What are the two common structural types of oil pumps?
3 Answers
There are two common structural types of oil pumps. Below are the specific introductions to these common structural types of oil pumps: 1. Gear-type oil pump: The oil pump housing is machined with an inlet and an outlet. Inside the oil pump housing, there is a driving gear and a driven gear. There is a very small gap between the gears and the inner wall of the housing. The working principle is that when the gears rotate clockwise, the volume of the inlet chamber increases as the gear teeth move away from the meshing direction, creating a certain degree of vacuum. The lubricating oil is then drawn from the inlet and fills the inlet chamber. The rotating gears carry the lubricating oil between the teeth to the oil chamber. As the gear teeth enter the meshing state, the volume of the outlet chamber decreases, increasing the oil pressure. The lubricating oil is then delivered to the engine oil passage through the outlet. 2. Rotor-type oil pump: The oil pump housing contains an inner rotor and an outer rotor. The inner rotor is fixed to the driving shaft with a key, and the outer cylindrical surface of the outer rotor fits with the housing, with a certain eccentricity between them. The outer rotor is driven by the inner rotor to rotate. The housing is equipped with an inlet pipe and an outlet. The working principle of the rotor-type oil pump is that during the rotation of the inner and outer rotors, the tooth profile of each tooth of the rotors always forms point contact with each other, creating four enclosed working chambers between the inner and outer rotors. Since the outer rotor always rotates slower than the inner rotor, the volumes of these four working chambers continuously change.
The oil pump plays a crucial role in the engine. In our daily repair work, we commonly encounter two types: gear pumps and rotor pumps. Let's start with the gear pump. This device has a simple structure, using a pair of meshing gears that rotate together, like two interlocking wheels, to efficiently pump oil. It is widely used in many traditional vehicle models, such as older trucks. Its advantages include durability and resistance to failure, but its drawbacks are its larger size, which takes up more space, and sometimes gear wear can lead to low oil pressure, causing engine overheating. Then there's the rotor pump, also known as an internal gear pump, which mainly consists of an inner rotor spinning inside the pump housing to draw oil. This design is compact and small, making it suitable for modern small-engine designs, such as in some high-efficiency vehicles, offering high efficiency and low noise. However, rotor pumps are prone to jamming if they become dirty and require regular maintenance. When inspecting the oil pump, I check the oil pressure gauge reading. If it's too low, there might be an issue with the pump, and it should be repaired or replaced promptly.
As an average car owner who frequently tinkers with vehicles, I've paid attention to the structure of oil pumps, which commonly come in two types: gear-type and rotor-type. Gear pumps seem like the traditional choice, operating on the principle of two rotating gears meshing together to push oil to various parts of the engine. These are robust and reliable, with maintenance being relatively straightforward, especially since you can roughly inspect the gear condition during oil changes. The downside is that they're somewhat bulky. The other type, rotor pumps, are more advanced, featuring an inner rotor that works in conjunction with an outer pump housing. They take up less space, making them suitable for many modern cars, such as those with compact engines. Their advantages include higher oil suction efficiency and quieter operation, but their precision components are more susceptible to dust, occasionally requiring cleaning or inspection. I've also seen fellow car enthusiasts share on forums how to simply test oil pump functionality at home using a basic oil pressure gauge to identify issues. Overall, the health of the oil pump is crucial to engine longevity, making timely oil changes essential.
