Research Report Published: E-Fluids@HighSpeeds

Changes in drive technology are creating new requirements for lubricants, which must be able to meet the challenges of e-mobility. The development of cutting-edge lubricant solutions is in full swing, and novel lubricants must be reliably evaluated—for example, in terms of their resistance to galling.

Current developments in drive technology show a clear trend toward high electric motor speeds. This results in more efficient operation, and in the context of e-mobility, this is synonymous with increased range. To further increase the efficiency of the powertrain, novel lubricants are being developed that, among other things, enable high transmission and gear efficiency. Typically, these lubricants feature particularly low viscosities. To minimize transmission losses, low coefficients of friction are desirable; friction linings are generally not found in most e-mobility applications. Standard test procedures allow for a comparative evaluation of lubricants with regard to seizure, pitting, and gray spots. In the test, a damage severity level or the runtime until failure is determined based on characteristic limit parameters, which can then be used to classify the lubricants into load-carrying capacity classes or categories. 

A reliable assessment of the load-carrying capacity of such novel lubricants is required under relevant operating conditions typical of e-mobility. The joint research project between DGMK and FVA has been completed, and DGMK Research Report 833 is now available. 

Project partners

Research Center for Gears and Gear Systems (FZG)
Technical University Munich
Chair for Machine Elements

In cooperation with the Research Association for Drive Technology (FVA No. 988 I)