Help Understanding the Flow of Grease

[YoshiMoshi]

Homework Statement:: Conceptual Question
Relevant Equations:: So say I have a grease pump with a line coming out of the pump to a T section. One line from the split goes to a component that is not that far away, while the other goes twice the distance from the split to get to the component. Am I correct that grease will always go to the path of least resistance? So grease will always reach the closest component when it's pumped and no grease will ever reach the furthest component? I suppose this issue could be solved with a shut on and off valve?

So say I have a valve close to the closest component. I shut it off so now it's a dead end and grease can't escape this path. In this case it would then go to the second furthest component?

Would I have to apply more pressure for the grease to reach a component? So say I only have one line going to one component. I increase the line length from 1 foot to 2 feet, do I have to pump it twice as hard?

Sorry if this is a silly question. I'm an EE and haven't studied much of fluid mechanics (not sure if you would consider this a fluid). I'm thinking of designing an actual system using commercial grease and commercial components. So I'm not sure if the physical properties of such greases would be released by the manufacture. I would assume the chemical makeup of the grease would effect how it flows, and I highly doubt any manufacture would release that Information, the chemical makeup of their product.

This is a conceptual theoretical problem. I want to design an automatic greaser that can automatically grease multiple components when at a specified time. I'd like to have one centralized pump but several components.

 

[jrmichler]

Multipoint grease lubrication systems are well known to mechanical engineers who work in machine design. Electrical engineers usually run into these systems only when programming a PLC to turn the lubrication pump on and off.

Grease is a plastic solid that can be pumped just like a liquid. Multipoint metering systems control the flow at the pump and at the endpoint metering valves. The grease pump pumps a predetermined volume of grease. Each endpoint metering valve has a little piston that let's through a predetermined volume of grease, then shuts off. A typical grease pump might cycle once every several hours.

Here is a good source of information on multipoint oil and grease lubrication systems: https://www.skf.com/us/products/lubrication-management/automatic-lubrication-systems. The documents linked from that site also have good information on grease flowability.

Grease manufacturers provide detailed information on the chemical compatibility and mechanical properties of their grease. Here is a link to one type and one brand of industrial grease: https://www.mobil.com/en/lubricants...nts/product-series/mobilgrease-xhp-220-series. There are many manufacturers of grease, and the they make many types of grease. That particular link is just the first one that I found in a random search.