On the efficiency of the axial piston motor considering piston form deviations

Axial piston motors rely on a close fit of piston to bore to minimise leakage past the piston due to axial pressure drop. Machining imperfections in the cylinder bore and the piston change the clearance between them, affecting the performance of the motor. The effect of machining imperfections like out-of-roundness and taper in the piston on the mechanical and volumetric efficiency of the motor, in the speed range where the viscous friction is dominant, are studied. Experiments to measure torque and leakage flow are conducted on a fixed displacement swash plate type axial piston hydraulic motor and results are presented. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.