Torqueflow Sydex Ltd is pleased to offer the following information relating to pump types, pumping principles and other relevant information.  This information is intended for your  personal use and should be used as a reference point only.

Information provided courtesy of Wikipedia. and the knowledge bank at Torqueflow Sydex.

 

Progressive Cavity Pump

A progressive cavity pump is a type of positive displacement pump and is also known as a progressing cavity pump, eccentric screw pump or cavity pump. It transfers fluid by means of the progress, through the pump, of a sequence of small, fixed shape, discrete cavities, as its rotor is turned. This leads to the volumetric flow rate being proportional to the rotation rate (bidirectionally) and to low levels of shearing being applied to the pumped fluid. Hence these pumps have application in fluid metering and pumping of viscous or shear-sensitive materials. The cavities taper down toward their ends and overlap with their neighbours, so that, in general, no flow pulsing is caused by the arrival of cavities at the outlet, other than that caused by compression of the fluid or pump components.

 

Rotary Positive Displacement Pumps

Positive displacement rotary pumps are pumps that move fluid using the principles of rotation. The vacuum created by the rotation of the pump captures and draws in the liquid. Rotary pumps are very efficient because they naturally remove air from the lines, eliminating the need to bleed the air from the lines manually.

 

Reiciprocating Positive Displacement Pumps

Reciprocating positive displacement pumps have an expanding cavity on the suction side and a decreasing cavity on the discharge side. Liquid flows into the pumps as the cavity on the suction side expands and the liquid flows out of the discharge as the cavity collapses. The volume is constant given each cycle of operation.

 

Metering Pumps

A metering or dosing pump moves a precise volume of liquid in a specified time period providing an accurate flow rate. Delivery of fluids in precise adjustable flow rates is sometimes called metering. The term "metering pump" is based on the application or use rather than the exact kind of pump used.

Although metering pumps can pump water, they are often used to pump chemicals, sollutions, or other liquids. Many metering pumps are rated to be able to pump into a high discharge pressure. They are typically made to meter at flow rates which are practically constant (when averaged over time) within a wide range of discharge (outlet) pressure. Manufacturers provide each of their models of metering pumps with a maximum discharge pressure rating against which each model is guaranteed to be able to pump against.

 

Submersible Pumps

A submersible pump (or electric submersible pump (ESP)) is a device which has a hermetically sealed motor close-coupled to the pump body. The whole assembly is submerged in the fluid to be pumped. The main advantage of this type of pump is that it prevents pump cavitation, a problem associated with a high elevation difference between pump and the fluid surface. Submersible pumps push fluid to the surface as opposed to jet pumps having to pull fluids.

 

Gear Pumps

A gear pumps which is used as a meshing gears, to pump the fluid by displacement. They are one of the most common types of pumps for hydraulic fluid power applications. The Gear pumps are also widely used in chemical installations to pump fluid with a certain viscosity.There are two main variations; external gear pumps which use two external spur gears, and internal gear pumps which use an external and an internal spur gear. Gear pumps are positive displacement (or fixed displacement), meaning they pump a constant amount of fluid for each revolution. Some gear pumps are designed to function as either a motor or a pump

 

Peristaltic Pumps

A peristaltic pump is a type of positive displacement pump used for pumping a variety of fluids. The fluid is contained within a flexible tube fitted inside a circular pump casing (though linear peristaltic pumps have been made). A rotor with a number of "rollers", "shoes", "wipers", or "lobes" attached to the external circumference of the rotor compresses the flexible tube. As the rotor turns, the part of tube under compression is pinched closed (or "occludes") thus forcing the fluid to be pumped to move through the tube. Additionally, as the tube opens to its natural state after the passing of the cam ("restitution" or "resilience") fluid flow is induced to the pump. This process is called perestaltis and is used in many biological systems such as the gastointerestional tract. Typically, there will be two or more rollers, or wipers, occluding the tube, trapping between them a body of fluid. The body of fluid is then transported, at ambient pressure, toward the pump outlet. Peristaltic pumps may run continuously, or they may be indexed through partial revolutions to deliver smaller amounts of fluid.

 

Centrifugual Pumps

Centrifugal pumps are used to transport liquids/fluids by the conversion of the rotational kinetic energy to the hydro dynamics energy of the liquid flow. The rotational energy typically comes from an engine or electric motor or turbine. In the typical simple case, the fluid enters the pump impeller along or near to the rotating axis and is accelerated by the impeller, flowing radially outward into a diffuser or volute chamber from where it exits.

Common uses include water, sewage, petroleum and petrochemical pumping. The reverse function of the centrifugal pump is a water turbine converting potential energy of water pressure into mechanical rotational energy.

 

Rotary Lobe Pumps

Rotary pumps can handle solids such as fruit and vegetables, slurries, pastes, and a variety of liquids. If wetted, they offer self-priming performance. A gentle pumping action minimizes product degradation. They also offer continuous and intermittent reversible flows and can operate dry for brief periods of time. Flow is relatively independent of changes in process pressure, too, so output is relatively constant and continuous.

 

Diaphram Pumps

A diaphragm pump (also known as a Membrane pump, Air Operated Double Diaphragm Pump] (AODD) or Pneumatic Diaphragm Pump) is a positive displacement pump that uses a combination of the reciprocating action of a rubber, thermoplastic or teflon diaphragm and suitable valves either side of the diaphragm (check valves,butterfly valves, flap valves, or any other form of shut-off valves) to pump a fluid.

 

Vane Pumps

A rotary vane pump is a positive-displacement pump that consists of vanes mounted to a rotor that rotates inside of a cavity. In some cases these vanes can be variable length and/or tensioned to maintain contact with the walls as the pump rotates.The simplest vane pump is a circular rotor rotating inside of a larger circular cavity. The centers of these two circles are offset, causing eccentricity. Vanes are allowed to slide into and out of the rotor and seal on all edges, creating vane chambers that do the pumping work. On the intake side of the pump, the vane chambers are increasing in volume. These increasing volume vane chambers are filled with fluid forced in by the inlet pressure. Inlet pressure is actually the pressure from the system being pumped, often just the atmosphere. On the discharge side of the pump, the vane chambers are decreasing in volume, forcing fluid out of the pump. The action of the vane drives out the same volume of fluid with each rotation.

 

Chopper Pumps

A chopper pump is a centrifugual pump, which is equipped with a cutting system to facilitate chopping/maceration of solids that are present in the pumped liquid. The main advantage of this type of pump is that it prevents clogging of the pump itself and of the adjacent piping, as all the solids and stringy materials are macerated by the chopping system. Chopper pumps exist in various configurations, including submersible and dry-installed design and they are typically equipped with an electric motor to run the impeller and to provide torque for the chopping system. Due to its high solids handling capabilities, the chopper pump is often used for pumping sewage, sludge, manure slurries, and other liquids that contain large or tough solids.

 

Magnetic Drive Pumps

Magnetic drive pumps, vary from the traditional pumping style, as the motor is coupled to the pump by magnetic means rather than by a direct mechanical shaft. The pump works via a drive magnet, 'driving' the pump rotor, which is magnetically coupled to the primary shaft driven by the motor. They are often used where leakage of the fluid pumped poses a great risk (e.g., aggressive fluid in the chemical or nuclear industry, or electric shock - garden fountains). They have no direct connection between the motor shaft and the impeller, so no gland is needed. There is no risk of leakage, unless the casing is broken. Since the pump shaft is not supported by bearings outside of the pump's housing, support inside the pump is provided by bushings. The materials of construction of these bushings and the required clearances of the parts may restrict the kinds of fluids for which this kind of pump may be used.