Numerical investigation on hydraulic gear pump behaviour under thermal and pressure-induced stressors

This study presents a computational investigation into the failure-relevant performance characteristics of hydraulic gear pumps by analyzing the influence of key operational parameters: fluid temperature, rotational speed, and pressure gain. A 12 cm³/rev dual spur gear pump model was developed in SolidWorks and simulated using ANSYS Fluent with transient, incompressible, and turbulent flow assumptions. Boundary conditions were dynamically controlled via Simulink, enabling precise variation of fluid temperature (30 °C–90 °C), rotational speed (1000–3000 RPM), and pressure gain (200–240 bar). The results revealed that both flow velocity and pressure increase significantly with rising temperature and rotational speed, indicating enhanced fluid momentum and higher mechanical stress within the chambers. However, at elevated temperatures, the decrease in viscosity led to reduced mass flow rate, implying potential flow instability and performance degradation. The findings suggest that excessive thermal and dynamic loads can trigger cavitation or internal leakage that marks critical operational thresholds for gear pump reliability. The study emphasizes that integrating CFD and control-based simulation provides a predictive framework to identify failure risks and optimize hydraulic system design.