Multidisciplinary design optimization of external engagement cylindrical gear flowmeter

Many factors affect the performance of an engagement cylindrical gear flowmeter (EGF). Each factor can simultaneously affect multiple performance indicators (e.g., flow pulsation, internal leakage and the total power loss) in different ways, and each indicator affects each other, which increases the difficulty of optimization design and precision compensation. In this paper, an optimization design method is proposed. First, the accurate displacement calculation formula was obtained by integrating the tooth profile equation. Second, the important factors that affect each performance index and the influence trend between each performance index were obtained by the design of experiments (DOE) and sensitivity analysis (SA). Third, based on the SA results, the optimization equations were established and the optimal structural parameters were obtained by using MIGA and NLPQL combined optimization algorithm. The results show that this optimization strategy can be applied to the optimization design of EGF.