Numerical investigation of the scavenge pump performance in an aircraft engine lubrication system under pure oil and oil-air two-phase medium

As an important component of the aircraft engine lubrication system, the scavenge pump plays a crucial role in the proper circulation of the lubrication system by its suction capability for the oil-air mixture. Taking a certain aircraft engine two-stage scavenge pump as the research object, the internal two-phase flow of oil and air within the pump was simulated based on the volume of fluid model. The paper mainly analyzed the impact of rotation speed and oil-air ratio on flow rate and volume efficiency, which serve as evaluation indicators for the suction capability of the scavenge pump. The operating performance of the pump was compared between the stage 1 and stage 2. Additionally, a comparison was conducted between numerical results and experimental results, indicating a good agreement in the lubricating oil flow rate. The analysis investigated the reasons for the discrepancies in the volumetric efficiency of the pump between the numerical solutions and experimental results, providing a more scientifically grounded reference for the testing of pump performance and subsequent optimization design.