Fluid Pump and Reservoir Tank
FLUID PUMP AND RESERVOIR TANK
The fluid pump is a vane type driven by the engine via belt.
The reservoir tank is mounted on the vehicle body.
The fluid pump incorporates the flow control valve and relief valve, each performing the following functions:
- The flow control valve regulates the flow rate of discharged fluid to a constant level irrespective of the engine speed.
- The relief valve protects the system from excessively high pressures that may occur, for example, when the steering wheel is turned all the way.
- To stabilize the fluid temperature, an oil cooler is installed between the reservoir tank and gearbox.
- The fluid pump is belt-driven by the engine. The fluid flow is controlled according to the engine speed so that an adequate steering resistance is given during high-speed operation. The fluid pump is a variable capacity type vane pump whose delivery rate per rotation decreases as the engine speed increases. The pump is integral with a pump control valve and relief valve.
- The vane pump consists of a rotor, a cam ring, and 11 vanes.
When the rotor rotates, the vane in each slot of the rotor is moved out by centrifugal force in radial directions and pressed against the cam ring. The fluid from the suction port is confined in chambers formed between two adjacent vanes and carried to the discharge port. Since the cam ring is movable in relation to the rotor, the volume of each chamber is variable. This enables the delivery rate per rotation of the pump to be changed.
- Flow control
The variable capacity pump changes its delivery rate per rotation by changing the degree of eccentricity of the cam ring according to its rotating speed (engine speed).
NOTE: In the following description, pump speed ranges will be indicated using the speed points A through D shown in the drawing.
Low-range-speed operation (A - B range)
In this speed range, as well as in all the other speed ranges, two different pump discharge pressures are always applied to the control valve; one is directly led from the discharge port to the left end of the valve and the other is led through an orifice (variable orifice) to the right end of the valve. Since the orifice has a pressure reducing effect, the latter pressure is lower than the former.
When the pump is operating at a low speed, its discharge pressure is also low, resulting in only small difference between the two pressures. In this condition, the valve stays pushed leftward by the spring, allowing the non-pressurized tank fluid to enter chamber A. To chamber B, on the other hand, the orifice-reduced discharge pressure is applied, so the cam ring is pushed leftward by the cam ring spring. This makes the eccentricity of the cam ring a maximum and, therefore, the delivery rate per rotation of the pump becomes a maximum.
Mid- to high-range-speed operation (B - D range)
During mid-range speed operation, the pump increases its delivery rate. Since the pressure before passing through the variable orifice increases, the control valve moves rightward, overcoming the tension of the control valve spring. This movement of the control valve allows the pressure upstream of the variable orifice to be directed to chamber A after being adjusted to a necessary pressure* by the port opening area created by the control valve. On the other hand, chamber B receives the reservoir pressure (suction pressure). This means that the pressure in chamber A is higher than that in chamber B. As a result, the cam ring moves rightward against the tension of the cam spring. This causes the delivery rate per rotation of the pump to be reduced, so that the flow rate of the fluid to the steering gear box decreases accordingly.
The above control is performed when the pump is operating at a speed in the B - D range.
The "necessary pressure" for chamber A is a pressure required to move the cam ring to the position corresponding to each predetermined flow rate (pump delivery rate). The pressure is obtained by changing the port opening area appropriately through displacement of the control valve. The displacement of the control valve is determined by how much the pressure before the variable orifice is different from that after the orifice.
Maximum pressure control
When the overall delivery rate of the pump exceeds a preset value, the relief valve opens to allow part of the discharged fluid to flow toward the suction side of the pump, thereby controlling the maximum pressure.