Concentric extends pump testing facilities
Under an ongoing programme of investing in its test facilities, Concentric AB has installed four new test stations for coolant pumps at its Birmingham, UK facility, which houses the group's R&D team. The new test stations will enable accurate performance evaluation of of engine coolant pumps, by measuring their flow, pressure, power consumption and cavitation performance.
The test rigs were purpose-built to Concentric's specification and are computer-controlled to enable the replication of engine drive cycles, as experienced in the most demanding applications, while providing real-time streamed data capture. The system can test coolant pumps with flow rates up to 1000 litres per minute at pressures up to 6 bar, and at operating speeds approaching 10,000 rpm. Rapid acceleration and fast changes in coolant temperatures can all be programmed into the system.
Discussing the introduction of the new test facilities in Birmingham, David Williams, Concentric's technical director commented: “This is an important advance in our ability to test coolant pumps up to and beyond the limit that they are ever likely to experience. It is also among the most advanced facilities anywhere in our industry. Physical testing reinforces the success we have had in streamlining the development cycle using CFD (computational fluid dynamics) and FEA.”
Computational fluid dynamics is used extensively at Concentric to accelerate development. Once an initial concept has been completed CFD is utilised to improve the flow through the pump and in particular optimise the efficiency and hence reduce the power required to drive the pump. It is also used to optimise cavitation performance, which is becoming increasingly important as customers demand ever more durable pumps.
FEA is also used to look at the natural frequencies of the components to make sure that they are not within the range of the engine forcing frequencies. Through the use of FEA it has been possible to reduce the number of development phases at Haldex Concentric by optimising the design before the components are manufactured.
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