Variation in Driving Torque and Vane Friction Torque in a Balanced Vane Pump

This article describes the friction torque caused by pushing vanes on a cam contour and its influence on a variation of pump driving torque in a balanced vane pump. In the vane pump, the friction torque of the vane is significant to discuss a variation in the driving torque as well as an improvement in the mechanical efficiency. In this work, the influence of the thickness of a vane and the number of vanes on the friction torque of the vane and their additional effect on the variation in the pump driving torque are theoretically and experimentally investigated. The friction torque of the vane occupies a large part of the total friction torque in the vane pump and strongly depends on the number of vanes existing in a suction area as well as the thickness of the vane. The variation in the pump driving torque is composed of the variation of the ideal torque and that of the friction torque of the vane. The former is determined by vane arrangement in the suction area, and the latter is caused by a change in the number of vanes in the suction area. In addition, for the variation in the friction torque of the vane, a value of ε defined as the ratio of the cam lift to the vane thickness becomes an important parameter. A larger value of ε makes the variation of the friction torque of the vane greater.