Publications Repository - Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf

1 Publication

Hydrodynamics analysis in micro-channels of a viscous coupling using gamma-ray computed tomography

Bieberle, A.; Schlottke, J.; Spies, A.; Schultheiss, G.; Banzhaf, M.; Kuehnel, W.; Hampel, U.

In this work, high-resolution gamma-ray computed tomography (HireCT) was applied for the first time on a viscous coupling to visualize the internal operating fluid distribution. The HireCT measurement system comprises a 137Cs isotopic source and a gamma-ray detector arc operated in single photon counting mode and is able to produce cross-sectional images of dense objects with a spatial resolution of about 2 mm. To scan fast rotating parts rotation-synchronized CT scanning mode was employed in these experiments. The analyzed viscous coupling (Visco® clutch of MAHLE Behr) mainly consists of a driven primary disc and a secondary housing with an engine cooling fan mounted on it and is assembled within an experimental rig. The viscous coupling’s primary and secondary parts are axially assembled and a coupling liquid is pumped into engaged radial ring profiles to provide a defined torque transfer. The internal ring channel width, where the coupling liquid is to be observed, is considerably lower than one millimeter. Although the HireCT measurement system is not able to resolve these micro-channels, the coupling liquid can be successfully visualized via its contrast. Investigations have been performed at different filling levels corresponding to different transmission slips of the test coupling. Moreover, both radial and tangential liquid distributions for different operational steady states could be determined. The obtained experimental data were compared to results from computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations in some operating points and are in good agreement.

Keywords: viscous coupling; gamma-ray computed tomography; design optimization; CFD

Permalink: https://www.hzdr.de/publications/Publ-21719
Publ.-Id: 21719