Swash Plate Axial Piston Research Articles

Noise Analysis and Optimization Design of an Electric–Mechanical–Hydraulic Power Coupler for the Vehicle

This article proposes a new electric–mechanical–hydraulic power coupler (EMHPC). The EMHPC is integrated by a swash plate axial piston pump and permanent magnet synchronous motor, which can realize the conversion of electric, mechanical, and hydraulic energy. To analyze the noise characteristics of the EMHPC, the mathematical models of fluid noise and electromagnetic noise are established, respectively. An optimization model is built based on Isight, and the multi‐island genetic algorithm is used to optimize the triangular groove structure. The optimization results show that the sound pressure level of sound field monitoring points decreases at different frequencies, and the vibration displacement of the cylinder block decreases. The maximum sound pressure level of the directivity curve of the radiated sound field decreases by 9 dB. For the electrodynamic structure optimization of the EMHPC, this article establishes a combination approximation model with higher accuracy. The structure of the stator and rotor is optimized based on the combined approximate model. The optimization results show that the sinusoidal property of the radial air‐gap magnetic density curve is better after optimization, and the harmonic amplitude of the radial electromagnetic force decreases. The maximum sound pressure level in the air domain of the external sound field is reduced from 69 to 60 dB. Moreover, the superposition analysis of fluid noise and electromagnetic noise is carried out, and the main noise sources of the EMHPC in different working modes are determined.

A Computation Fluid Dynamics Methodology for the Analysis of the Slipper–Swash Plate Dynamic Interaction in Axial Piston Pumps

This paper proposes a CFD methodology for the simulation of the slipper’s dynamics of a swash-plate axial piston unit under actual operating conditions. The study considers a typical slipper design, including a vented groove at the swash-plate interface. The dynamic fluid–body interaction (DFBI) model is exploited to find the instantaneous position of the slipper, while the morphing approach is adopted to cope with the corresponding mesh distortion. A modular approach is adopted to ensure high-quality mesh on the entire slipper surface and sliding interfaces provide the fluid dynamic connection between neighboring regions. The external forces acting on the slipper are included by means of user-defined lookup tables with the simulation estimating the lift force induced by fluid compression. Moreover, the force produced by the metal-to-metal contact between the slipper and the swash plate is modeled through a specific tool of the software. The pressure signal over an entire revolution of the pump is taken as an input of the simulation and a variable time step is used to manage the high-pressure gradients occurring in the regions of inner and outer dead points of the piston. The weakly compressible characteristic of the fluid is considered by a specific pressure-dependent density approach, and the two-equation eddy-viscosity k-ω SST (shear stress transport) model is used to assess the turbulent behavior of the flow. Furthermore, the transitional model predicts the onset of transition, thus solving different equations depending on whether the flow enters a laminar or turbulent regime. In conclusion, the proposed methodology investigates the motion of the slipper in response to several external forces acting on the component. The numerical results are discussed in terms of variable clearance height, pressure distribution within the gap, and lift forces acting on the slipper under specific pump operations.

Design Optimization of Electrical Structure Parameters of Induction Asynchronous Mechanical–Electric–Hydraulic Power Coupler

In response to the problems of considerable size, loose structure, and low energy conversion efficiency of multi-energy power coupling devices, this paper makes improvements based on the mechanical–electric–hydraulic power coupler proposed by our research group. We propose a new asynchronous mechanical–electric–hydraulic power coupler (IA-MEHPC). This mechanism integrates a traditional three-phase asynchronous motor with a swashplate axial piston pump/motor to realize the mutual conversion of electrical, mechanical, and hydraulic energy. Compactness, efficiency, and adaptability are the distinguishing features of the complex. This paper builds a three-dimensional model of the IA-MEHPC and a two-dimensional theoretical model of the electrical structure (motor part). Moreover, the electrical structure parameters of the IA-MEHPC are optimized using an approximate response surface-based optimization method. The maximum motor peak torque and minimum torque fluctuation are identified as optimization objectives, and we obtain the optimal combination of parameters. The simulation results show that, compared to the pre-optimized structure, the peak motor torque of the optimized IA-MEHPC is increased by 5.78%, and the torque pulsation coefficient is reduced by 15.83%, in line with engineering practice expectations. This paper innovatively proposes and optimizes IA-MEHPC, which is significant for developing hybrid mechanical devices and subsequent research.

A novel approach to design compensator actuators for a swash plate axial piston pump along with the experimental validation

A novel approach to design compensator actuators for a swash plate axial piston pump along with the experimental validation

Study on the Thermohydrodynamic Friction Characteristics of Surface-Textured Valve Plate of Axial Piston Pumps.

The purpose of this paper is to study the oil film and friction characteristics of valve plates with a micro-textured surface and to explore the influence of textures of different shapes and sizes on the valve plates. Firstly, on the basis of thermohydrodynamic theory, this paper established the lubrication model of the oil film on the valve plate pair of swashplate axial piston pumps, according to the Reynolds equation. Secondly, the micro-texture was added to the mathematical model of the valve plate pair's oil film. A combination of the energy equation, oil-film-thickness equation, elastic deformation equation, viscosity-pressure and viscosity-temperature equation, the finite difference method, as well as the relaxation iteration method, was used to solve the problem, and the textured and non-textured valve plate surfaces were simulated. The nephogram of the oil-film-thickness distribution, elastic deformation distribution, oil-film-pressure distribution and oil-film-temperature distribution were generated. Then, the control variable method was used to change the cylinder rotational speed, tilt angle, oil viscosity, initial oil film thickness and other parameters to analyze their effects on oil film characteristics. In addition, the friction characteristics of non-textured surfaces, square textured surfaces, triangular textured surfaces and circular textured surfaces were compared and analyzed. It was found that the textured surface of valve plates can obviously improve friction efficiency under the same operating conditions. The square texture, especially, is the preferable shape, rather than the triangular texture and the circular texture, and the friction performance is at its best when the texture depths are between 20 μm and 50 μm. The results provide a theoretical basis for the design and improvement of the valve plate.

Analysis of the Influence of Structure and Parameters of Axial Piston Pump on Flow Pulsation

In view of the working principle of a swashplate axial piston pump, a simulation model of the piston pump was built in AMESim and its output flow pulsation characteristics were simulated and analyzed. We mainly analyzed the influence of the speed of the prime mover, the swashplate angle, the diameter of the piston, and port plate structure on the flow pulsation of the piston pump. The result of this research shows that the port plate structure, the swashplate angle, and the speed of the prime mover have an important influence on the flow pulsation of the piston pump. In order to effectively reduce the flow pulsation generated by the piston pump and reduce the noise generated in the process of flow distribution, the opening of the pre-compression angle and misalignment angle of the port plate of the piston pump must be reduced appropriately and the swashplate angle and the rotation speed of the prime mover should be controlled within a certain range. The flow pulsation of the axial piston pump decreases with the increase of the piston number and the decrease in the misalignment angle. The research results provide a reference for reducing the flow pulsation of the axial piston pump.

Simulation Analysis on Electromagnetic Vibration and Noise of Novel Mechatronic-Electro-Hydraulic Coupler

The mechatronic-electro-hydraulic coupler (MEHC) is a novel type of multisource coupling power device which integrates a traditional permanent magnet synchronous motor with a swash plate axial piston pump/motor to realize the mutual conversion of electrical energy, mechanical energy, and hydraulic energy. In order to improve the MEHC’s noise, vibration, and harshness performance, an electromagnetic vibration and noise simulation analysis was performed with a six-pole 36-slot motor as the research object. Firstly, the spatial order and frequency of the radial electromagnetic force were deduced by an analytical method. Subsequently, the electromagnetic field was simulated, and the electromagnetic force was extracted via a fast Fourier transform using Ansys/Maxwell software for the numerical verification. Thereafter, the harmonic response module coupled the electromagnetic field with the structural field for the harmonic response analysis. Ultimately, the research results were imported into the harmonic acoustics module for a noise simulation analysis and two different-shape magnetic isolation bridges optimization schemes were proposed. The results suggested that both optimisation solutions could effectively reduce motor vibration and noise. Scheme one reduced the maximum noise by about 6.5% and scheme two by 10.4%. The analysis process and conclusion provide a theoretical basis for the vibration and noise analysis of permanent magnet synchronous motors with different integer slots.

Study on the Influence of Flow Distribution Structure of Piston Pump on the Output of Pulsation Pump

According to the working principle of the A10VNO swashplate axial piston pump, the output flow model of an axial piston pump in an ideal state and the output flow theoretical model of an axial piston pump considering the leakage and flow distribution process are established. The output flow pulsations of odd and even piston pumps are simulated and analyzed by Matlab, and the influence of a closed dead angle and a mismatch angle of the port plate on the output flow pulsation of the pump is obtained. Based on the theoretical model, AMESim is used to establish the overall model of the axial piston pump considering leakage, flow distribution process and oil compressibility under constant working conditions. By setting six different flow distribution boundary conditions corresponding to the theoretical research, the influence of flow distribution plate structure on pump output flow pulsation is studied. A test-bed was built and verified by experiments. The results show that when the mismatch angle of the valve plate is 3–5° and the dead angle is 6–10°, the difference between the output flow pulsations of the odd and even piston pumps is very small, so in the hydraulic pump hydraulic motor system, when the hydraulic pump is used as a hydraulic motor under the condition of power recovery, the odd number or adjacent even number of hydraulic motors are appropriate.

Influence of Fluid Compressibility and Movements of the Swash Plate Axis of Rotation on the Volumetric Efficiency of Axial Piston Pumps

This paper describes the design of a swash plate axial piston pump and the theoretical models describing the bulk modulus of aerated and non-aerated fluids. The dead space volume is defined and the influence of this volume and the fluid compressibility on the volumetric efficiency of the pump is considered. A displacement of the swash plate rotation axis is proposed to reduce the dead space volume for small swash plate swing angles. A prototype design of a pump with a displaced axis of rotation of a swash plate with two directions of delivery is presented, in which the capacity is changed by means of a valve follow-up mechanism. Comparative results for a pump with a displaced and a non-displaced swash plate rotation axis are presented, which confirm that displacement of the swash plate rotation axis causes an increase in volumetric efficiency that is apparent for high pressure discharge and small swash plate angles. The determined characteristics were compared with a mathematical model taking into account the compressibility of the fluid in the dead space volume and a satisfactory consistency was obtained.

A New Approach for Modeling Mixed Lubricated Piston-Cylinder Pairs of Variable Lengths in Swash-Plate Axial Piston Pumps.

The swash-plate axial piston pump is one of the most widely used pumps due to its simplicity and compactness in structure. In such a pump, the piston-cylinder system plays a crucial role, with its lubrication characteristics greatly affecting the overall pumping performance. A new numerical approach is proposed in this study for modeling mixed lubricated piston-cylinder interfaces of variable lengths in swash-plate axial piston pumps in the framework of multibody dynamics. The approach couples the hydrodynamic mixed lubrication model of the piston-cylinder interface with the multibody dynamics model of the piston pump. The lubrication model is established with a transient average Reynolds equation considering asperity contacts and is solved with the finite element method to derive the hydrodynamic forces of the lubricated pair, while the multibody dynamics model is established with Lagrangian formalism by considering hydrodynamic forces as external forces. Results for piston-cylinder interfaces of variable lengths in swash-plate axial piston pumps are presented, and the impacts of cylinder length and the tilt angle of the swash plate on the tribological performances of the interface are discussed. The results indicate that increasing the cylinder length can improve the stability and wear resistance of the piston, but it can exacerbate the frictional power loss. Moreover, although enlarging the tilt angle of the swash plate can effectively increase pump displacement, it can easily lead to serious friction, wear, and leakage problems. Consequently, the tilt angle of the swash plate should be carefully selected in practical applications.

Calculation of the actuator system in swash plate axial piston machines by a coupled multibody and TEHL simulation

This paper presents a method for coupling a multibody simulation for the actuator system in axial piston machines in combination with a transient, three-dimensional, thermal elastohydrodynamic contact calculation. For the tribological investigation, the oscillating piston/cylinder contact is focused, whereby a simplified model of the actuator system simulates the loads. The developed method allows the integration of a complex tribological contact simulation under mixed friction conditions into a dynamic multibody simulation based on the Newton–Euler method. It is discussed how the accuracy of the results and the calculation time can be improved by the procedure.

Dynamic modeling of fluid nonlinear compression loss and flow loss oriented to fault diagnosis of axial piston pump

Volumetric efficiency (VE) is an extremely important index to evaluate the performance of pump and motor. Efforts have been concentrated on the causes and character of leakage loss, but few quantitative analyses of pump kinematic clearances (KCs) identification and nonlinear compression loss caused by air content are discussed. This paper clarifies the nonlinear compression loss resulted from the air content of the oil in detail and proposes an improved flow loss model of the swash-plate axial piston pump (SAPP). Then, combining the improved model with experimental results, the KCs of SAPP are identified. It has been verified that a reasonable sampling path is useful for reducing sampling numbers and guaranteeing identification accuracy. Finally, the identification and quantization of the wear fault of SAPP are realized by analyzing the estimated value of KCs. The proposed method is simple and easy to implement and shows high predictive accuracy. It provides a possible and promoting technology support for the autonomous calibration of the system parameters and the active compensation of the system control.

A Fast and Effective Method for the Optimization of the Valve Plate of Swashplate Axial Piston Pumps

Abstract This research presents a lumped parameter numerical model aimed at designing and optimizing an axial piston pump. For the first time, it has been shown that a lumped parameter model can accurately model axial piston pump dynamics based on a comparison with computational fluid dynamic (CFD) models and experimental results. Since the method is much more efficient than CFD, it can optimize the design. Both steady-state and dynamic behaviors have been analyzed. The model results have been compared with experimental data, showing a good capacity in predicting the pump performance, including pressure ripple. The swashplate dynamics have been investigated experimentally, measuring the dynamic pressure which controls the pump displacement; a comparison with the numerical model results confirmed the high accuracy. An optimization process has been conducted on the valve-plate geometry to control fluid-born noise by flow ripple reduction. The nonlinear programming by quadratic Lagrangian (NLPQL) algorithm is used since it is suitable for this study. The objective function to minimize is the well-known function, the nonuniformity grade (NUG), a parameter directly correlated with flow ripple. A prototype of the best design has been realized and tested, confirming a reduction in the pressure ripple. An endurance test was also conducted. As predicted from the numerical model, a significant reduction of cavitation erosion was observed.

Research on lubrication mechanism with fluid–solid coupling of port plate pair in swash plate axial piston pump

When a swash plate axial piston pump operates under high-pressure conditions, the valve plate will undergo warping deformation. Based on the theory of elastic fluid dynamic lubrication, this work establishes a fluid–solid coupling model of a swash plate axial piston pump and solves the governing equations of the lubrication with respect to the port plate pair. Cylinder speed, cylinder angle, fluid viscosity, oil film thickness, seal belt width, and structural parameters are also considered to observe their influence on the valve plate warpage deformation with the swash plate axial piston pump. The results show that the deformation cloud of the valve plate on the axial piston pump is symmetrical, with the axis line of the waist groove as the axis. The deformation of the outer seal zone on the high-pressure side of the valve plate is the largest, and the deformation of the outer seal zone on the low-pressure side of the valve plate is the smallest. Under the same conditions, the material and structure of the valve plate affect the thickness and shape of the oil film. This study provides a theoretical basis for the high pressure of the swash plate axial piston pump.

The influence of dynamic swash plate vibration on outlet flow ripple in constant power variable-displacement piston pump

The vibration of a swash plate is caused by the piston forces and the control actuator acting on the swash plate. An earlier study of the outlet flow ripple of variable-displacement axial piston pumps assumed a fixed swash plate angle; it ignored the influence of swash plate vibration on the outlet flow ripple of the axial piston pump. In this work, a theoretical model of the outlet flow ripple and pressure pulsation was established in a constant power variable-displacement piston pump. The vibration of swash plate, flow leakage, and valve dynamic characteristics are considered in the theoretical model. The computational results of the theoretical model at different external load pressures are verified by comparison with experimental results. The vibration of the swash plate is strongly influenced by both the piston chamber pressure variation and the control actuator mechanism. The study proved the influence of the swash plate vibration on the outlet flow ripple and the pressure pulsation of an axial piston pump. Compared to the case of a fixed swash plate angle, accounting for swash plate vibration is much more suitable for the accurate determination of the outlet flow ripple and pressure pulsation of an axial piston pump. It is also shown that the vibration of the swash plate affects the valve plate design. Accordingly, valve plate optimization based on the theoretical model of the outlet flow ripple was also studied in this work. The amplitude of the instantaneous outlet flow ripple was considered as the optimization objective function. Finally, the optimized design parameters for a constant power variable-displacement swash plate axial piston pump were evaluated.

A simplified calculation model for the sliding contact boundaries in a hydrostatic piston mechanism

The objective of this study was to discuss simplified calculation models for the piston/cylinder sliding mechanism in which boundary contact partly occurs invariably. An efficient prediction of the boundary leakage and friction is often needed, such as in a swash-plate axial piston machine whose lubrication test is hard to perform due to the mechanism complexity. In order to model this physically uncertain lubrication regime, two calculation models were compared to compute the lubrication behaviors: “rigid boundary model”, whose theoretical concept was previously reported in the literature, and “elastic boundary model”, newly proposed in this study. Developed numerical algorithms commonly facilitated the simultaneous calculation of body motion and fluid film pressure to observe piston motion, reaction forces, and power loss. The results showed that simulations using the elastic boundary model should be more helpful for the prediction in the earlier development stage than the previous model since the methodology provides much less simulation time than full-order calculation, higher accuracy than the rigid model, and useful engineering parameters such as surface stress. The proposed calculation model can be extended to various asymmetrically loaded reciprocating piston mechanisms for efficiently predicting the lubrication behavior.

Multidisciplinary Design Optimization of a Swash-Plate Axial Piston Pump

This work proposes an MDO (multidisciplinary design optimization) procedure for a swash-plate axial piston pump based on co-simulation and integrated optimization. The integrated hydraulic-mechanical model of the pump is built to reflect its actual performance, and a hydraulic-mechanical co-simulation is conducted through data exchange between different domains. The flow ripple of the pump is optimized by using a MDO procedure. A CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) simulation of the pump’s flow field is done, which shows that the hydrodynamic shock of the pump is improved after optimization. To verify the MDO effect, an experimental system is established to test the optimized piston pump. Experimental results show that the simulated and experimental curves are similar. The flow ripple is improved by the MDO procedure. The peak of the pressure curve is lower than before optimization, and the pressure pulsation is reduced by 0.21 MPa, which shows that the pressure pulsation is improved with the decreasing of the flow ripple. Comparing the experimental and simulation results shows that MDO method is effective and feasible in the optimization design of the pump.

Fluctuation Characteristic Analysis of the Swash Plate Axial Piston Pump Based on AMESim

On the basis of analyzing the working principle of the swashplate axial piston pump, based on the AMESim simulation platform, establishing the key components simulation models including the piston pump flowplate, the connector of swashplate and piston, swash plate control structure. In addition, use components of AMESim signal library to establish the complete piston pump model. By changing piston pump model parameters such as the export volume, the number of piston, the swash plate inclined angle, piston diameter, leakage crack size, operating simulation to get piston pump outlet flow and pressure fluctuation characteristic curve. The results show that piston pump pressure fluctuation can be reduced when increasing the piston pump export volume. Reducing the swash plate inclined angle, increasing the number of piston and reducing piston pump leakage can lessen the piston pump outlet flow fluctuation. Moreover, the relationship between the piston diameter and flow fluctuation is not obvious.

Multibody dynamics of pivot slipper pad thrust bearing in axial piston machines incorporating thermal elastohydrodynamics and mixed lubrication model

A model for the calculation of multibody dynamics incorporating a transient, three-dimensional, thermal elastohydrodynamic pivot pad contact in swash plate axial piston pumps is presented. The simulation is based on the numerical solution of equations of motion, generalized Reynolds, energy and Fourier heat equations. The equation of motion of the hybrid pivot bearing is derived by Lagrangian formalism and solved in due consideration of friction in the spherical joint and piston-barrel. Mass conserving cavitation, non-Newtonian flow and a mixed friction model with consideration of real-measured surface topologies are implemented. Results for a slipper pad with retain plate are presented. The impact of the retain device on slipper pad friction and temperature are discussed.

Computational study on dynamic pressure in a swash-plate axial piston pump connected to a hydraulic line with an end resistance

Time-varying pressure produced in a cylinder chamber of an axial hydraulic pump is closely associated with various crucial issues such as system noise emission, swash-plate control, lubrication in sliding parts and etc. In this paper a computational study was performed to investigate the dynamic behavior of the cylinder pressure considering a general system of a piston pump, a hydraulic line, and an end resistance. Combined lumped and distributed parameter model was used, and led to successful fitting with existing experimental data obtained from a pump/line/resistance system which included a pressure relief valve in series. Using the developed tool, the effects of several dimension and operation parameters were investigated assuming that the end resistance was a simple orifice valve. The calculation results, depicted in both time domain and frequency domain, showed that the harmonics of the dynamic pressure and their amplitudes varied with line size capriciously. It was also shown that the harmonic of maximum pulsation amplitude changed in a periodic way as rotating frequency increased. Lastly, the pulsation amplitudes increased with the increase of discharge pressure proportionally with no change of the harmonics.