Modelling of Cavitation and Aeration Effects on a Gerotor Pump of a Lubricating System in Automobiles

In an internal combustion engine, lubrication system acts as an auxiliary system, proper operation of it is essential for optimal performance of an engine. Mostly, positive displacement pumps are used for pumping the lubricating oil at constant flow rate at a given speed. In that, Gerotor pump is a commonly used pump. Cavitation affects the volumetric efficiency of the pump, which in turn influenced by operating conditions like speed of the pump, suction pressure etc. The current study using 3D pump flow simulation tool, Simerics-MP+ revealed that the cavitation bubbles form near the teeth of the rotors on the suction side. The location at which the bubbles expand, and collapse are correctly predicted at two different configurations and its effect on the performance is validated with the experimental data.