Pressure ripples generated by a positive displacement pump in a hydraulic system can lead to severe noise and vibration problems. The source impedance of a positive displacement pump has a considerable impact on the generation of pressure ripples. It is, therefore, important to be able to predict the source impedance in order to design quiet hydraulic systems.
The source impedance of a positive displacement pump depends, amongst other things, on bulk modulus and volume. However, it is known that the mathematical model that takes into account the bulk modulus of hydraulic oil and the volume of a discharge room in the pump results in an estimated value of the source impedance that is greater than the measured value.
In this study, the factors which affect the source impedance of an external gear pump for an agricultural tractor have been investigated. In particular, the effect of the following factors has been investigated experimentally: the effective bulk modulus as determined by the components of the pump: leakage in the pump: the specific volume ratio of entrained air to hydraulic oil: and the volume of the tooth space of the pump. In addition, the effect of volumetric change of the discharge room by pumping action has been investigated using CFD with moving mesh technique.