Aluminum Tig ? for the pros or whoever

[Fishy Jim]

Think about how a torque converter works on a car. Centrifugal force creates enough fluid drag via pressure to propel your vehicle. Inside the spinning tube will be no different.

I think the solution would be to use a heavier oil (sticks to things better) and then have the gears protrude into where the oil is being held on the sides of the tube to splash it around, or at least become bathed in it as it passes through.

Too much, or too thick of oil will cause excessive resistance (especially cold) that will waste engine power, so that's another concern to think about.

And, yes, I am aware thinner oil lubricates better.

[monte55]

I believe a torque converter has blades/fins like a turbine. Mine doesn't. I'm sure some of the lube will be slung outwards but the oil toward the center will not have as much speed. I feel it will be like a whirlpool as viewed from above.
Now if it had BBs instead of oil, it would be a lot worse situation. Just my thoughts.

[Fishy Jim]

Nick, you missed the point. The oil is still being slung against the outside wall with the same force. You're simply not taking advantage of the pressure like a converter does.

Whatever started in the middle will end up held firmly against the outside wall at your 1000rpm. Like I said before, your best bet (IMO) is to design the gearbox so that the oil layer is thick enough on the outside of the housing to encounter the gears path. This is a simple calculation of volume distributed about the ID of the tube.

[monte55]

Nick, you missed the point. The oil is still being slung against the outside wall with the same force. You're simply not taking advantage of the pressure like a converter does.

Whatever started in the middle will end up held firmly against the outside wall at your 1000rpm. Like I said before, your best bet (IMO) is to design the gearbox so that the oil layer is thick enough on the outside of the housing to encounter the gears path. This is a simple calculation of volume distributed about the ID of the tube.

Ok.........Fishy Jim gets a blue star next to his name. I did a test where I took a 2.5" diameter x 3.5" tall transparent plastic measuring cup with plumb
side walls. Drilled a hole in the bottom, ran a bolt through to chuck in a drill, put in about 1" of water and started spinning. True, the fluid will move to the outside of the container. I knew this would happen. At lower speeds the
fluid would dish in the middle and some ride up on the walls. As the speed increased to probably the rpms I'll turn, the fluid dish would move down untill the center bottom was absent of fluid. I figured fluid would be slung out but I didn't think the center would clear that much. I'm not sure of exact rpms, only what is on drill side...0-350 & 0-1100 rpm. Now this test is with a smooth bottom and nothing in the fluid path which allows it to get up to
speed. Different viscosity fluids may react a little differently according to their weight and speed. They may do exactly the same but take a little longer to get there. Now.........at the higher speed the fluid at the wall side wanted to creep up and be slung out the top. Not good. I placed a rubber donut in the top of the container. Now when I spin it up, the fluid wall thickness being thinner than the donut, kept all fluid inside. I feel an inside
ring thicker than the fluid wall will be and a slinger disk over that should keep all fluid inside even though it's not really sealed at the top. I'm going to put some dye in the water and do more tests.

[Fishy Jim]

It's part of any first semester physics class.

[Laiky]

can you incorporate some form of a scraper to direct fluid back to the center or to the gear teeth (wherever you want it)? how about a helical ramp around the id that will lift the oil and dump it back to the center/top so it falls on the gears?

[Laiky]

think archimedes screw.

[Fishy Jim]

I'd like to see what all this housing/gearbox is intended to do. Got a print Nick? Drawing? Lines in the sand?

[monte55]

Ok...............here's the housing I came up with. It's a 6" diameter and you can see the gears inside. I found a brass base that I cut and fit to the ID of the can. The outer width of the the brass round should keep the oil in place. The
ID of the brass is sloped down to allow drainage back down. Just above the brass ring is the thin aluminum slinger. This should sling any fluid that may come out the middle to the can walls again. When I come up with direction
of rotation of the rotor(depending on engine and drive) I may cut the brass
to include downward deflectors or add them. The holes on the side will have plugs. They are necessary to remove the bolt from the side gears when the can is in place.

[monte55]

Here are two more pics. Notice the room above the thin aluminum slinger. I can also insert a foam seal just in case..to keep things cleaner.

Nick