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Overview
Overview
The Wildcat Pulling Team uses a custom-designed right-angle gearbox for the quarter-scale tractor, but no previous analysis had been completed to ensure performance, so concerns of overheating arose. To remedy this, the Wildcat Powertrain Solutions team designed a right-angle gearbox that included cooling fins on the side plates.
Figure 8:
Figure 8:
Thermal Simulation of Gearbox with no fins
Figure 9:
Figure 9:
Thermal Simulation of Gearbox with fins
To determine if the cooling fins are an efficient way to pull heat out of the gearbox, a thermal analysis was completed using SolidWorks. The thermal simulation included a heat power generation and convection thermal load. The test was completed during a 30 second period with 1 second intervals, to simulate the time spent pulling on the track and the heating up of the gearbox. Figure 8 shows a range of temperature between 124°F and 126°F inside of the gearbox, while Figure 9 shows a temperature range between 118°F and 120°F inside of the gearbox. Therefore, the thermal simulation analysis shows that the addition of cooling fins allows for approximately 6°F lower temperatures in the gearbox during intended use. This is because the added surface area of the cooling fins allows for a more efficient heat dissipation process. A lower gearbox temperature allows for a longer lifespan of the components and better gearbox efficiency. A cost analysis of this fin design will be completed to see if the difference in temperature is worth the fabrication cost of the fins.
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