Innovative Design for Electrical lubricants Test Rigs for E-Grease and E-Fluid Applications

Thursday, 17 August 2023

A new generation of component test rigs, relevant to battery-powered electric vehicles (EVs), has become essential for the lubricants industry, which is investing heavily in creating value in the EV market space. In this presentation, we will describe our innovative product design for the Electrical Lubricants Test Rig featuring a two-stage lubricated bearing system capable of testing at speeds up to 30,000 rpm and loads up to 15 kN. These bearings can be lubricated with grease or oils, and they can be heated up to 150°C using our proprietary heat exchanger. Rotor dynamics and cooling systems are crucial techniques to minimize downtime and enhance operator safety, and we will provide further details on these techniques during the presentation.

Each bearing station is equipped with smart sensors that capture data on vibration, noise, bearing friction, and temperature within the lubricated system. This sensor system is MOOHA-enabled, automating data collection, cloud storage, analytics, and reporting. Collectively, these sensors provide insights into the performance of e-grease or e-fluid, including factors such as antiwear properties, thermal conductivity, friction, and fatigue resistance. We will also share a case study illustrating the performance of several electrical lubricants commonly used in electric motors and electric wheel hubs of battery-powered EVs.

The Electrical Lubricants Test Rig is the first of its kind in the market, aimed at developing high-value lubricants to enhance the performance of EVs and promote the reduction of carbon emissions through electrification.