Thermal-fluid coupling analysis of aviation wet friction clutch with wavy separation spring

Purpose Thermal failure and incomplete separation often occur in aviation wet friction clutches. The purpose of this study is to improve the performance and reliability of the clutch, considering the influence of lubricating oil, in this paper, the finite element method is used to simulate the friction pair of clutch with separation spring. Design/methodology/approach Considering the influence of lubricating oil, based on computational fluid dynamics principle and applying multiple reference frame method, simulation is carried out in FLUENT software to study the distribution of flow field and temperature field of clutch friction pair and separation spring under the condition of maximum relative speed of 3000 r/min. Findings The middle friction pair has more oil distribution, while the two sides have less oil distribution, and the highest oil volume exceeds that of the lowest by a factor of 3.49. Under the influence of lubricating oil distribution and component heat conduction, the temperature of the separation spring on both sides is higher than that of the separation spring in the middle. The axial temperature distribution law of the friction pair is the same as that of the separation spring, and the difference of the highest temperature between the friction pair is 136.41°C. Social implications The heat generation of the clutch is studied to improve the performance of the clutch and ensure the safety of the helicopter. Originality/value By analyzing the temperature and flow field of a wet friction clutch with a separation spring, engineers can help provide the service life and reliability of the clutch friction pair.