The problem of the churning loss in swash plate axial piston machines is investigated through experimental measurement and theoretical analysis. Several works surrounding churning loss in hydraulic components have been proposed in the past, but few have conducted experimental studies and accounted for both dry and wet housing conditions. In this study,a specialized experimental setup is established, which includes a transparent test pump diligently designed for performing various functions of tests. The test pump can work as a real pump without losing any actual features of pump operation. The torque loss in both the dry housing pump and wet housing pump is measured in terms of the shaft speed and its predictive model is also developed analytically. The comparisons between measured and calculated torque loss are presented, showing how speed influences torque loss in both conditions. The advantage/disadvantages of the two cases are summarized. The significance of the test setup is highlighted by verifying the proposed model, which can advance the understanding of energy losses of high speed pumps in future.
