Numerical and experimental study on the churning losses of 2D high-speed piston pumps

This paper first introduces the structure and working principle of a 2D piston pump invented by the research team that the authors are involved with. Afterward, the mechanism of the churning losses caused by the pump’s moving parts, which are rotating in oil, is carefully studied by building up mathematical models and using CFD simulations. A test rig is set up to estimate the churning losses of the moving parts by monitoring the torque at different rotational speeds. The analytical results indicated that the torque of the churning losses increased with the increase of the rotational speed. In addition, the experimental data of the churning losses were consistent with the solutions from both the conducted mathematical models and CFD simulations before the rotational speed reached 8000 rpm. However, when the rotational speed exceeded 8000 rpm, the experimental data showed an apparent difference from the calculated ones. Based on the changes in the oil temperature and noise, this difference might be due to cavitation or turbulence. As a result, the churning losses that took place in the 2D high-speed piston pump need to be further studied, especially when the pump is driven by a high-speed motor.