What is the effect of increasing the swash plate angle on the flow rate of an axial piston pump?

Increasing the swash plate angle in an axial piston pump increases the stroke length of the pistons, which directly increases the pump's flow rate. An axial piston pump uses a rotating cylinder barrel with multiple pistons arranged parallel to the axis of rotation. These pistons reciprocate (move back and forth) within the cylinder bores as the cylinder barrel rotates. A swash plate, which is an angled plate, controls the stroke length of the pistons. As the cylinder barrel rotates, the pistons follow the surface of the swash plate. The angle of the swash plate determines how far the pistons move in and out of the cylinder bores during each revolution. A larger swash plate angle means a longer stroke length for each piston. With a longer stroke, each piston displaces a greater volume of fluid per stroke. Since the pump's flow rate is the total volume of fluid displaced by all pistons per unit of time, increasing the stroke length directly increases the flow rate. Variable displacement axial piston pumps use a mechanism to adjust the swash plate angle, allowing for variable flow rates to be achieved. For example, in a hydraulic system requiring varying flow rates based on load, the swash plate angle can be adjusted to provide the necessary flow. A larger angle provides higher flow for heavy loads, while a smaller angle reduces flow when less power is needed, improving efficiency.