Lubrication regime analysis for spherical pump
Industrial Lubrication and Tribology
ISSN: 0036-8792
Article publication date: 10 August 2018
Issue publication date: 13 November 2018
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the lubrication regime in spherical pump, especially under different structural parameters and operational conditions.
Design/methodology/approach
A ball-on-plane configuration is adopted to represent the contact model between spherical piston and cylinder cover. The governing equations, which include the Reynolds and elasticity equations, are solved and validated by Jin–Dowson model. Both minimum film thickness and lambda ratio (ratio of minimum fluid film thickness to combined surface roughness of the piston and cylinder cover) of the equivalent model are obtained using an established model.
Findings
The results indicate that piston diameter and radial clearance are the two main factors affecting the pump lubrication regime. Other related parameters such as rotation speed of the piston, load, viscosity of working medium, material matching and surface roughness of piston and cylinder cover also have different impacts on the lubrication regime of the spherical pump.
Originality/value
These results emphasize the importance of the design and manufacturing parameters on the tribological performance of spherical pumps and these are also helpful in improving the spherical pump lubrication regime and enlarging its life cycle. This is to certify that to the best of the authors’ knowledge, the content of this manuscript is their own work. This manuscript has only been submitted to this journal and never been published elsewhere. The authors certify that the intellectual content of this manuscript is the product of their own work and that all the assistance received in preparing this manuscript and sources has been acknowledged.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank for the support from the China Scholarship Council (Grant Number 201506280148), Program for Changjiang Scholars and Innovative Research Team in University (Grant Number IRT1172) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Number 51375362). The authors are also grateful to Xi’an Zhengan Environmental Co. Ltd. for its financial support and permission to publish this paper.
Citation
Guan, D., Hilton, H.H., Yang, Z., Jing, L. and Lu, K. (2018), "Lubrication regime analysis for spherical pump", Industrial Lubrication and Tribology, Vol. 70 No. 8, pp. 1437-1446. https://doi.org/10.1108/ILT-07-2017-0207
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2018, Emerald Publishing Limited