Lubrication System

Warning: This example uses the hydraulic domain, which will be removed in a future release. Find an equivalent example model that uses the isothermal liquid domain here: Lubrication System. To convert models to the isothermal liquid domain, use the hydraulicToIsothermalLiquid tool.

This example shows a simplified version of a lubrication system fed with the centrifugal pump. The system consists of five major units: Pump Unit, Scavenge Unit, Heat Exchanger Manifold, Nozzle Manifold, and Control Unit. Both the pump and the scavenge unit are built around the centrifugal pump. The Scavenge Unit collects fluid discharged by nozzles and pumps it back into the reservoir of the Pump Unit. The Control Unit generates commands to bypass either the heat exchanger, represented as a local resistance, or the nozzles block. In a real system, these commands are generated by temperature sensors installed in lubrication cavities.

The cycle simulated in the example allows you to observe pressures and flow rates at various points of the system. The example also shows the usage of local resistance blocks such as the Elbow, T-junction, and Sudden Area Change.

Model

Heat Exchanger Manifold Subsystem

Pump Supply Line Subsystem

Pump Unit Subsystem

Pump Return Line Subsystem

Simulation Results from Simscape Logging

The plots below show the flow rates through different parts of the lubrication system. As the control member within the different valves are adjusted, flow rates change within the system.