Modelling a Variable Displacement Axial Piston Pump in a Multibody Simulation Environment

Analysis of a variable displacement axial piston pump, as in other complex fluid power and mechanical systems, requires appropriate insight into three multidisciplinary domains, i.e., hydraulics, mechanics and tribology. In recent years, at FPRL, modelling of axial piston pumps has evolved in AMESim (one-dimensional code) where a three-dimensional mechanical approach has required generation of proprietary libraries leading to the evaluation of internal forces/reactions in all pump subsystems. Tribologic aspects in axial piston pumps modelling are also being investigated but AMESim, in this respect, does not appear as the appropriate computational environment. Consequently, a new approach has been initiated grounded on MSC.ADAMS. In this perspective, the paper details how the model has been developed through proprietary macros that automatically originate all pump subsystems parametrically and further apply required constraints and forces (springs, contacts and pressure forces). The ADAMS environment has also been selected due to co-simulation capabilities with AMESim. Accordingly, the paper elucidates how the entire modelling has been construed where hydraulics is managed in AMESim while ADAMS takes care of mechanics. A comparison between simulated and experimental steady-state characteristics of the axial pump is also presented. As such this paper indicates an innovative methodology for the analysis of complex fluid power systems in the hope that, eventually, tribology will also fit into the scene.