Precise Gearheads Efficiency Measurements

A motor is a converter; it converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. A great deal of research has gone into analyzing the efficiency of this process. Efficiencies range between 98% and 30%, depending on the size and configuration of a particular motor. However, overall efficiencies – motor in conjunction with a gearhead – are examined far less frequently. What‘s more, the intricate nature of these efficiencies is not clearly understood, and it is relatively difficult to calculate these efficiencies. Gearhead efficiency is dependent on load. Therefore, in order to optimize a drive, in certain applications the effective efficiency must be calculated – independent of the average values shown in the manufacturers' catalogs.

Exact determination of gearhead efficiencies requires testing, which must be carried out in a well-equipped laboratory by professional engineers who have considerable experience.

This article presents a series of efficiency tests and new laboratory data. Tests were conducted under a variety of conditions. Two gearhead technologies – spur and planetary gearheads – were compared as well as gearheads of the same type operating at different speeds. The new data provides a better understanding of how gearheads efficiency relates to its load. The reduction ratios for this experiment varied from 4:1 to over 1000:1 (the largest reduction ratio tested was 10,683:1).

The experiments had three objectives:

1. Comparison with standard values listed in manufacturers' catalogs
2. Determination of the differences in efficiency between the two gearhead technologies
3. Measurement of the relationship between load and efficiency