Energy and Lubricants
A view to the future part 2 Saving energy with lubricants
In part 1 of this article series, we saw the critical role energy plays in our lives and how the global demand for energy continues to increase through population growth, urbanization, increasing living standards, and economic prosperity. We also noted how efficiency measures make a significant contribution to slowing the growth in global energy demand. Society can expect efficiency trends to continue as people seek reliable, affordable and convenient energy solutions.
Producing more value with less energy makes sense — economically and environmentally — and is a priority for manufacturing companies and countries alike. In an age of global trade, successful companies are continually improving technology, processes and logistics to optimize energy usage and gain a competitive edge. Examples include the installation of energy-efficient technologies (such as variable speed motors and advanced process controls) and the adoption of process changes aimed at optimizing heat and energy utilization. Some nations also set efficiency standards and other targets intended to meet environmental and energy security objectives.
So what does this mean for lubricants? It is estimated that from 1/3 to 1/2 of the total energy produced in the world is consumed by friction [1]. The Jost report, published in 1966 in the UK, was one of the first studies on the effects of lubrication on Gross Domestic Product (GDP), and estimated that between 1.3-1.6% of a country’s GDP [2] was lost due to poor lubrication practices.
As lubricants are intended to reduce friction and wear, they can play an important role in increasing energy efficiency. We can design improvements in several ways;
1) Reducing direct friction – the mechanical resistance to motion between two bodies moving relative to each other reduced by ensuring complete separation of the surfaces and avoiding surface to surface contact.
2) Reducing the internal fluid friction of the lubricant film – ensuring that the fluid film thickness is just sufficient to separate the surfaces and no more, and by using fluids that have low coefficients of traction.
3) Reducing wear and the need to replace components – if we have no wear, then we need to replace components less often, saving on the energy used in manufacturing and shipping.
4) Extending maintenance periods - extending the oil life would save the energy required to visit a machine, along with the energy involved in disposal of waste oil.
Let’s take a look at a simple gearbox (figure 1) and see where we can start to save energy. Direct friction occurs between the moving parts such as the gears, bearings and seals. The majority of losses come from the first two which are load related. We then have fluid losses associated with churning of oil and pumping of oil and air. Finally we have internal fluid friction under the high pressure of any Elastohydrodynamic (EHD) contacts such as the gears and bearings.
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LUBE MAGAZINE NO.127 JUNE 2015
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