The noise problem of the Fuel Pump may be caused by mechanical wear, resonance or design flaws. For instance, according to the research of SAE International, when the wear of the internal gears of the fuel pump exceeds 0.1 millimeters, the noise level may increase by 15 decibels (dB), typically manifested as high-frequency howling or low-frequency humming. Take a certain brand of vehicle as an example. Its after-sales data shows that after replacing the fuel pump with excessive wear, the noise inside the vehicle dropped from 55 dB to 40 dB, a reduction of 27%, and the fuel efficiency improved by 3% to 5% at the same time. In addition, optimizing the damping material of the fuel pump bracket (such as silicone shock-absorbing pads) can adjust the resonant frequency from 2000 Hz to below 1200 Hz, reducing the amplitude by 30%. The cost is approximately 50 to 100 yuan, and the payback period is shorter than 6 months.
Material upgrading is another key solution. For instance, in 2021, Volkswagen responded to noise complaints about the Fuel Pump of the EA888 engine by replacing the traditional aluminum alloy pump housing with polyamide (PA66). The internal flow rate was increased from 120 L/h to 150 L/h, while the noise peak was compressed from 65 dB to 50 dB, and the service life was extended to 150,000 kilometers. Similarly, the brushless motor fuel pump of Tesla Model S Plaid reduces the working noise by 12 dB by reducing the current fluctuation (from ±5% to ±1%), but the cost increases by approximately $200. Industry data shows that the adoption of hydrodynamic optimized impellers (such as 3D-printed titanium alloy impellers) can reduce the cavitation probability of fuel pumps from 8% to 1% and increase the flow rate stability by 20%, making it suitable for high-pressure direct injection systems (with a pressure above 350 bar).
Regular maintenance can also significantly suppress noise. According to statistics from the American Automobile Association (AAA), among vehicles that fail to replace fuel filters on time, 37% of the fuel pumps are clogged with impurities, causing the load current to be overloaded by 10% to 15%, resulting in abnormal noises. Cleaning the fuel pump filter screen (with a mesh density of ≤50 microns) can restore the flow rate to the designed value (such as 80 L/h of a certain Bosch model), and reduce the pump body temperature from 75°C to 60°C, extending the service life by 2-3 years. A case study of a certain maintenance chain brand shows that for vehicles with a mileage of over 100,000 kilometers, when fuel system cleaners (containing polyetheramine PEA) are added, the complaint rate of fuel pump noise drops by 42%, and the single maintenance cost is only 80 to 150 yuan.
Technological innovation is driving the development of silent fuel pumps. For instance, the hydrogen fuel cell model Mirai launched by Toyota in 2023 features a high-pressure fuel pump (with a working pressure of 70 MPa) that adopts active noise control (ANC) technology. Through reverse sound wave cancellation, the noise is reduced from 48 dB to 32 dB, and the power consumption only increases by 5 W. On the other hand, Schaeffler Group’s simulation experiments show that optimizing the inlet and outlet diameters of the fuel pump (from 8 mm to 10 mm) can reduce turbulence noise by 18% while maintaining the flow error rate below ±2%. Frost & Sullivan, a market analysis agency, predicts that by 2027, the global market size of silent fuel pumps will reach 4.7 billion US dollars, with a compound annual growth rate of 6.8%. Among them, electromagnetic-driven fuel pumps (noise < 35 dB) will account for 35% of the share and are mainly applied in luxury models and new energy hybrid platforms.