Taguchi Techniques as an Effective Simulation-Based Strategy in the Design of Numerical Simulations to Assess Contact Stress in Gerotor Pumps

The contact problem of a trochoidal gear is a drawback and a well-known performance indicator of a gerotor pump. Although numerical simulations aid in the evaluation of contact stress, the difficult task of determining geometrical parameters, operating conditions, and the number of simulations to run falls to the designer. This paper presents the Taguchi techniques as an effective simulation-based strategy to narrow down the geometrical parameter combinations, reducing the solution space and optimizing the number of simulations. The work is first focused on the validation of the proposed numerical model by means of published contact stress results of recognized researchers in the field, as well as the unification of nomenclature and notation. Then, the Taguchi approach is based on a sequence of four experiments, ranging from the screening case with two levels and seven parameters to multiple levels and four parameters with three software input operating conditions (temperature, torque, and friction coefficient) emulating noise effects. The contact stresses of 128 gear sets, having common volumetric capacity and dimensional constraints to detach mechanical performance from flow rate and casing, were analyzed. Results prove the feasibility of the proposed methodology by identifying the most suitable gear set configuration and predicting the quantifiable performances of a real-working gerotor pump.