Studies on several key problems of water hydraulic vane pump

Purpose - The balanced vane pump is a common transmission component in hydraulic systems. Since the physicochemical properties of water and seawater are different from that of mineral oil, some problems can occur, for instance, poor lubrication, more leakage, and more corrosion. The paper aims to demonstrate the technical feasibility for the water hydraulic vane pump.Design methodology approach - The material combinations were selected based on related research in literature. The volumetric efficiency and suction performance were measured in the current experiment. The relations between gap clearances and leakage flow, the contact and the friction forces between a vane tip and a cam contour were simulated based on mathematic models.Findings - The soft-hard material combinations in the prototype pump show preferable friction characteristics during tests. The axial clearances are the main channels of leakage flow. Pin type vane pump can reduce the contact force of the vane tip.Originality value - This paper outlines some key problems of the water hydraulic vane pump, such as the friction pair material,the structure, and the contact force of the vane tip by means of testing the basic performance of pump and mathematic model.