Innovative Sensor Technology Revolutionizes Lubrication System Analysis in Transmissions

With increasing requirements for transmissions in terms of rotational speed and geometrical constraints, the topic of lubrication gains in importance. In the future, more accurate and sophisticated lubrication system analysis methods will be needed to ensure functionality in series applications. Therefore, it is necessary to reconsider current testing methods like tilt tests based on visual inspections with transparent housings and pursue new and innovative approaches for test and verification as well as for condition monitoring. One of those approaches was developed at the Graz University of Technology and comes in the form of a unique fluid sensor. The innovative sensor was designed for the quantification of multiphase flows and is ideal for analyzing the lubrication in transmissions. By integrating several measurement principles into one miniaturized sensor, the flow and the temperature of the oil are measured. Furthermore, the sensor is able to detect gas bubbles and oil splashes. The combination of the obtained measurement data from several of these innovative sensors at different positions is used to determine the exact lubrication condition dependent on rotational speed, tilt angle and oil temperature. Different sensor designs like a sensor probe or an adhesive sensor foil allow measurements at individual test points inside of the transmission. Together with the objective of implementing a wireless data transfer, this sensor application provides a new way of analyzing lubrication conditions.