Fast scaling approach based on cavitation conditions to estimate the speed limitation for axial piston pump design

The power density of axial piston pumps can benefit greatly from increased rotational speeds. However, the maximum rotational speed of axial piston machines is limited by the cavitation phenomenon for a given volumetric displacement. This paper presents a scaling law derived from an analytical cavitation model to estimate the speed limitations for the same series of axial piston pumps. The cavitation model is experimentally verified using a high-speed axial piston pump, and the scaling law is validated with open specification data in product brochures. Results show that the speed limitation is approximately proportional to the square root of the inlet pressure and inversely proportional to the cube root of volumetric displacement. Furthermore, a characteristic constant Cp is defined based on the presented scaling law. This constant can represent the comprehensive capacity of axial piston pumps free from cavitation.