OUR PROJECTS
INTEGRATED DRUM DRIVE
A revolutionary advancement in heavy machinery, offering superior control and efficiency. This innovative drive system enhances operational performance, providing powerful, precise movement for even the toughest excavation tasks.
3,000 HP FRAC PUMP
Engineered for peak performance in high-pressure environments. This robust pump delivers unmatched horsepower and efficiency, making it ideal for demanding industrial applications. Built to withstand extreme conditions, it ensures consistent, reliable operation, driving productivity to new heights in critical operations.
THE WAVE VESSEL
A cutting-edge innovation that harnesses the power of the ocean to generate clean, renewable energy. This advanced vessel converts wave motion into electricity, offering a sustainable solution for energy needs.
COMPRESSOR DRIVES
High speed compressor drive systems need critical gear design for smooth and efficient operation. For gas compressors, refrigeration, fuel cells and other high speed applications rely on Powertrain Engineers including rotor dynamics analysis.
Saving the Navy Hovercraft
We are referring to the new LCAC hovercraft, manufactured by Textron Inc. This new hovercraft is larger, faster and more efficient than its predecessor
Their gear drive contractor, designing the main fan gear drives, could not develop a final drive that met the Navy’s weight limit. Their request to increase the limit was denied and the contract was now on the table.
The contractor came to Powertrain Engineers for help. We created an innovative design that delt with the issue of these high-speed, light weight bullgears have a significant rim deflection due to centrifugal stresses. We were able to design the mating pinion to also deflect in a complementary fashion that keeps the mesh properly aligned at all speeds in spite of a deflecting gear with thin webs and rims.
This design process involves very fine mesh FEA analysis and many iterations to develop an optimum solution at the micron level.
Both the Navy and our client were thrilled with our solution that beat the weight limit by 400 lbs per drive!
Failure reduction in huge mining dump trucks
These trucks utilize integral motors and gear reducers right in the wheel axle. The gearing is heavily loaded as just 2 motor axles drive the vehicle up a steep road while loaded with 400 tons of overburden. A Major participant in this industry was experiencing high warranty costs due to gear failures and seal leaks. Powertrain Engineers were contracted and besides drawing and specification review, spent time on-site to witness the assembly process.
A cleanup of the gear design utilizing 3D mesh analysis, and tolerance stack-up reviews were conducted and implemented but the critical process included improved assembly procedures. This covered detailed procedures to achieve the proper pre-load on massive main wheel bearings, seal assembly and timing the final drive gears in the planetary assembly. All problems fixed.
Fixing Mr. Transformers arthritis
Powertrain has performed new designs and design improvements for many programs starting with the Spiderman ride in 1998 and covering 8 programs from then to 2024. For their latest ride, what is called a ‘Dark Ride’ for their new park in Orlando, we were part of the original design team rather than called on to solve failures found in testing prototypes.
One such ‘find a fix’ contract was for Mr. Transformer for a new ride in their Beijing Park. As seen in the graphics below, the gears for various body joints had premature wear. Powertrain was able to provide fixes and provide lubrication requirements to solve these wear problems. The solutions included improved gear design, material and heat treatment changes and a review of first article Quality reports. Happy to report that Mr. Transformer is spending his long days free of any painful joints. A good guy to have on your side!
Updating NASA’s Luner satellite antennas
The NASA satellite dishes, installed in locations around the world during their program to visit the moon, needed elevation drive gear boxes re-built as several had failed. NASA then found that the folks who built these drives back then were no longer in business. When new vendors viewed the drawings, they found them not consistent with modern methods and somewhat incomplete.
We were contacted by them and responded with a quote to re-do them for direct drop-in replacement. A contract was worked out and all are now working better than new.
Test stands
Powertrain Engineers has help develop test stands for various clients from the Department of Energy to fractional HP drives, from low RPM to 80,000+ RPM. We have also worked directly with the strain gage experts to get reliable tooth loading uniformity data.
Our experience includes the necessary drives along with drive shafts, couplings and supporting bearings, both anti-friction and fluid types.