Numerical Investigation of the Tribological Performance of Surface-Textured Bushings in External Gear Pumps Under Transient Lubrication Conditions

This study presents a computational fluid dynamics (CFDs) investigation of the hydrodynamic behavior of surface-textured lateral bushings in external gear pumps (EGPs), emphasizing the effects of combined sliding and squeezing motions within the lubrication gap. A comprehensive numerical model was developed to analyze how surface texturing implemented through different dimple shapes and texture densities influences pressure distribution and load-carrying capacity under transient lubrication conditions. The analysis demonstrates that the interaction between shear-driven flow and squeeze-film compression significantly amplifies pressure, particularly when optimal dimple configurations are applied. Results indicate that dimple geometry, depth, and arrangement critically influence hydrodynamic performance, while excessive texturing reduces effectiveness due to increased average gap height. Cavitation was intentionally not modeled in the early single dimple evaluations to allow clear comparison between configurations. The findings offer a design guideline for employing surface textures to enhance tribological performance and efficiency in EGP applications under realistic dynamic conditions.