Research Status and Prospects of Clearance Sealing Technology in Water Hydraulic Plunger Pumps

doi:10.3901/JME.260331

Abstract

Abstract: As the core power unit in hydraulic systems, the water hydraulic piston pump plays a decisive role in the overall system efficiency and operational reliability. Compared with traditional sealing methods, clearance sealing technology demonstrates notable advantages under high-speed operating conditions, as it eliminates the need for dynamic sealing elements. This offers an effective solution to key challenges faced by high-pressure water hydraulic piston pumps, such as friction, wear, and limited service life. This study reviews domestic and international research on clearance sealing from three perspectives: technical challenges, flow theory and modeling methods, and key technologies along with their engineering applications. It provides a detailed analysis of critical aspects including clearance flow theory, modeling approaches, structural configurations, material selection, and parameter optimization. Finally, the study outlines future trends toward high performance and predictability in clearance sealing, focusing on three key directions: accurate performance prediction methods, innovative structural design, and data-driven condition monitoring. The aim of this work is to offer a theoretical reference for the further development of clearance sealing technology in water hydraulic piston pumps and to contribute to the advancement of hydraulic transmission systems toward greater efficiency and reliability.

Key words: clearance seal, high-pressure plunger pump, multiphysics coupling, condition monitoring, physics-informed neural network

CLC Number:

TG156

ZHAO Shendan, WU Defa, JIN Yuzhu, TAN Jialong, TANG Hesheng, REN Yan, LIU Yinshui. Research Status and Prospects of Clearance Sealing Technology in Water Hydraulic Plunger Pumps[J]. Journal of Mechanical Engineering, 2026, 62(15): 278-290.

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URL: http://www.cjmenet.com.cn/EN/10.3901/JME.260331

http://www.cjmenet.com.cn/EN/Y2026/V62/I15/278

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