About the Prediction of Pressure Variation in the Inter-Teeth Volumes of External Gear Pumps

The paper deals with the analysis of the inter-teeth pressure transients during gears meshing cycle of external gear pumps. A lumped parameter model, tailored for the prediction of pressures in the meshing zone, is firstly presented. The numerical model, based on the integration of the continuity equation, is applied to the inter-teeth volumes, communicating with the neighbouring ambient through geometry dependent orifices. A comparison between numerical results, obtained considering both constant and variable discharge coefficients, is illustrated. Successively, the dependency of pressure transients on gear pump operating conditions, mainly in terms of delivery pressure and rotational speed, is investigated. The effect of some geometric parameters is also discussed, mainly considering different gears widths and interaxial distances, and high-pressure recess positioning. Finally, in order to highlight the influence of the cavitation modelling on low pressure transition, the results coming from the application of two simplified approaches are shown and compared.