Background:

Client is a “build to print” tier suppliers of coolant and oil pumps to Indian engine OEMs

They were asked by a current customer to design a coolant and oil pump for a large off-highway engine

The client required that the supplier take full engineering responsibility for the design of both pumps to meet specified performance criteria

Problem: How to add full engineering design capability at a “build-to-print” Tier1

The supplier has never designed pumps from scratch

They would not be able to build a capability in time to respond to this requirement.

They would not want to build a capability when there is uncertainty as to how frequent this type of requirement would be in the future

Solution: Technical Partnership with Caepro

Caepro has significant experience working with a number of suppliers providing the engineering and design capability that allows those companies to successfully respond to product design requirements from customers

Caepro has 20+ years experience delivering complete engineering programs for base engine and ancillaries

Caepro has comprehensive engineering capability from benchmarking and target setting, through design and simulation, to prototype build, test and homologation

Caepro supported the supplier in putting together the response to the customer’s RFQ.

Caepro were able to advise as to what information was required from the customer to ensure that their proposal met the required technical scope at a competitive price.

The supplier was successful in winning the project.

Solution: Lubrication Pump Design and Simulation

Existing lubrication pump concept reviewed

Rotor diameter and length optimized for improving aspect ratio

Most suitable current rotor taken from supplier’s existing product portfolio

Shaft axis defined to meet packaging requirements and maintain minimum required clearance between pump body and connecting rod locus

Evaluated two pump types: rotary lobe and external gear

Classical analysis performed to calculate flow rate based on volumetric efficiency

Optimisation of number of teeth, pitch between upper pump shaft axis and crankshaft axis, speed ratio between pump and crankshaft, outer diameter of pump gears

Shaft positions, ports (size and position). Clearance to connecting rod locus.

Number of body/housing components

Bolting arrangement

Virtual validation through 3D transient CFD and structural analysis

Solution: Coolant Pump Design and Simulation

Created a mathematical model to predict water pump performance and correlated against available test data

Used model to evaluate certain pump characteristics and feature specification

Initially reviewed existing designs produce by supplier but none were suitable to meet characteristics

Designed new High Temperature and Low Temperature pumps

Virtual validation for structural analysis and fluid flow

3D CFD predicted potential recirculation region and low-pressure zone leading to potential cavitation. Leading edge of impeller blade modified and significantly reduced issue

Solution: Sourcing, Prototype Build and Test Support

Caepro supported the supplier by finding tier2 suppliers of sealings. The very high temperature differences meant that few vendors had products that they would verify.

Caepro helped finalise the physical validation plan with the end client and provide input for the design of the test rig.

Prototype build support

Test support

Problem resolution

Success: Client able to deliver complete high value performance product 

The coolant and oil pumps were delivered in time for the first fire of the engine

Both the coolant and oil pumps met or exceeded the target performance criteria

The supplier is able to respond in future to customer requests which have engineering content. This moves them up the value chain and away from commodity pricing.