Custom Gearbox Case study – WITT

The initial project was to design and build a 200W unit, using two 50kg pendulums working at an operating radius of 500mm. WITT Energy had already worked with one company who had designed and built a unit. However, this company weren’t gear experts and the final result wasn’t able to deliver the desired results. Gibbs Gears’ design brief was to review the earlier design and understand the issues that were affecting performance. Working with the inventor, and their bearing partner, Schaeffler, Gibbs Gears proposed a design comprising of three modular gearboxes, utilising high contact, fully ground gears that would be connected together in a way that would allow independent pendulum movement.

The 200W prototype unit subsequently machined and assembled at Gibbs Gears and was delivered to the customer at the end of August 2016, undertaking a successful testing program at Southampton University in September.

Subsequently two new designs have been initiated, a 5W personal device unit that utilises two 1kg pendulums operating at a 75mm radius and a mid range 15W unit. Both of these units will be available in early 2017 for customer testing and Gibbs Gears have secured the initial production manufacturing contract.

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