The current research of seawater hydraulic motor mainly focused on piston motor and vane motor, but seldom regarded low speed high torque seawater hydraulic motor. Low speed high torque seawater hydraulic motor as a kind of energy conversion device and actuator plays an important role in seawater hydraulic transmission system. However, the physical and chemical properties of seawater, such as low viscosity, high causticity and poor lubrication, result in numerous problems. In this paper, the flow distribution characteristics of port plate pairs for the seawater hydraulic motor are investigated, and the leakage flow and power loss models of port plate pairs are established. Numerical simulations are carried out to examine the effects of water film, inlet pressure and rotating speed on the pressure distribution and leakage flow. And the friction and wear tests of port plate pairs are also carried out. Moreover, the test system of the seawater hydraulic motor is constructed and the performance of prototype with no-load or loading is conducted. The results indicate that the clearance of port plate pairs and inlet pressure have a significant effect on distribution characteristics, but the effect of rotating speed is not very obvious. The experimental results show that the minimum error rate can be maintained within 0.3% by the proposed flow model and the counter materials of 316L against carbon-fiber-reinforced polyetheretherketone (CFRPEEK) are suitable for the port plate pairs of seawater hydraulic motor. Finally, based on the seawater hydraulic experiment platform, the volumetric efficiency of no-load and loading are obtained that the maximum can achieve 94.71% and 90.14%, respectively. This research work may improve the flow distribution performance, lubrication and the friction and wear properties, enhance energy converting efficiency of port plate pair and provide theoretical and technical support for the design of high-performance water hydraulic components.
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