Investigation of reliability and improvement of the efficiency of the hydrostatic fan drive of the diesel locomotive cooling system

The design of the hydrostatic fan drive of the cooling system of diesel engines of passenger locomotives of the TEP70 all series is considered. According to the results of the analysis of malfunctions of components and parts of the cooling system of locomotives, it showed that the main reasons for the failure of the hydrostatic fan drive are: the destruction of the housing and overheating of the bearings of the hydraulic motor, oil leakage at the installation site of the rubber diaphragm and loss of rigidity of the spring of the thermostat. The reasons for which are often the temperature conditions and the life of the parts. The article discusses the issues of improving the efficiency of the hydrostatic fan drive of the cooling system of diesel locomotives. An increase in the life of the hydraulic motor can be achieved by eliminating idle from its operating time, since it is connected by a rigid coupling with the diesel shafts. Ensuring the independence of the operation of the hydraulic motor relative to the diesel engine is possible by changing the design of the hydraulic fan drive, by installing a viscous coupling for the transfer torque of the shaft only during the period of necessary useful work, when a certain oil temperature is reached. To increase the reliability of the thermostat, the possibility of installing an additional rubber diaphragm with increased tension force, for trouble-free operation of the thermostat when the pressure reaches 12 MPa and when the oil viscosity decreases, is considered. A malfunction of the thermostat often leads to the most serious consequences, up to the failure of the locomotive, where the most common cause is the loss of rigidity of the spring of the thermostat due to the jamming of the spool, which affects the redirection of the oil flow, and there is a high probability of an increase in the temperature of oil or water in the system. The considered main malfunctions of the hydraulic fan drive and ways to solve them will significantly increase the reliability of its operation and the efficiency of passenger locomotives.