor oil had been used by the former London
General Omnibus Company for lubrication of worm-driven
axle on the six-wheeled LT type buses running on the
London streets in the late 1920s. Its use had to be
abandoned because it had been found impossible at that
time to prevent leakage along the axle half-shafts, thus
leading to oiling up of brake drums. There had been some
evidence that the enforced adoption of an inferior lubricant
resulted in an increase in fuel consumption, though there
seemed to be nothing that could be done about it. It had
taken a long time to get over that trouble, and in recent
years progress in their extensive tests with castor oil, castor
oil-synthetic oil blends and wholly synthetic oil had been
retarded, though fortunately not prevented, for that very
same reason.
In the intervening years their experience with mineral
oil lubricants had not been a happy one, trouble of varying
severity being encountered due to oxidation and, in consequence, a very marked increase in viscosity of the lubricant,
Proc Imtn Mech Engrs (A.D.)
132
DISCUSSION
133
134
DISCUSSION
The grating for ordinates was set out from the right setting off
points at the anti-log of 1, i.e. 10 mm then 1.05,1.1,1.15, etc. and
backward. The plotting can start at any ordinate.
By Newton's law.
Animal oil.
Flats are where solids melt.
----
Fig. 20
No 3 196061
TIME
Fig. 21
oils, and the secret of the tallow in the authors tests was
that it could keep the temperature down during slight
overloads. If a working temperature was used somewhere
below a flat and a sudden, temporary increase in load was
obtained, the latent heat of the melting fat would keep
the temperature, and therefore the heat loss, down to
a reasonable figure. When the temporary increase went, the
temperature would return to its old figure. The gear oil,
which had been what the company had been using in its
axles, actually had quite a considerable flat-somewhat
around 40. He did not know the melting point of tallow
and he did not know whether the author knew it, but it
would be useful to show where he got his static temperature.
The use of grease in certain types of bearing instead of
oil had long been known to have advantages, and that was
a probable cause of the fact that in the thick gear oil the
compounding gave a nice flat at about the temperature
where the straight oil fell away. The result of the tests had
shown that the gear oil had been possessed of qualities that
made it useful, though its efficiency had been lower than
that of other oils.
The machine had been used for a series of tests by the
National Physical Laboratory, whose report was an
appendix to Lanchesters paper. The oil in those tests had
been lard oil with the addition of small amounts of sperm
and castor, so that it had not been specifically anythhg. Its
viscosity, as found by the National Physical Laboratory, was
Redwood 250 at 30C, 88.5 at 60C, and 50.5 at 90C.
As sperm was as good as castor, and better than thick oil,
it was clear that viscosity, as such, was no guide to efficiency.
The three light coloured oils med had all been better than
the three darker ones, but that proved nothing. Owing to
the properties of lard and sperm oil in passing seals, it was
no use having higher efficiency if tight seals had to be used
causing higher friction.
Regarding materials, phosphor bronze seemed to have
held the field for wormwheels for as long as he could
remember. It was unstable, however, if it had a high tin
content, and it was difficult to cast blanks in that material
around 11 or 12 per cent of tin, even with a chill on the
outside. If the outside was chilled a higher tin content was
liable to result on the outside than on the inside. In fact,
Proc Insrn Mach E w s (A.D.)
135
136
DISCUSSION
viscosity decrease, due to mechanicalshear or depolymerization of additives, was quite feasible with mineral based
lubricants.
He thought that the days of mineral oil based lubricants
were not over and that they could give performance at least
equivalent to synthetic oil A, and he would welcome the
authors comments on that suggestion.
..
No 3 196061
137
15 000
"
ul
d
<
z
2
I0000
Moo
1 2 3 4
1 2 3 4
TEST No.
Materials of discs:
Sizes of discs:
Slide/roll ratios:
Sliding velocity:
LL
if 0.04
SLIDE/ROLL RATIO
47
48
+296
I-
v
v
Y
Y
w
u% 003 -
+ 1.51
I
8 00.02
02-
.-.-J
INPUT HORSEPOWER
SYNTHETIC O I L 'A'
200
300
400
500 6W
800
IWO
IMO
2000
25w
RUBBING SPEED--ft/min
Materials of discs :
Fig. 24. Temperature-rise tests on 8 in. centres. Rearaxle worm-gears at low speeds with l
m power
The somewhat higher load carrying capacity of the synthetic oil was a useful property which might tend to
compensate for its lower viscosity when that was important.
Results from a series of tests on industrial gear units
were shown in Table 15. Those gave the input and output
horsepower values required to produce 55F temperature
No 3 1960-61
DISCUSSION
138
Table 15. Horsepower and overall efi&ncy values from tests on industrial wmm-gear units for 55C temperature rise when
lubricated with plain and synthetic lubricants
centre
disfance,
m.
2
2
4
4c
4
4
5
5
7
7
8
8
750
loo0
1500
750
0.48
0-59
3.2
3.9
2.1
2.8
9.6
11.0
9.7
14.0
7.1
10.2
0.55
0.74
3.9
5.0
2.5
3.4
11-5
14.5
12.3
20.0
9.2
13.1
0.70
0.95
4.9
6.6
3.1
4.5
14.3
18.7
16.0
24.0
12.5
18.0
0.31
0.41
2.8
3.0
1.4
2.0
8.7
10.1
7.9
12.3
5.5
8.6
lo00
0.37
1500
0.48
750
0.65
looO
0.67
1500
0.69
Lubricant
fie
Synthetlc
Mineral
17.8
5.4
2.2
3.5
13.3
17.8
13.3
21.0
7.2
9-8
0.78
0.66
0.73
0.91
0.92
0.82
0.88
0-77
11.4
15.5
0-84
4.0
1 -7
2.6
10.6
13.6
10.1
0.80
0.68
0.75
0.92
0.94
0.82
0.88
0.78
0.87
0.82
0.70
0.78
0.93
0.95
0.83
0.88
0.79
0.86
Synthetic
Mineral
Synthetic
Mineral
Synthetic
Mind
Synthetic
Mineral
synthetic
Communications
Mr A.J. S. Baker (Associate Member) wrote that following
his discussions with friends and associates in the United
States, he would like to draw the authors attention to the
following points.
After reading the authors introduction, which set out
requirements to be met only by a synthetic lubricant, he
felt that his title was somewhat broader than the actual
aims of the paper.
The author had stated that the decline in popularity of
the worm rear axle was due, among other things, to maintenance problems arising from wear and pitting. While he
agreed that worm-axles were more expensive initially than
hypoid, the worm-axle would usually outlast the hypoid
because the wormwheel could be reversed for added life.
In the United States, a million miles of service had proved
to be not unusual for worm axles using the authors
maligned mineral oils.
The author failed to point out that one of the major
Proc Imtn Mech Engrs (A.D.)
(A.D.)
I39
COMMUNICATIONS
140
Pch= C1.ZN*L3
. . . (1)
where C1 denoted a numerical factor, i.e. characteristic of
the geometry of the worm-gear transmission and of its oil
bath, and where L stood for some suitable linear dimension
(such as the pitch diameter of the worm) characterizing the
size of the worm-gear transmission concerned.
The above formula might be rewritten as follows:
Pch = C,.(ZN/P).P,
. (2)
so that, if it should prove that the power transmitted, P,,
was indeed constant throughout the present tests, it could
just as well be written:
Pch=C3.ZN/P
. .
(3)
where C,, like C2, was still a constant, although it was no
longer a numerical factor, since it contained, apart from
constant form factors and the constant power P,, the
characteristic linear dimension L.
According to formula (3), churning loss, Pch, would
indeed be a unique function, and a very simple one to that,
of ZNIP. Unfortunately, the accuracy achievable in
determining churning loss, as a function of ZNIP, by subtracting values in Fig. 8 from corresponding ones in Fig. 9,
did not permit verifying whether the functional relation
between those concerned was as simple as the proportionality described by formula (3). He wondered whether
the author, who was in a better position to carry out such a
verification, could state to what extent he found formula (3)
corroborated by his original test results ?
Finally, the author pointed out that the gain in friction
losses achieved by the non-mineral oils, in comparison with
the mineral ones and as shown in Fig. 9, might perhaps be
attributed to a difference in the pressure dependence of
viscosity between those two groups of oils. However, since
that gain was greatest in the ZNIP-range to the left of the
minima of the two curves concerned, i.e. in the range
where lubrication was presumably only partially hydrodynamic so that part of the tooth load must have been borne
by direct contact between the meshing tooth faces, it
remained to be seen whether a difference between the
boundary lubricating properties might not perhaps have
played an even more significant part. Particularly if the
results shown for the non-mineral oils should relate mainly,
. .
OHLENDORF,
H. 1958 Verlustleistung und Erwlrmung von
Stimradem;doctoral thesis, University of Technology, Munich.
For an abstract see: NIEMANN,G. and OHLENDORF,
H. 1960
2. Ver. dtsch. Zng., vol. 102, p. 216, Verlustleistung und
Erwarmung von Stirnradgetrieben.
BLOK,H. 1960 Hydrodynamic Effects on Friction in Rolling
with Slippage, paper read at Symposium on Rolling Contact
Phenomena, General Motors Corporation, Research Laboratories, Warren (Michigan), U.S.A., October 10-11 (the proceedings will be published by Elsevier Publishing Co.,
Amsterdam, Holland).
NO 3
1960-61
I40
I20
IN
UI
E
3
n.
E
l-
$ 6 0
DISTANCE-miles
DISTANCE-miles
141
I42
COMMUNICATIONS
No 3 196061
Authors Reply
Mr J. Whittle wrote that in reply to the discussion and
communications he was very grateful to the contributors
who had shown such detailed interest in the paper. It was
interesting to note that comments had been received from
manufacturers of worm gears and from users as well as from
other parts of the petroleum industry, but he would like to
have heard more from the vehicle users side.
Several contributors seemed to have thought that he was
trying to push a new product and if that was the impression
the paper gave then he was sorry. It had been his aim to
fill an apparent gap in the literature of lubrication. The
number of articles dealing with worm-gear lubrication were
few and far between as could be judged fiom the references.
He had also found in his conversations with users and
others that there appeared to be a number of misconceptions about the mechanism of lubrication and the explanations of power loss in axles and this was one of the reasons
so much of the paper had been devoted to friction and power
loss.
It was worth while to get the problems into perspective
and Mr Wilford had presented an interesting picture of
axle lubrication over the years as seen by the London Transport Executive (L.T.E.). The information about the current
results in L.T.E. axles was of great interest j it appeared that
in general terms the oxidation inhibited castor oil has about
half the life of inhibited mineral oil and the synthetic oil
lasted about twice as long as the inhibited mineral oil. That
was interesting confirmation of the laboratory simulation
oxidation tests, despite the admittedly high test temperature
of 150Cwhich hh Vaile had commented on. Unfortunately
it was a fact of life that oxidation tests had frequently to be
carried out at higher temperatures than normal in order
to get quick results. The temperature of 150C had not been
chosen lightly, but it was a result of good correlation with
results at lower temperatures with the particular oils and
antioxidants used. It was, of course, well known that certain
antioxidants themselves were unstable at this temperature
and that was what Mr Vaile might have had in mind in
criticizing the test temperature.
He was glad that Mr Patman had raised the question of
the criterion to be used in assessing the life of a synthetic
oil. It was obvious from the results that viscosity increase
was not the correct one to use in service and in fact acidity
was a much better guide to the condition of the oil. Users
should make particular note of this.
There had been a number of questions concerning the
pitting and wear tests on the disc machine, in particular with
regard to the effect of oil acidity. The mineral oils tested
had come fiom a limited number of sources but notwithstanding the source it seems reasonable to assume that the
Proc Instn Mech Eizgrs ( A . D . )
144
AUTHORS REPLY
The explanation of the possible mechanism by which compounded (i.e. fat containing) oils work was intriguing.
However, if the fatty material had really gone into solution
then there should be no step in the cooling curve at the
melting point of the fat. If a step was present that indicated
that M Milligan had not got a true solution. The possibility
was that there had been a saturated solution and excess fat
had been present, perhaps in a finely divided form. Alternatively a colloid suspension might be expected to exhibit
similar behaviour. It was, of course, present practice to
make compounded oils in such a way that they were bright,
i.e. free from solid particles, to temperatures below normal
ambient.
It would be interesting to know Mr Bakers motives in
making tests on improved mineral based oils when his
experience seemed to be with axles lasting a million miles
and oil changes after 100000 miles! Obviously that was
one side of the picture but the other side was that for automotive drives the worm gear was rapidly losing favour in
the United Kingdom. In the United States of America
it had practically disappeared, except in moumtinous
regions, despite the intense pre-war studies which Mr Baker
had mentioned.
Mr Baker and Mr Vaile had both referred to metal deactivators and although it was easy to show that they could
have a beneficial effect in static oxidation tests where there
was a limited quantity of solid copper catalyst, it was not so
m
a
n
i that they gave the same benefit in an axle in service
where fresh metal surface was being continually produced,
and where some of the metal was also going into solution.
Simple calculations showed that unless a good percentage
of deactivator was added it was all liable to be rapidly
mopped up by the copper and iron particles and salts.
The remarks about pitting weremade in the context of the
paper and as IvIr Newman stated e.p. materials did not
necessarily accentuate pitting in steel-steel combinations.
Synthetic lubricants did not appear to have any appreciable
effect on roller bearings and they were extremely compatible
with synthetic rubber seals. Some care was necessary in
choosing suitable leather seals but that was no trouble once
the point was appreciated.
Most of the comments on the paper had been concerned
with temperature rise and power loss and in particular the
effect of e.p. agents. Mr Patman had carried out some calculations on the data in Table l and arrived at some conclusions regarding the effect of oil viscosity on temperature
rise. To try to clear up the point the original results, from
which selected data had been given in line 4 of Table 1,
were shown in Fig. 26. It would be seen that comparing the
two types of oils, i.e. the particular non-mineral oils against
the particular mineral oils used, there could be no doubt
that an equi-viscous mineral oil gave higher oil temperatures and power losses. The trend shown in those results
was supported by other results at numerous conditions both
higher and lower in speed and torque although, of course,
the magnitude of the difference varied from condition to
condition. In fact, as discussed in the paper, at high torque
conditions the thin mineral oils f d e d miserably but thin
Proc Ztrstn Mech Engrr (A.D.)
63
r
CASTOR1
SYNTHETIC
SYNTHETIC
: I l l
0
20 40
60
120
160
200
VISCOSITY OF OIL AT OPERATING TEMPERATURE
CS
x
2
240
Mineraloils.
Non-mineral oils.
145
No 3 1960-61