Behavioral characteristics of the vane of a hydraulic vane pump for power steering systems

In an oil hydraulic vane pump for power steering systems, the force acting on the vane generally consists of oil hydraulic, inertial and viscous forces. The vane should not separate from the camring inner race during operation. Separation of the vane could occur during the initiation and delivery of the vane pump because the oil hydraulic force acting on the vane is zero and in equilibrium, respectively. If the vane is separated from the camring inner race, the delivery of the oil hydraulic vane pump could become unstable or volume efficiency could decrease rapidly. Therefore, the state of the contact between the vane and the camring is considered in this study. Results demonstrate that the rotating speed of the shaft, oil temperature, clearance between the vane and the rotor and mass of the vane significantly affect the contact state of the vane.