Computational analysis of novel variable displacement pumps

The centralized lubrication system is an important mechanism required in most industries where the pumps provide the lubricant. This study is aimed to design a variable displacement pump that will replace the existing pump and reduce the cost of the operations required to provide the lubrication as per the requirement. A novel design of variable displacement pump is proposed with different components providing the variable discharge. Initially, the design of the variable displacement pump is evaluated, and analytical solutions are validated numerically. Numerical simulations are performed for the forces obtained in the analytical calculations, and the design proposed is safe within the permissible limit. The novel variable displacement pump proposed will reduce the wastage of fluid.

Experimental Validation of a Hydrostatic Transmission for Community Wind Turbines

Hydrostatic transmissions are commonly used in heavy-duty equipment for their design flexibility and superior power density. Compared to a conventional wind turbine transmission, a hydrostatic transmission (HST) is a lighter, more reliable, cheaper, continuously variable alternative for a wind turbine. In this paper, for the first time, a validated dynamical model and controlled experiment have been used to analyze the performance of a hydrostatic transmission with a fixed-displacement pump and a variable-displacement motor for community wind turbines. From the dynamics of the HST, a pressure control strategy is designed to maximize the power capture. A hardware-in-the-loop simulation is developed to experimentally validate the performance and efficiency of the HST drive train control in a 60 kW virtual wind turbine environment. The HST turbine is extensively evaluated under steady and time-varying wind on a state-of-the-art power regenerative hydrostatic dynamometer. The proposed controller tracks the optimal tip-speed ratio to maximize power capture.

Fuel Flowrate Control for Aeroengine and Fuel Thermal Management for Airborne System of Aircraft—An Overview

Fuel flowrate control system and fuel thermal management are very important for aeroengine and the overall aircraft, and it has been researched for several decades. This survey paper makes a comprehensive and systematic overview on the exiting fuel flowrate regulation methods, thermal load of fuel metering units, fuel-based thermal management, and the fuel tank’s thermal management topology network with drain and recirculation. This paper firstly reviews the mechanism, technical advantages, and technical challenges of the fuel metering unit with flowrate control valve and constant pressure difference valve compensator, flowrate control valve and variable displacement pump-based pressure difference compensator, and motor-based flowrate regulation. Then, the technical characteristics of above fuel flowrate control methods related to thermal management are discussed and compared. Meanwhile, the behaviors of recirculated fuel flow within single tank system and dual tank system are explored. Thirdly, the paper discusses the future directions of fuel flowrate control and thermal management. The survey is significant to the fuel flowrate control and fuel thermal management of the aircraft.

Testing and Validation of Reciprocating Positive Displacement Pump for Benchtop Pulsating Flow Model of Cerebrospinal Fluid Production and Other Physiologic Systems

Background: The flow of physiologic fluids through organs and organs systems is an integral component of their function. The complex fluid dynamics in many organ systems are still not completely understood, and in-vivo measurements of flow rates and pressure provide a testament to the complexity of each flow system. Variability in in-vivo measurements and the lack of control over flow characteristics leave a lot to be desired for testing and evaluation of current modes of treatments as well as future innovations. In-vitro models are particularly ideal for studying neurological conditions such as hydrocephalus due to their complex pathophysiology and interactions with therapeutic measures. The following aims to present the reciprocating positive displacement pump, capable of inducing pulsating flow of a defined volume at a controlled beat rate and amplitude. While the other fluidic applications of the pump are currently under investigation, this study was focused on simulating the pulsating cerebrospinal fluid production across profiles with varying parameters. Methods: Pumps were manufactured using 3D printed and injection molded parts. The pumps were powered by an Arduino-based board and proprietary software that controls the linear motion of the pumps to achieve the specified output rate at the desired pulsation rate and amplitude. A range of 0.01 to 0.7 was tested to evaluate the versatility of the pumps. The accuracy and precision of the pumps’ output were evaluated by obtaining a total of 150 one-minute weight measurements of degassed deionized water per output rate across 15 pump channels. In addition, nine experiments were performed to evaluate the pumps’ control over pulsation rate and amplitude. Results: volumetric analysis of a total of 1200 readings determined that the pumps achieved the target output volume rate with a mean absolute error of -0.001034283 across the specified domain. It was also determined that the pumps can maintain pulsatile flow at a user-specified beat rate and amplitude. Conclusion: The validation of this reciprocating positive displacement pump system allows for the future validation of novel designs to components used to treat hydrocephalus and other physiologic models involving pulsatile flow. Based on the promising results of these experiments at simulating pulsatile CSF flow, a benchtop model of human CSF production and distribution could be achieved through the incorporation of a chamber system and a compliance component

Distribution parameter modeling and experimental verification of constant-pressure variable displacement pump

To provide a precise model of dynamic components in the constant pressure pump, and to improve the accuracy of dynamic calculation of the constant-pressure hydraulic system in its design stage, the research undertook mapping on a particular constant pressure pump and determined its basic structural parameters. Then, with the AMESim software, the research adopted separate structures from the level of basic components to establish the model of single-piston pump, the model of variable displacement pump, and the model of adjustable mechanism for the swashplate, respectively. The three models were combined with the constant-pressure variable displacement pump before it was encapsulated in a super component. By controlling the flow discharge of the constant pressure pump, and by switching on and off the constant pressure valve with the internal and long-distance pressure control, the research undertook the simulative test and the corresponding experimental test on the characteristics of pressure response of the constant pressure pump. The results of both tests agreed well with each other. Thus, it verifies the precision of the established constant pressure pump model in performing accurately in response design and analytical calculation.

Meaningful and Physically Consistent Efficiency Definition for Positive Displacement Pumps - Continuation of the Critical Review of ISO 4391 and ISO 4409

ISO 4391:1984 gives the common efficiency definition for positive displacement machines. ISO 4409:2019 uses this efficiency definition to specify the procedure for efficiency measurements. If the machine conditions do not correspond with an incompressible flow due to operation at high pressure levels, the compressibility of the fluid and the dead volume of a pump must be taken into account. On this point, ISO 4391:1984 is physically inconsistent. Achten et. al. address this issue in their paper at FPMC 2019 presenting a critical review of ISO 4409:2007. They introduce new definitions of the overall efficiency as well as the mechanical-hydraulic efficiency. At the same time, they question the validity of the volumetric efficiency definition. Li and Barkei continue on this issue in their paper at FPMC 2020 and give a new efficiency definition based on the introduction of a new quantity Φ which describes the volume specific enthalpy of the conveyed fluid. The motivation of this paper is to contribute to the ongoing and fruitful discussion. Our approach starts with the most general efficiency definition, namely the isentropic efficiency. Subsequently, we make assumptions concerning the fluid properties with respect to the compressibility of the conveyed fluid. On the basis of the ideal cycle of a positive displacement pump and the p-v diagram, we derive physically consistent and more meaningful representations of the overall, the mechanical-hydraulic and the volumetric efficiency that address the inconsistency of ISO 4391:1984. Furthermore, we compare our findings with the existing results of Achten et. al. and Li and Barkei.

Use of the K-Nearest Neighbour Classifier in Wear Condition Classification of a Positive Displacement Pump

This paper presents a learning system with a K-nearest neighbour classifier to classify the wear condition of a multi-piston positive displacement pump. The first part reviews current built diagnostic methods and describes typical failures of multi-piston positive displacement pumps and their causes. Next is a description of a diagnostic experiment conducted to acquire a matrix of vibration signals from selected locations in the pump body. The measured signals were subjected to time-frequency analysis. The signal features calculated in the time and frequency domain were grouped in a table according to the wear condition of the pump. The next step was to create classification models of a pump wear condition and assess their accuracy. The selected model, which best met the set criteria for accuracy assessment, was verified with new measurement data. The article ends with a summary.

Active Pressure Ripple Reduction of a Self-Supplied Variable Displacement Pump with Notch Least Mean Square Filter

As the power sources in hydraulic systems, variable displacement axial piston pumps generate flow fluctuation. Unfortunately, it results in pressure pulsation which excites the system vibration and emitted noise. The majority of studies try to eliminate the pulsation via a passive technique and the active control methodology has not been discussed in detail. In this research, the feasibility of reducing the pressure ripple by properly controlling the proportional valve has been investigated, which also supports the miniaturization of the active control system. A mathematical model of the self-supplied variable displacement pump including the control system has been developed. The filtered-X least mean square algorithm with time-delay compensation is utilized to calculate the active control signal. Simulation results show the effectiveness of the active control technique. The effect of the active control signal on the flow rate from different chambers of the pump has been analyzed. It demonstrates that the variation of the pressure pulsation should be ascribed to the comprehensive reaction of different flow rates. The major reason is that the flow of the actuator piston neutralizes the peak value of the flow ripple, generated by the nine pistons.

Design of Variable Pump Displacement Controller based on FLSMC Method

To reduce the effect of nonlinear factors and improve the tracking accuracy of the control system, a controller based on feedback linearization sliding mode control (FLSMC) method is proposed. This paper takes a variable displacement pump driven by a constant speed motor as the research object to verify the effectiveness of the designed controller. First, a high-order nonlinear model of the variable pump displacement control mechanism is established. Meanwhile, the load characteristic of the control cylinder is obtained by analyzing the swashplate control moment. Then the author uses the feedback linearization method to linearize the system model and designs a sliding mode controller to eliminate the impact of load parameter changes. Finally, the proposed FLSMC controller is used in simulation and experiment, and the PID controller is used as a comparison. Results show that the FLSMC controller can effectively improve the robustness of the pump control system.

A Single Stage Spool Valve for the Pressure Compensator of a Variable Displacement Pump – Design, Dynamic Simulation and Comparative Study With A Real Pump

The study is focused on the design of a simplified spool valve to be incorporated in the pressure compensator of a variable displacement axial piston pump in order to perform a comparative study with a commercial pump having a two stage spool valve in its compensator. The design involves evaluation of the spool size and selection of spring from static equilibrium condition to satisfy cut-in and cut-off pressure. Following the development of dynamic model of the system, a design sensitivity analysis of the spool valve has been carried out through simulation to identify the critical sizes of the parameters, which affect the pump performance. By systematic design, it is possible to have a single stage spool valve controlled pressure compensator that can produce performance of the variable displacement axial piston pump at par with the similar commercially available pump.