HYDRAULIC PUMP

hydraulic pump is a mechanical source of power that converts mechanical power

into hydraulic energy (hydrostatic energy i.e. flow, pressure). Hydraulic pumps are
used in hydraulic drive systems and can be hydrostatic or hydrodynamic. They
generate flow with enough power to overcome pressure induced by a load at the
pump outlet. When a hydraulic pump operates, it creates a vacuum at the pump
inlet, which forces liquid from the reservoir into the inlet line to the pump and by
mechanical action delivers this liquid to the pump outlet and forces it into the
hydraulic system. Hydrostatic pumps are positive displacement pumps while
hydrodynamic pumps can be fixed displacement pumps, in which the displacement
(flow through the pump per rotation of the pump) cannot be adjusted, or variable
displacement pumps, which have a more complicated construction that allows the
displacement to be adjusted. Hydrodynamic pumps are more frequent in day-to-day
life. Hydrostatic pumps of various types all work on the principle of Pascal's law.

Types of hydraulic pump

Gear pumps
Gear pumps (with external teeth) (fixed displacement) are simple and economical
pumps. The swept volume or displacement of gear pumps for hydraulics will be
between about 1 to 200 milliliters. They have the lowest volumetric efficiency ( ) of
all three basic pump types (gear, vane and piston pumps)[1] These pumps create
pressure through the meshing of the gear teeth, which forces fluid around the gears
to pressurize the outlet side. Some gear pumps can be quite noisy, compared to
other types, but modern gear pumps are highly reliable and much quieter than older
models. This is in part due to designs incorporating split gears, helical gear teeth and
higher precision/quality tooth profiles that mesh and unmesh more smoothly,
reducing pressure ripple and related detrimental problems. Another positive
attribute of the gear pump, is that catastrophic breakdown is a lot less common than
in most other types of hydraulic pumps. This is because the gears gradually wear
down the housing and/or main bushings, reducing the volumetric efficiency of the
pump gradually until it is all but useless. This often happens long before wear and
causes the unit to seize or break down. Hydraulic gear pumps are used in various
applications where there are different requirements such as lifting, lowering,
opening, closing, or rotating, and they are expected to be safe and long-lasting.[2]

Rotary vane pumps

A rotary vane pump is a positive-displacement pump that consists of vanes mounted
to a rotor that rotates inside a cavity. In some cases these vanes can have variable
length and/or be tensioned to maintain contact with the walls as the pump rotates.
A critical element in vane pump design is how the vanes are pushed into contact
with the pump housing, and how the vane tips are machined at this very point.
Several type of "lip" designs are used, and the main objective is to provide a tight
seal between the inside of the housing and the vane, and at the same time to
minimize wear and metal-to-metal contact. Forcing the vane out of the rotating
centre and towards the pump housing is accomplished using spring-loaded vanes, or
more traditionally, vanes loaded hydrodynamically (via the pressurized system fluid).
Screw pumps
Screw pumps (fixed displacement) consist of two Archimedes' screws that intermesh
and are enclosed within the same chamber. These pumps are used for high flows at
relatively low pressure (max 100 bars (10,000 kPa)).[clarification needed] They were
used on board ships where a constant pressure hydraulic system extended through
the whole ship, especially to control ball valves[clarification needed] but also to help
drive the steering gear and other systems. The advantage of the screw pumps is the
low sound level of these pumps; however, the efficiency is not high.
The major problem of screw pumps is that the hydraulic reaction force is transmitted
in a direction that's axially opposed to the direction of the flow.
There are two ways to overcome this problem:

1. put a thrust bearing beneath each rotor;

2.create a hydraulic balance by directing a hydraulic force to a piston under the
rotor.

Bent axis pumps

Bent axis pumps, axial piston pumps and motors using the bent axis principle, fixed
or adjustable displacement, exists in two different basic designs. The Thoma-
principle (engineer Hans Thoma, Germany, patent 1935) with max 25 degrees angle
and the Wahlmark-principle (Gunnar Axel Wahlmark, patent 1960) with spherical-
shaped pistons in one piece with the piston rod, piston rings, and maximum 40
degrees between the driveshaft centerline and pistons (Volvo Hydraulics Co.). These
have the best efficiency of all pumps. Although in general, the largest displacements
are approximately one litre per revolution, if necessary a two-liter swept volume
pump can be built. Often variable-displacement pumps are used so that the oil flow
can be adjusted carefully. These pumps can in general work with a working pressure
of up to 350–420 bars in continuous work.

Inline axial piston pumps

By using different compensation techniques, the variable displacement type of these
pumps can continuously alter fluid discharge per revolution and system pressure
based on load requirements, maximum pressure cut-off settings, horsepower/ratio
control, and even fully electro proportional systems, requiring no other input than
electrical signals. This makes them potentially hugely power saving compared to
other constant flow pumps in systems where prime mover/diesel/electric motor
rotational speed is constant and required fluid flow is non-constant.