Case Studies in Thermal Engineering 26 (2021) 101056

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Case Studies in Thermal Engineering

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/csite

Thermal performance analysis and experimental study of

high-speed motorized spindle based on the gradient
descent method
Ye Dai a, Jianhui Wang a, Zhaolong Li a, *, Gang Wang b, Xiangming Yin c,
Xiaoyang Yu d, Yujie Sun c
a
Key Laboratory of Advanced Manufacturing Intelligent Technology of Ministry of Education, Harbin University of Science and Technology, Harbin,
150080, China
b
Ningbo Tiankong Five-Axis CNC Technology Co., Ltd., Yuyao, 315400, China
c
Institute of Digital Design and Automatic Machinery Product Development, Harbin University of Science and Technology, Harbin, 150080, China
d
Measurement and Control Technology and Communication Engineering, Harbin University of Science and Technology, Harbin, 150080, China

A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T

Keywords: The high-speed motorized spindle is the core component of high-speed and high-precision
High-speed motorized spindle machining, and its compact structure leads to internal heat accumulation and thermal defor­
Cooling system mation. Therefore, it is of great significance to control the temperature rise of the motorized
Gradient descent method
spindle. In order to effectively control the temperature rise of the motorized spindle, a new spiral
Temperature field
cooling system is used to analyze the internal heat transfer mechanism of the high-speed
motorized spindle, and the heat transfer coefficients of the spiral cooling system and the
motorized spindle system are optimized based on the gradient descent method combined with
experimental data. The optimized heat transfer coefficient is taken as the boundary condition of
the finite element model, and the temperature field prediction model is established to analyze the
influence of the spiral cooling system on the temperature field of the motorized spindle. Through
experiments, the cooling capacity of the spiral cooling system is verified, and the optimized
temperature field simulation data are compared with the experimental data to verify the feasi­
bility of the gradient descent method in constructing the temperature field prediction model of
the motorized spindle. It provides a basis for the intelligent control of the thermal performance of
the motorized spindle.

1. Introduction

High-speed cutting is the main development direction of future machining. As a key component of high-speed cutting machine
tools, the performance of motorized spindles affects the performance level of the machine tools. Due to its structural characteristics, the
motorized spindle system will generate a lot of heat when running at high speed, which is the main reason for the thermal error of the
motorized spindle [1]. To improve the machining accuracy of the motorized spindle, it is necessary to control the temperature rise
inside the motorized spindle and reduce the thermal deformation of the motorized spindle. By accurately predicting the temperature

* Corresponding author.
E-mail address: lizhaolong@hrbust.edu.cn (Z. Li).

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csite.2021.101056
Received 29 November 2020; Received in revised form 24 April 2021; Accepted 1 May 2021
Available online 12 May 2021
2214-157X/© 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Y. Dai et al. Case Studies in Thermal Engineering 26 (2021) 101056

field distribution of the motorized spindle, predicting the range of the thermal error generated, the method of thermal compensation is
further adopted. Improve machining accuracy. As the main heat dissipation method of the motorized spindle, the cooling system
directly affects the thermal error of the motorized spindle. Therefore, the cooling system and temperature field distribution of the
motorized spindle are two important factors that affect the machining accuracy of the motorized spindle.
From the structural point of view, the motorized spindle has the characteristics of high internal integration, compact structure, and
high requirements for the processing and installation accuracy of various components, which also determines its internal complex heat
generation and heat transfer mechanism [2], it is extremely difficult to predict the temperature field distribution of the motorized
spindle system.
In recent years, domestic and foreign scholars have done a lot of research on the temperature field distribution and thermal error of
the motorized spindle.
Bossmanns and Tu et al. established a finite difference model and a power flow model, analyzed the heat generation and heat
transfer of the motorized spindle system, and the results showed that the direct-drive motor and angular contact ball bearings are the
two major heat sources of the motorized spindle system [3,4]. V. P. Raja and R. S. Moorthy established a fluid-thermal coupling (CFT)
model for high-speed motorized spindles, then simulated fluid-structure coupled heat transfer, and analyzed the thermal character­
istics of the high-speed spindle system [5]. E. Uhlmann and J. Hu established a three-dimensional finite element model for predicting
the thermal performance of high-speed motorized spindles, considering complex boundary conditions, and enabling transient simu­
lation [6]. Rao Chengchen et al. simulated and analyzed the thermodynamic models of the thermal steady state and thermal transient
state of the high-speed ceramic motorized spindle, studied the influence of the thermal performance on the machining accuracy, and
obtained the internal heat distribution of the motorized spindle under the steady-state [7]. Grama S N et al. proposed a cooler trigger
model (CTM), which controls the traditional bath-type circulating cooler and significantly improves the cooling effect [8]. Li Anling
et al. analyzed the temperature rise of the high-speed grinding motorized spindle, improved the original spindle cooling system, and
proposed a new type of spiral cooling device, which greatly improved the performance of the spindle [9]. Guo Weike proposed an
optimization method of the cooling system of a high-speed motorized spindle based on DOE, and conducted orthogonal experiments on
the four variables that affect the thermal characteristics of the motorized spindle, and provided a reference for the optimization of the
cooling system [10]. Zhu Ke et al. proposed a motorized spindle with a shaft core cooling system and conducted thermal characteristics
experiments, which proved that shaft core cooling can effectively reduce the bearing temperature and the axial thermal deformation of
the spindle in the steady-state [11].J. Yang et al. proposed a thermal error compensation method. And the least square support vector
machine (LS-SVM) model of axial elongation was established by combining fuzzy clustering and correlation analysis, which improved
an error compensation of the axial precision by 82.6% [12]. L. Zhang et al. proposed an optimization algorithm based on biogeog­
raphy. The heat transfer coefficient of a 100MD60Y type motorized spindle was optimized, and the thermal deformation prediction
model of an intelligent and precise motorized spindle was established. Experimental verification showed that the established model
had higher accuracy [13]. X. Shi et al. established a thermal error compensation model based on exponential function and verified it
with experimental data. The results showed that this proposed thermal error compensation model improved the accuracy of the
constant speed condition and the random stepping speed condition by 90% and 93.3% [14]. Lin Z C, Chang J S analyzed the thermal
displacement of a spindle on the axis of acceleration, proposing a complex multivariable regressive analysis method to establish a
thermal displacement model of the spindle [15]. Liu Z F, Chu Z H, and Cheng Q established a three-dimensional finite element analysis
model for thermal analysis of high-speed spindles. Then, by studying the heat, and the radiation mechanism of spindles, the tem­
perature distribution of spindles under the thermal stability condition was accurately and intuitively analyzed based on the
three-dimensional model. Finally, effective measures were proposed to improve the heat production conditions of the spindle, thus, the
high efficient characteristics of the spindle in the machining process were guaranteed [16]. Chen Xiaoan et al. conducted temperature
rises experiment on a 120MD60Y6 type motorized spindle. After the heat source and thermal boundary were determined, the
thermal-mechanical coupling analysis of the spindle was carried out. In the analysis of influencing factors of temperature rise for a
motorized spindle, the result showed that conducting reasonable bearing configuration, selecting appropriate lubricating oil content,
and increasing cooling water flow can effectively improve the thermal behavior of a motorized spindle [17]. Under different working
conditions, JIANG S et al. tested and compared the temperature rise of mixed ceramic ball bearings and steel ball bearings during
oil-gas lubricating. While the influences of load, speed, lubricating oil supply, and gas velocity, as well as supplying oil parameters and
operating parameters on the temperature rise of steel bearings were considered [18]. Li Songsheng et al. carried out experimental
research by changing the parameters of oil supply, speed, axial load, etc. The results showed that the speed and oil supply were found
to be the main factors to affect the temperature rise of bearings [19]. Zhang Xiuli et al. took a 100MD60Y4 type motorized spindle as
the research object, so the water-cooling and the oil-gas lubrication system were applied in the platform, and two-cooling system
parameters were controlled in the experiments, as well as the influence of temperature and the thermal deformation for the axial core
was analyzed. The results showed that appropriate parameters can reduce the temperature at key positions and the thermal defor­
mation of the axial core. Therefore, setting the proper parameters of the two systems, like the inlet pressure and the single oil supply,
could improve the machining accuracy of a motorized spindle [20].
Some of the above-mentioned analysis processes mainly analyze the heat production and heat transfer of the motorized spindle
system to establish the temperature field distribution of the motorized spindle system, but they ignore the influence of the cooling
system on the temperature field distribution of the motorized spindle. Most of the heat generated by the motorized spindle is taken
away by the cooling system, which has a great influence on the temperature field distribution of the motorized spindle and the thermal
error of the spindle axis.
The motorized spindle studied in this paper adopts a new spiral cooling system, and the internal heat transfer mechanism of the
motorized spindle is analyzed. The gradient descent method combined with experimental data is used to optimize the heat transfer

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Y. Dai et al. Case Studies in Thermal Engineering 26 (2021) 101056

coefficient of the spiral cooling system and the motorized spindle system. On this basis, the finite element method is used to establish
the temperature field prediction model of the motorized spindle. The steady temperature field of the motorized spindle is simulated
and analyzed under 10000r/min, and the fluid-solid-thermal coupling simulation analysis of the spiral cooling system is carried out.
Finally, experiments are carried out to verify the cooling reliability of the spiral cooling system and the effectiveness of gradient
descent method in modeling, which provides a powerful theoretical basis for the design of an intelligent motorized spindle system.

2. Heat transfer analysis of high-speed motorized spindle

2.1. The main structure of high-speed motorized spindle

The main structure of a high-speed motorized spindle includes motor stator, motor rotor, spindle, shell, cooling water sleeve, front
bearing, and rear bearing. This paper takes a motorized spindle model 98.2201.9.300 as the research object, the structural diagram of
the motorized spindle is shown in Fig. 1(a).
The motor rotor and the spindle are installed with an interference fit, and the motor stator is fixed on the cooling water sleeve. The
motorized spindle is supported by two sets of angular contact ceramic ball bearings, both front bearing and rear bearing adopt DT
assembly method, the bearing positioning pre-tightening, the front bearing group is positioned in an axial direction, and the rear
bearing group imposes a pretension floating form to compensate for the heated elongation of the spindle. The motor stator and front
bearing surround the cold water sleeve to cool down by cooling water.
The spiral cooling system mainly includes a spiral water sleeve and a carbon fiber sleeve, as shown in Fig. 1(b) and Fig. 1(c)
respectively. When assembling the spiral cooling system, first apply lubricant on the outer surface of the spiral water sleeve and the
inner surface of the carbon fiber sleeve. Then put the prepared sealing ring on the sealing groove. Next, align the carbon fiber sleeve
with the end surface of the spiral water sleeve and press down forcefully. Pay attention to uniform force during this process, because
the carbon fiber sleeve is thin and only allows one installation. Finally, install the screws and the pneumatic interface of the inlet and
outlet. The installed spiral cooling system is shown in Fig. 1(d).

2.2. Heat transfer mechanism of high-speed motorized spindle

The heat generated by the running loss of the spindle will cause the thermal deformation of the spindle components, thereby
affecting the performance of the motorized spindle. Therefore, a cooling water sleeve is installed on the motor stator, and the front and
rear bearings are lubricated with oil and gas to effectively prevent the temperature rise of the motorized spindle. Therefore, it can be
seen that the heating transfer process inside the motorized spindle is mainly heat transfer and heat conduction, and its energy balance
equation is expressed in matrix form as:

Fig. 1. Structure diagram of motorized spindle and spiral cooling system.

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[K(T)]{T} = {Q(T)}# (1)

In the above formula: [K] is the heat conduction matrix, which can be a constant or a function of temperature. Different materials
can input a thermal conductivity related to temperature. {T} is a node temperature vector. {Q} is the heat flux vector of the node,
which can be a constant or function of temperature. In the convective boundary condition, the convective heat transfer coefficient
related to temperature can be input.

3. Optimization of heat transfer coefficient based on the gradient descent method

For motorized spindles running at high speed, the heat-generating power of the motor, bearings, and other components, and the
temperature field of the motorized spindle will influence the value of the heat transfer coefficient. The traditional computing method of
the heat transfer coefficient has errors. This error is jointly affected by the external environment, the operating conditions of a
motorized spindle, and cooling water parameters. To solve this problem, the gradient descent method was adopted to optimize the heat
transfer coefficient of a motorized spindle, and the optimized heat transfer coefficient was reloaded into the finite element model to
obtain the accurate temperature field of a motorized spindle. Fig. 2 is a flow chart of the temperature field for a motorized spindle that
is accurately obtained by the gradient descent method.
Firstly, the temperature parameters of the high-speed motorized spindle under certain working conditions are obtained through
experiments; then the traditional empirical formula is used to calculate the heat transfer coefficient of each part under this working
condition, and the initial value of the heat transfer coefficient is obtained, and the initial temperature field distribution of the
motorized spindle is obtained by loading the initial value of the heat transfer coefficient into the finite element model. The temperature
data of the corresponding positions of the experiment and simulation are extracted respectively, and the optimal value of the heat
transfer coefficient of each part is obtained by using the gradient descent method. The accurate value of the heat transfer coefficient is
input into the finite element model of the temperature field of the motorized spindle, and then the accurate temperature field of the
motorized spindle is obtained.
The temperature of the motorized spindle is directly proportional to the heat flux and inversely proportional to the heat transfer
coefficient. So the hypothetical function of the optimized model can be expressed as:

( ) ∑
2
Tθ q0 (i) , q1 (i) = θ0 (i) q0 (i) + θ1 (i) q1 (i) = θj (i) qj (i) # (2)
j=1

In the above formula: Tθ (x0 (i) , x1 (i) ) is the fitted value of the motorized spindle temperature at the position i, θ0 (i) is a constant term.
θ1 is the reciprocal of the heat transfer coefficient at the position i. q0 (i) = 1, q1 (i) is the heat flux at the position i. The loss function at
(i)

the position i can be expressed as:

( ) 1 ∑m
( ( (i) (i) ) )2
J θ0 (i) , θ1 (i) = Tθ q0 , q1 − y(i) # (3)
2m i=0

3.1. The algorithm process

1. Determined the gradient of the current loss function. For A, its gradient expression is as follows:

∂ ( ) 1 ∑ m
( ( (i) (i) ) )
(i)
J θ0 (i) , θ1 (i) = Tθ q0 , q1 − y(i) qj (i) # (4)
∂θj m i=0

2. The step length is multiplied by the gradient of the loss function to obtain the descending distance of the current position:

Fig. 2. The prediction model of the temperature field for a motorized spindle.

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Y. Dai et al. Case Studies in Thermal Engineering 26 (2021) 101056

∂ ( )
Δθj (i) = α J θ0 (i) , θ1 (i) # (5)
∂θj (i)

3. Determined whether all J(θ0 (i) , θ1 (i) ) are less than the given precision ε( ε=0.01). If it is less than the given computational ac­
curacy ε, then the algorithm is terminated and all θj (i) are the final results. Otherwise, please perform step 4.
4. Updated all θ, and for θj (i) , the update expression is as follows. After the update, please go to step 1.

θj (i) = θj (i) + Δθj (i) # (6)

The calculated heat transfer coefficient of the optimized motorized spindle is shown in Table 1:

4. Simulation analysis of motorized spindle

The internal structure of the high-speed motorized spindle is relatively complicated and there are many parts. Some small parts,
including screws, holes, chamfers, rounded corners, etc., are ignored during modeling to prevent such small structures from affecting
the meshing and ultimately affecting the analysis results. Other parts that have an important influence on the temperature field of the
motorized spindle are strictly modeled according to the design requirements of the drawings, and the finite element model of the
motorized spindle is finally established. Table 2 lists the material parameters of the motorized spindle system. At the rated speed, the
initial boundary conditions of the finite element analysis of the motorized spindle are: set the ambient temperature to 25 ◦ C; set the
cooling water in the cooling system to 25 ◦ C.

4.1. Temperature field distribution of motorized spindle

After loading the thermal boundary conditions, perform finite element analysis and calculation. When the rated speed is 10000r/
min, the steady-state thermal temperature field of the high-speed motorized spindle is shown in Fig. 3(a), and the temperature dis­
tribution of the front end face of the motorized spindle is shown in Fig. 3(b).
It can be seen from the figure that the maximum temperature of the motor rotor in the temperature field is 103.54 ◦ C, and the
highest temperature rise of the motorized spindle is 78.54 ◦ C; the temperature of the motor stator is 37.593 ◦ C, and the temperature
rise is 12.59 ◦ C; the average temperature of the front end face of the motorized spindle fluctuates 0.3 ◦ C up and down for 35 ◦ C, the
temperature rise is 10 ◦ C; the front bearing is equipped with the water-cooled pipe so that the temperature rise is not high, while the
temperature of rear bearing rises gradually. Besides, the front and rear bearing temperatures were 44.73 ◦ C and 55.15 ◦ C, respectively.
Although the heat generation rate of the front bearing is higher than that of the rear bearing, the contact area between the front bearing
and the cooling water sleeve is higher than that of the rear bearing, so the temperature of the front bearing is lower. This also proves
from the side that the cooling water sleeve has a good heat dissipation effect for the motorized spindle.
Even if the heat generation rate of the motor rotor is lower than that of the stator, the temperature of the motor rotor is still higher
than that of the stator because the motor has a higher heat generation rate, but the motor stator is equipped with a cooling water sleeve,
which can take away the heat generated by the stator in time. And the rotor is located in a closed space inside the motorized spindle,
and the heat dissipation conditions are poor. It can only be transferred to the surrounding air through convection heat exchange and
transferred to the shaft core through heat radiation. Besides, the gap between the stator and the rotor is 0.2 mm, which results in partial
heat generated by the viscous friction of the air gap. In the case of water cooling, the temperature of the high-speed motorized spindle
shell is lower than most components.

4.2. Temperature field distribution of spiral cooling water sleeve

Fig. 3(c) shows the fluid-solid-heat coupling simulation results of the spiral cooling system. It can be seen from the figure that the
temperature of the water inlet and the beginning of the water path is low, and the coolant has not exchanged heat with the cooling
water sleeve in time, so the temperature is about 27 ◦ C. The temperature gradually rises along the axis of the water sleeve. The highest
temperature at the outer edge of the cylinder liner at the end of the waterway is 30 ◦ C, while the highest temperature at the inner edge
can reach 47 ◦ C. This is because the cooling fluid flows through the outer edge, and the cooling effect is better, while the inner edge is
closer to the heating surface and the temperature is higher. The temperature of the spiral water sleeve is more evenly distributed along

Table 1
Boundary conditions for a simulation of the temperature field.
Parameter Numerical value
(W/(m2 · K))

The heat transfer coefficient between the front bearing and the compressed air 156
The heat transfer coefficient of the rear bearing and the compressed air 139
The heat transfer coefficient of the shaft’s end and the surrounding air 158
The heat transfer coefficient of the fixed rotor gap 172
The heat transfer coefficient between the stator and the cooling water sleeve 331
The Heat transfer coefficient of the motorized spindle and the outside air 9.7

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Table 2
Material parameters of the motorized spindle system.
components material Density (kg/m3 ) Thermal conductivity (W /m · K) Specific heat capacity (J /kg · K)

Shaft 17CrNiMo6 7850 44 460

Stator Silicon steel sheet 7830 41 536
Rotor 35CrMo 7820 44 460
Bearing ball Si3N4 3200 30 800
Bearing ring GCr15 7810 60.5 460
Front component 45#steel 7850 50.2 486
Back component Aluminum alloy 2700 193 924

Fig. 3. Thermal simulation analysis results of motorized spindle.

the circumferential direction, but the temperature is lower in the middle and higher at the ends, which may be caused by uneven heat
transfer. The average temperature of the middle part of the water sleeve is 32 ◦ C, and the temperature of the inner ring at both ends is
relatively high. The temperature near the water outlet reaches up to 49 ◦ C, but it is only a local temperature with a small distribution
area, and the overall state is ideal. The temperature of the waterway rises gradually along the direction from the water inlet to the
water outlet. Among them, the temperature at the water outlet is higher, and the highest temperature nearby is 34 ◦ C, which is 9 ◦ C
higher than the outlet temperature of the water inlet.

4.3. The temperature field distribution of the motor stator

The analysis result of the motor stator temperature field is shown in Fig. 3(d). It can be seen from the figure that the highest
temperature is 37.593 ◦ C in the stator core, the lowest temperature is 34.166 ◦ C in the stator outer ring, and the temperature difference
is 3.427 ◦ C. The temperature of the front bearing and the stator is lower than that of the rear bearing. It can be seen that the cooling
water sleeve has a significant effect, which can take away a large amount of heat in the motorized spindle system, greatly reduce the
temperature of the stator, and has an excellent cooling effect.

4.4. The temperature field distribution of the shaft core

The essence of the working form of the high-speed motorized spindle is that the shaft core drives the tool to rotate at high speed, and
the shaft core will produce different temperature rises in each part under the combined action of the internal motor and bearing dual
heat sources of the motorized spindle. The shaft core has different degrees of thermal deformation after the temperature rises, resulting
in machining errors, which is also an important reason that affects the accuracy of the motorized spindle. The analysis shows that the

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Y. Dai et al. Case Studies in Thermal Engineering 26 (2021) 101056

temperature field distribution of the shaft core is shown in Fig. 4(a).

It can be seen from the figure that the highest temperature of the shaft core is 103.38 ◦ C, which is located in the middle of the shaft
core and the rotor assembly part, and the lowest temperature is 39.214 ◦ C at the end of the shaft core. At the same time, it was found
that from the end of the shaft core to the other end of the shaft core, the temperature gradually increased from the lowest temperature
to the highest temperature, and then dropped to 58.659 at the end of the shaft core. The reason for the formation of this temperature
field is that the front bearing part is cooled by a cold water sleeve, so the average temperature of the shaft end is only 39.481 ◦ C; the
middle of the shaft core matched with the stator, due to the poor heat dissipation condition of the stator, high temperature is accu­
mulated, The average temperature is as high as 101.647 ◦ C, which is the highest temperature in the whole system. The shaft core
temperature of the motorized spindle increases higher, and the temperature difference is larger, resulting in serious thermal defor­
mation. The subsequent application scenarios should focus on the heating of the shaft and the cooling of the shaft.

4.5. Thermal displacement analysis of motorized spindle

After obtaining the temperature field distribution of the shaft core, the analysis of the thermal deformation of the shaft core is
carried out. The sequential coupling method is adopted, that is, the temperature field is added as a load to the subsequent deformation
analysis to obtain the coupling result. Fig. 4(b) is the thermal displacement diagrams of the shaft core of the high-speed motorized
spindle in the X, Y, and Z directions at the rated speed (10000r/min).
It can be seen from the thermal displacement diagram that the maximum deformation of the shaft in the axial direction (x-di­
rection) is 78.75 μm at the end of the shaft. The reason for this phenomenon is that the rear bearing does not have a cooling water
sleeve to assist in heat dissipation, at the same time, in assembly, the front bearing is fixed in assembly and the rear bearing is floated to
compensate for thermal elongation. The axial front end is extended by 28.30 μm because the front end is exposed to the air and has
excellent heat dissipation conditions. The maximum radial deformation (y, z-direction) of the shaft core is 18.73 μm at the assembly
part of the shaft core and the stator, which is relatively small relative to the axial deformation. The thermal deformation of the shaft
core is mainly reflected in the axial deformation. After the shank is installed at the shaft end and then the tool is installed, which
directly affects the cutting accuracy, which is also the main reason for the processing accuracy of the high-speed motorized spindle.

Fig. 4. Thermal simulation analysis results of shaft core.

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5. Experimental verification of motorized spindle

5.1. The cooling capacity experiment of spiral cooling water sleeve

5.1.1. Experimental scheme

A heating sleeve is installed inside the spiral cooling water sleeve, and thermal resistors are installed uniformly on the heating
sleeve. Each thermal resistor is connected to the cable connected to the 220v power line. The outer side of the spiral cooling water
sleeve is connected to the pneumatic joint installed on the industrial water cooler through the air pipe to ensure that the water outlet
and the water inlet are installed in the same way. Finally, the construction of the experimental platform for the spiral cooling system is
completed. The spiral cooling system experimental platform uses the Testo 865 infrared thermal imager to collect images and uses the
Testo IRsoft software to process the thermal imaging data obtained from the experiment. Fig. 5(a) shows the experimental platform of
the spiral cooling system built.
The cooling capacity experiment is to test the cooling capacity of the cooling system. Mark the position of the prediction point at the
left and right ends of the cooling system and the corresponding positions of the water sleeve in the circumferential direction. At the
same time, take the water inlet as the reference, along the water outlet direction, relatively select the data collection position, as shown
in Fig. 5(b) and Fig. 5(c).
Set the outlet water temperature of the industrial water cooler to 20 ◦ C, which is the same as the room temperature, and set the
working temperature to 22 ◦ C, and then record the initial state of the cooling water sleeve with an infrared imager. Turn on the in­
dustrial water cooler and energize the heating sleeve. Record the entire surface of the cooling water sleeve (including the left and right
end caps) every 10 s to observe the temperature rise of the cooling water sleeve. Until it is found that the temperature field of the
infrared image of the cooling water sleeve does not change much, it indicates that the cooling system has reached a thermal equi­
librium state at this time. Finally, the heating sleeve is cut off, and the industrial water cooler still keeps working normally. When the
cooling water sleeve is cooled to room temperature, it is turned off.

5.1.2. Processing and analysis of experimental results

The image obtained by the infrared thermal imaging camera is processed. Fig. 6(a) is the infrared imaging image of the processed
spiral cooling system in the thermal steady state. It can be found from the figure that the temperature of the water inlet of the spiral
cooling system is 25.1 ◦ C, the temperature of the water outlet is 35.7 ◦ C, and the temperature difference is 10.6 ◦ C. It can be concluded
that the temperature rise of the coolant in the spiral cooling system is relatively high, and sufficient heat exchange is carried out with
the cooling water sleeve.
Analyze the thermal imaging pictures to obtain the histogram of the overall temperature distribution of the cooling system as
shown in Fig. 6(b). It can be found from the figure that the maximum temperature of the spiral cooling system is 48.2 ◦ C, and the
average temperature is 38.2 ◦ C. The temperature distribution is not uniform as a whole and is mainly distributed between 36.9 ◦ C and
39.7 ◦ C.

Fig. 5. The cooling capacity experiment scheme of spiral cooling water sleeve.

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Y. Dai et al. Case Studies in Thermal Engineering 26 (2021) 101056

Fig. 6. The cooling capacity experiment results of spiral cooling water sleeve.

The temperature distribution of the cooling system at the predicted axial position is shown in Fig. 6(c). It can be seen from the figure
that the temperature of the axial temperature prediction part of the spiral cooling system increases between 33.3 ◦ C and 40.3 ◦ C, and
the temperature rise rate is relatively large. It can be concluded that the spiral cooling system has a larger temperature gradient in the
axial direction, which is more likely to affect the machining accuracy of the spindle.
The temperature distribution of the cooling system at the predicted circumferential position is shown in Fig. 6(c). It can be seen
from the figure that the temperature of the spiral cooling system in the circumferential direction increases along the direction of the
water circulation. At the measurement position, the temperature fluctuates in the range of 37.4 ◦ C–39.0 ◦ C It can be known that the
temperature of the spiral system increases slightly but change little in the weekly direction, and the increasing trend is not obvious.
In the steady-state, the temperature distribution histogram of the heating sleeve in the spiral cooling water sleeve is shown in Fig. 6
(d). It can be found from the figure that the minimum temperature of the heating sleeve in the spiral cooling system is 21.4 ◦ C, and the
maximum value is 78.3 ◦ C. The temperature is mostly distributed between 21.4 ◦ C and 38.5 ◦ C. From the overall point of view of the
figure, the temperature of the heating sleeve is relatively low, with an average value of 39.9 ◦ C, which shows that the cooling capacity
of the spiral cooling system is relatively excellent.
Comparing the experimental results with the simulation results in Fig. 3(c) it can be found that the temperature field distribution of
the spiral cooling system in the steady-state is similar to the simulation results. Simultaneously compare the simulation analysis result
with the experimental result data to assist in verifying the accuracy of the simulation result. The data comparison is shown in Table 3. It
can be concluded that the error between the simulation result and the experimental result is small, and the simulation result is more
accurate.

5.2. Thermal field test experiment of motorized spindle

5.2.1. Experimental scheme

The temperature field experimental system of the high-speed motorized spindle adopted a multichannel data acquisition instru­
ment and connected it with temperature sensors for collecting data. The temperature sensor adopted the thermocouple of K type (Ni–Cr
– Ni–Si), which was directly connected to the computer through USB data cables. As shown in Fig. 7(a).
Before the experiment, make sure that the spindle is not working within 12 h. Turn on the air conditioner and set it to 25 ◦ C to keep

Table 3
Comparison table of simulation and experimental results of the spiral cooling system (◦ C).
The temperature of the water inlet The temperature of the water outlet Maximum temperature Average temperature

Simulation results 27 36 49 32
Experimental results 25.1 35.7 48.2 38.2
Error 1.9 0.3 0.8 6.2

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Y. Dai et al. Case Studies in Thermal Engineering 26 (2021) 101056

the high-speed motorized spindle in a constant temperature environment of 25 ◦ C to meet the requirements of uniform working
temperature. At the same time, set the industrial water cooler to 25 ◦ C. Test the temperature of the front end of the motorized spindle
under the working conditions of 8000 r/min, 9000 r/min, 10000 r/min, 11000 r/min, and 12000 r/min.
As described above, the sensors and other equipment were arranged. Then, the parameters of the software are set, and the sampling
frequency is set to 5 Hz (5 samples per second). After the spindle’s speed is set, as shown in Table 4.

5.2.2. Processing and analysis of experimental results

The data is used to generate a temperature rise curve. The end surface temperature rise curve at the rated speed of 10000r/min is

Fig. 7. Thermal field test experiment of motorized spindle.

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Y. Dai et al. Case Studies in Thermal Engineering 26 (2021) 101056

shown in Fig. 7(b). It can be seen from the temperature rise curve that the first temperature peak is reached at 766s, which is 29.28 ◦ C,
and the temperature drops rapidly in the following 112s, which becomes 27.18 ◦ C. This is because the temperature of the stator and the
bearing continues to rise. When the coolant temperature is higher than 28 ◦ C, the cooling system starts to work. Due to the time lag
effect of heat conduction, the end surface temperature continues to rise. As the motorized spindle continues to work, the cool effect of
the cooling system drops and the temperature keeps rising. The temperature reached 32.3 ◦ C in 3082s. After cool down through the
cooling system, the temperature reached 32.8 ◦ C in 3489s. The maximum temperature stability is around 32.5 ◦ C.
Comparing the temperature distribution diagram of the front end of the motorized spindle in Fig. 3(b), the error is 5.8% compared
with the experimental value, and the experimental results are approximately equal to the simulation results. The temperature dif­
ference is mainly caused by the high-speed motorized spindle drives the handle to rotate and agitate the air, and the temperature rise of
the small components in the motorized spindle. Because the shaft core rotates at high speed and is inside, the temperature cannot be
detected. Therefore, the reliability of the temperature field value obtained by the simulation analysis of the shaft core is determined by
detecting the end surface temperature.
Fig. 7(c) is a comparison diagram of the end surface temperature rise of the motorized spindle at a specified speed. It can be seen
from the figure that the peak value of the temperature curve continues to increase, accompanied by an increase in the speed of the
motorized spindle. As the rotation speed increases, the temperature rise speed gradually becomes faster. It means that under the same
initial conditions of lubrication and cooling, the higher the speed is, the higher the temperature is. As the temperature rise increases,
the operating frequency of the cooler also increases. In the case of the low speed of the motorized spindle, its heat production is low.
The initial temperature of the industrial water cooler can be lowered to make the motorized spindle reach thermal equilibrium in
advance.

5.3. Thermal deformation measurement experiment of motorized spindle

5.3.1. Experimental scheme

The axial thermal deformation measurement experiment of the high-speed motorized spindle adopts the Keyence LK-H020 laser
displacement sensor and is matched with the LK-G5001 independent display controller, which requires an Ethernet interface to
connect the controller and the PC. The LK-H020 laser displacement sensor is fixed on the test bench with a magnetic meter base, and
the laser is aligned with the front end of the tool holder to measure the axial elongation. The test platform is shown in Fig. 8(a).
The experiment uses the software LK-Navigator 2 specially configured for the LK-G5000 series. The sampling frequency is set to 5
Hz (5 samples per second). The data storage capacity is set according to the spindle running time.

5.3.2. Processing and analysis of experimental results

The collected data is imported into Matlab to generate an axial deformation curve, as shown in Fig. 8(b). It can be seen from the
deformation curve that the maximum axial deformation value is 30.21 μm at the rated speed (10000r/min).
Comparing the thermal deformation simulation diagram of the axis of the motorized spindle in the x-direction, it is found that the
simulation value of the front end deformation is 28.30 μm, which is 6.32% error compared with the experimental value. The error
between the simulation results and the experimental results is within the allowable range. The thermal deformation increases greatly
in the interval from the 500s to the 1500s and reaches a relative balance in the interval from the 1500s to the 2100s. As the rotation
speed increases, the amount of heat generation increases, leading to an increase in thermal deformation. The degree of thermal
deformation also increases after the speed exceeds the rated speed. The curve is composed of fluctuating curves, not smooth curves.
This is because the data fluctuates due to vibration and assembly gaps when the motorized spindle is running at high speed.

6. Conclusion

(1) Through the simulation analysis of the motorized spindle with 10000 r/min speed, it is concluded that the highest temperature
of the motor rotor is 103.54 ◦ C, the highest temperature of the motor stator is 37.593 ◦ C in the stator core, the lowest tem­
perature of the motor stator is 34.166 ◦ C in the outer ring of the stator, and the temperature difference is 3.427 ◦ C. It can be seen
that the cooling effect of the cooling water sleeve is remarkable, which can take away a large amount of heat from the motorized
spindle system and greatly reduce the stator temperature.

Table 4
Motorized spindle operates tachometer.
The serial number revolving speed (r/min) Time (min)

1 1000 2
2 3000 2
3 5000 2
4 8000 60 (2)
5 9000 60 (2)
6 10000 60 (2)
7 11000 60 (2)
8 12000 60

Note: The transitional speed of the next experimental speed is in brackets.

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Y. Dai et al. Case Studies in Thermal Engineering 26 (2021) 101056

Fig. 8. Thermal deformation measurement experiment of motorized spindle.

(2) Through the analysis of the thermal deformation of the motorized spindle core with the rotational speed of 10000 r/min, it is
found that the maximum axial (x-direction) deformation of the shaft core is 78.7 μm at the end of the shaft core, and the
maximum radial (y-direction, z-direction) deformation of the shaft core is 18.7 μm at the assembly position between the shaft
core and the stator, and the relative axial deformation is relatively small. The thermal deformation of the shaft core is mainly
reflected in the axial deformation, and the tool is installed after the tool handle is installed at the shaft end, which directly affects
the cutting accuracy and the machining accuracy of the motorized spindle.
(3) Through the gradient descent method, the heat transfer coefficient is optimized to obtain the motorized spindle temperature
field. Comparing the obtained simulation results with the experimental results, it is found that there is such a situation at the
rated speed: the end face temperature rises to 32.8 ◦ C, which has an error of 5.8% compared with the simulation value; the axial
deformation elongation of the shaft core is 30.21 μm, the comparison error with the simulation value is 6.32%. The reliability of
the simulation based on the gradient descent method is verified, and the experimental cost can be reduced by the subsequent
development of the motorized spindle.
(4) An experimental platform for the spiral cooling system was built, and the cooling performance of the spiral cooling system was
analyzed. Comparing the simulation results clarified the cooling law and characteristics of the spiral cooling system. It is found
that the spiral cooling system has a relatively uniform temperature distribution in the circumferential direction, but there is a
large temperature gradient in the axial direction, the overall average temperature is low, and has an excellent cooling effect.
(5) By building a high-speed motorized spindle temperature field experimental platform, the temperature change of the front end
surface and the axial deformation of the shaft core are measured under the condition of no-load and constant speed of the
motorized spindle. The analysis shows that the thermal deformation of the shaft core has time lag and high nonlinearity. As the
experiment time increases, both the temperature and the axial deformation increase with time, and the changing trend is the
same, but the deformation lags behind the temperature change.

Data availability

All the data in this paper are obtained by experimental measurement. The calculation results of the data are obtained through the
experimental theoretical design.

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Author contributions

This research work is a joint effort of the whole team. Ye Dai and Jianhui Wang determined the research direction and experimental
methods and wrote the whole paper. Jianhui Wang completed the method design and model simulation analysis. Gang Wang and
Xiangming Yin assisted in the entire experimental verification. Yujie Sun assisted in the experimental simulation. Zhaolong Li checked
the written language, and Xiaoyang Yu reviewed the paper.

Competing interests

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Financial support

This research has been supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (grant no. E52075134), the University
Nursing Program for Young Scholars with Creative Talents in Heilongjiang Province (grant no. UNPYSCT2017077), the Fundamental
Research Foundation for Universities of Heilongjiang Province (grant no. LGYC2018JC040), the China Postdoctoral Science Foun­
dation (grant no. 2016M591539), the Heilongjiang Postdoctoral Science Foundation (grant no. LBHZ15102), and the Natural Science
Foundation of Heilongjiang Province of China (grant no. LH2019E062).

Author statement

All authors have read and approved to submit it to your journal.

This paper is the author’s original work.
There is no conflict of interest of any authors in relation to the submission.
This paper has not been published in advance, nor is it considered to be published elsewhere.

Declaration of competing interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to
influence the work reported in this paper.

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