Industrial Pump Types and Their Working Principles

Peristaltic Pumps: Precision and Sterility

Peristaltic pumps feature flexible tubing that is compressed by rotating wheels, circulating the liquid in the direction of its top rotation. They have wide applications in laboratory settings. These function similarly to diaphragms, with unique designs that provide total sealing surfaces with no sliding contact with the liquid. They are used when conditions require maximum sterility and usually operate with low flows.

Vane Pumps: Versatile Fluid Displacement

Vane pumps are made of rectangular paddles attached radially to an axis eccentric to the body of the pump. These paddles are displaced by the action of centrifugal force, determining the cavities where the liquid is hosted. They have many applications and can be found in single, double, or triple designs.

Operating Principle of Vane Pumps

The operating principle involves moving oil through a slotted rotor that houses the vanes, which are coupled to the drive shaft and rotate within an oval ring. The vanes follow the inner surface of the ring when the rotor rotates. As the rotor and ring are eccentric, the chambers increase in size, creating a partial vacuum that sucks the fluid through the inlet. When passing through the center, these chambers shrink, driving the fluid toward the exit.

Screw Pumps for Viscous Liquids

Screw pumps are similar to gear pumps, consisting of one or more cylindrical rotors in a screw form. They enclose the liquid between their threads and the cavity walls, forcing it to move in an axial direction from one end of the screw to the other. They are mainly used to boost viscous liquids.

Centrifugal Pumps: High Flow Efficiency

Centrifugal pumps are rotodynamic, non-positive displacement pumps based on centrifugal force, transforming mechanical energy into hydraulic energy. They are used for large flows with little pressure; the flow is non-pulsating and can tolerate a flow rate equal to zero.

Industrial Applications and Design

Centrifugal pumps are widely used in industrial processes because they have a simple design and low maintenance. They offer a low initial cost, application flexibility, and great value in moving fluid. This pump consists of an impeller that rotates inside a circular casing. This impeller is fitted with blades, as shown in technical figures. The fluid enters the pump near the center of the impeller, moving to the ends of the fins. Following the depression generated by the blades as the impeller rotates, the fluid is projected radially along the blades. The velocity and kinetic energy become a pressure load when the fluid exits the pump housing, which is designed with a spiral-shaped volute to achieve a gradual widening.