Choosing an industrial pump is not as easy as it might first sound.
All pumps have the same basic function &#; converting motor energy into hydraulic energy to help move different materials (such as water, chemicals, and other fluids.) However, based on the fluid properties, pump specs, and the environment in which the unit will be installed, some pumps might be a better fit for you than others.
To make things easier, we&#;ve compiled a list of the main factors you need to consider when choosing a pump and the most common pump types and their uses (including how to select a heat pump and how to make the right cooling tower pump selection.)
Let&#;s get started!
Industrial
Pump Selection
: Main Factors That Will Help You Decide
Here are the main factors involved in the industrial pump selection process:
Pump Environment
When choosing a pump, you need to consider the layout and environment of the plant where the unit will be installed. Your considerations should include:
Will the pump be submerged?
Will it be exposed to extreme temperatures?
Will it operate in a hazardous environment?
Does your industry have strict environmental regulations?
Here are some factors you should consider:
Atmosphere
Think about whether the pump will operate in a highly humid, corrosive, or hazardous atmosphere.
Based on the atmosphere characteristics, you might need to consider getting an industrial pump with a chemical duty motor (for hazardous atmospheres), tropical duty motor (for humid atmospheres) or wash down duty motor (for wash down areas.)
Temperature
Based on the temperature, you need to consider the pump motor&#;s maximum temperature constraints and construction materials.
Altitude
If you&#;re planning to install the pump at a higher altitude, this can affect the pump flow performance due to the lower air pressure, motor fan cooling, and net positive suction head (NPSH.) The lower pressure and NPSH can cause cavitation (when the fluid inside the pump is close to boiling temperature).
Power source availability
Consider the electrical source voltage and whether that can sustain your pump&#;s operation (especially if you&#;re considering a more powerful pump). Special motors can also be powered by DC batteries, compressed air, or pressurized hydraulic oil.
Fluid Properties
It&#;s vital to assess all technical characteristics of the fluid that the pump will be handling on a regular basis. This includes:
Viscosity
The higher the fluid&#;s viscosity, the more resistant it is to the flow in the pump. This is one of the leading factors that will determine the type of pump you&#;ll need to install. For example, low viscosity fluids (like water and oil) can be managed by a centrifugal pump, but higher viscosity fluids like paints and greases are handled better by positive-displacement pumps.
Concentration
The fluid resistance can also be affected by its concentration and particle size.
Flammability
If you&#;re operating highly flammable fluids, consider getting an industrial pump made of stainless steel.
Specific gravity
The fluid&#;s specific gravity is also of vital importance for the pump performance. Water has a specific gravity of 1.0, while some chemicals and solvents might have lower or higher gravity.
Pump System Properties
When you know all the environment and fluid specifics, you need to determine what pump specs will best fit them. These include:
Flow rate and pressure
The flow rate indicates the pump capacity (the volume of liquid pumped at a given time.) The pressure can be calculated using the pipe size and friction loss. These two factors are in direct correlation to the pump size.
Head
There are a few different types of heads:
Suction head (when liquid supply is above the pump).
System head (indicates the pressure needed to sustain the liquid flow through the pumping system).
Discharge head (indicates the maximum height reached by the pipe from the discharge port).
Suction lift
This indicates that the liquid supply happens below the pump.
Net positive suction head (NPSH)
NPSH shows the pressure at the pump&#;s suction port. This can be broken down into two variables: NPSH Available (the absolute pressure) and NPSH Required (the minimum pressure that prevents cavitation).
Construction materials
Industrial pumps are commonly made from stainless steel, iron, or brass. You should choose the construction material based on the type of fluid the pump will be in contact with.
Maintenance requirements
Understand whether you will be able to take full charge of the pump&#;s maintenance or if you&#;ll need expert help. Also, consider whether you are ready to cover any repair costs or prefer to buy a new pump in case of breakage.
Energy efficiency
Ensure the pump has good energy efficiency rates to reduce energy costs.
Ease of use
Find out how easy it is to install the pump and operate it on a daily basis. Will your employees need special training? Will you need to do regular maintenance checks, and can you do them internally or will you need to hire a specialist?
Motor type
Based on the motor type, there are three different pump types:
Electric pumps
: This type of pump is driven by an electric motor.
Autonomous pumps
: These pumps have their own combustion engine. They&#;re typically used in the agriculture and firefighting sectors.
Pneumatic pumps
: These pumps operate with compressed air.
Control system
Industrial pumps are usually operated with the help of advanced software. So, when choosing a pump, ensure that the metering equipment and its software are easy to use and run smoothly since this can affect your daily workflow tremendously.
Next, let&#;s look at a few possible pump options and their use cases.
7 Pump Types and Their Uses
Here are some of the most commonly used pump types:
Centrifugal Pump
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Centrifugal pumps can pump large volumes of low viscosity fluids at a constant flow. They offer good efficiency and are ideal for wastewater and petrochemical applications.
Cooling Tower Pump
When it comes to cooling tower pump selection, you should be aware that this pump is primarily used to remove heat from air-conditioning systems.
Cooling tower pumps are used when the heat from the air-conditioning cannot be repurposed in any other way. If you are opting for this pump type, make sure to check what the requirements for the cooling system are first since this can limit the size of the cooling tower pump as well.
Heat Pump
Heat pumps are used to recover, increase, and repurpose heat streams from different operating systems. But how to select a heat pump that will suit your needs? There are three main heat pump types:
Air-source heat pumps
: These heat pumps have a simple design and high-efficiency levels.
Ground-source heat pumps
: Ground-source pumps have lower carbon emissions than air-sourced pumps, but they have a more complex installation process.
Water-source heat pumps
: The biggest benefit of these pumps is they can also use the water source as a coolant.
Diaphragm Pump
Diaphragm pumps are a good solution if you need to move dense liquids. They can also run dry and do not require lubrication. Before installing a diaphragm pump, you need to check your pneumatic network capacity. Since this pump type is pneumatically operated it is primarily used in the chemical, mining, and food industries.
Peristaltic Pump
These self-priming pumps ensure precise fluid dosage and a sterile environment, so the liquid is safe from contamination.
As such, peristaltic pumps are ideal for moving clean fluids and are used mainly in the medical and chemical industries. However, keep in mind that these pumps have a lower flow rate and require regular maintenance.
Piston Pump
Piston pumps are ideal for medium-flow and high-pressure operations that involve low viscosity fluids. However, the presence of any particles might disrupt their proper operation. Such pumps are mostly used in the oil industry.
Gear Pump
This pump type is used to transport highly viscous clean liquids at high pressure. Gear pumps are compact, reliable, and offer a simple design and low-noise operation levels. They&#;re mainly used in the plastics processing industry.
Choose the Best Industrial Pump Type for Your Needs
Choosing the right pump type can affect your industrial plant efficiency and costs. To choose the right kind of pump, you need to be aware of all the main factors that play a crucial role in your day-to-day operations.
Additionally, once you&#;ve settled on the pump make and model and have installed the unit, you need to ensure the pump is regularly maintained to prevent any excessive wear and tear or breakage.
If you need reliable industrial pump repair experts, Houston Pump & Gear is here to help. We can answer all your industrial pump repair questions. We also offer all types of pump service, including centrifugal, piston, gear, and cooling tower repair.
We also help with gearbox repair and provide services like helical gear cutting and complete gearbox overhaul. Just give us a call to get a custom quote today.
If you run a business that requires fluid movement, processing, or management, you&#;re going to need an industrial pump. The challenge for many business owners is choosing the type of pump for the job because there are so many options. Here is a guide to the different types of industrial pumps and what each one does.
What Is an
Industrial Pump
?
An industrial pump is a mechanical device that converts mechanical energy from its motor to hydraulic energy as it transfers fluid. This energy transfer allows the machine to move fluid from one place to another. Industrial pumps are made up of an inlet tube, a motor and impeller, and an outlet. But how they function will differ depending on the type of pump you are using.
Two Major
Types of Industrial Pumps
&#; Dynamic vs. Positive Displacement
There are two main types of industrial pumps&#;dynamic pumps and positive displacement pumps. Dynamic pumps use centrifugal force to create velocity in the liquid that the pump is handling. That velocity gets converted to pressure, which can be regulated to push fluid through the pump.
Dynamic pumps contain an impeller, which creates a vacuum that drives fluid inside the pump&#;s housing. These are the most common types of industrial pumps because they have the fewest moving parts and can operate continuously.
Positive displacement pumps use the reciprocating motion of plungers, pistons, or diaphragms to move liquid through the pump. Instead of a smooth transfer of liquid, you generally get a pulsing discharge with this type of pump because fluid is trapped and expelled in a fixed volume. These pumps have a more complex design than dynamic pumps, but they can handle more variations in flow and pressure. They can also handle high viscosity fluid at high pressure.
Different
Types of Industrial Pumps
: Dynamic Pumps
1. Centrifugal Pumps
Centrifugal pumps are the most common type of industrial pump used across most industries. These pumps move fluid using the transfer of rotational energy from one or more driven rotors, known as impellers.
Fluid enters the rotating impeller along the pump&#;s axis and is expelled by centrifugal force toward the pump&#;s outlet. This type of pump can handle liquids that contain suspended solids. There are also different types and sizes of centrifugal pumps to meet various industrial needs.
2.
Submersible Pumps
Submersible pumps are primarily used to move sewage and stormwater, but they are used by other industries as well. These pumps are created to work under extreme conditions and are ideal for shifting waste, chemicals, gray water, subsoil water, and foodstuffs.
3. Fire Hydrant Systems
Fire hydrant pumps are designed to serve fluid at high pressure and high force, so they are primarily used by the firefighting industry. These pumps may be installed in industrial settings or at the street level, where they are connected directly to a municipal water system.
Different
Types of Industrial Pumps
:
Positive Displacement Pumps
4.
Lobe Pumps
Lobe pumps include pairs of rotating &#;lobes,&#; which are similar to gears even though they don&#;t touch. As the lobes rotate together, they create a suction that pulls liquid into the pump. When fluid enters the pump&#;s casing, it becomes trapped because the lobes only rotate in one direction.
The fluid continues to get pushed toward the output area of the pump. Because the lobes don&#;t come into contact with each other, this type of pump can handle denser liquids and liquids with some solid materials.
5.
Screw Pumps
A screw pump is a type of pump that operates using several rotating screws inside the casing. Using two or more screws rotating in opposite directions, the pump creates internal pressure that moves fluid through the pump&#;s housing. The clearance between the screws is minimal, so this type of pump is better suited for applications like simple water movement or the transfer of high-viscosity materials like oil and fuel.
6.
Diaphragm Pumps
Diaphragm pumps are also known as pneumatic or air operated diaphragm (AOD) pumps. These pumps use pneumatic pressure instead of electric power, so they are an ideal option when electricity isn&#;t available.
Diaphragm pumps are used for transferring chemicals with a high flash point, such as volatile solvents and corrosive chemicals. The pumps have two chambers with diaphragms, and air is transferred between the two using a valve. This shift in air is what creates the pressure to move fluid from one side of the pump to the other.
7.
Gear Pump
s
A gear pump is a type of rotating positive dislocation pump. As the gears inside the pump rotate, they force liquid through the pump using a process that creates a suction and void inside the system.
The fluid entering the pump receives energy through the grooves in the gears, which drive the fluid to the output area. Because the gears rotate in a specific direction, this prevents the fluid from back flowing. Gear pumps are used to transfer oil and grease as well as thick liquids that don&#;t contain any solid materials.
8.
Piston Pumps
A piston pump is a specific type of positive displacement pump that uses a piston to create suction or discharge pressure. A motor drives the piston backward, creating a void and vacuum, which draws fluid into the pump casing. As the piston moves forward, this pressurizes the chamber, and the fluid that was pulled into the pump will be discharged.
There is also a valve installed in the pump that prevents fluid from back flowing out of the inlet. These pumps are used for the simple movement of liquid materials and to boost the efforts of more complex pumps.
Need Help Choosing the Right
Type of Industrial Pump
?
C&B Equipment sells and services a wide range of industrial pumps. If your business needs an industrial pump, blower, or compressor, contact us today to learn more about our high-quality products and services.
For more information, please visit Industrial Pump Manufacturer.