We worked with the Victrex team in Grantsburg to help specify gear materials and geometry that would make our goals possible. Rapid engineering feedback and expertise allowed us to confidently design and tool this system early and start testing production samples in our very first Patriot engine. The gear geometry coupled with PEEK material proved to be extremely durable and also help contribute to the low weight and inertia our customers expect.
Leveraging Victrex’s gear expertise and material offerings helped contribute to the success of the Patriot 850 engine program. I would not hesitate to work with your team again.
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From day-one the Patriot 850 engine program was heavily scoped around durability. All engine dimensions and features were on the table to enable increased durability. Using analysis tools and premium materials we also challenged ourselves to optimize each component for lowest possible mass and rotational inertia. One central feature of our new engine architecture is the water pump and its drive. The water pump drive uses a highly engineered cross-axis helical gear pair coupled directly to the crankshaft. The gear set and shaft must transmit torque at a 90 degree angle whilst withstanding engine temperatures, rapid accelerations, and shaft speeds near 9000 RPM.
Aside from withstanding the operating environment, this drive also needed to be compact. The drive set influences the overall width and height of the engine. Due to its central location, we had to be design this system early in the engine program and have high confidence that it would not need to change.
We worked with the Victrex team in Grantsburg (Wi) to help specify gear materials and geometry that would make our goals possible. Rapid engineering feedback and expertise allowed us to confidently design and tool this system early and start testing production samples in our very first Patriot engine. The gear geometry coupled with PEEK material proved to be extremely durable and also help contribute to the low weight and inertia our customers expect.
Leveraging Victrex’s gear expertise and material offerings helped contribute to the success of the Patriot 850 engine program. I would not hesitate to work with your team again.
