Every type of residential and industrial structure consists of elaborate systems that perform distinct roles. Moreover, these networks are made up of various components and mechanisms that work together to allow the systems’ functions to be conducted well. In grade school, you may already have been taught about the basics of gas and liquid movement. However, this is more complex than you may have initially thought.
Piping systems deal with the circulation and transportation of multiple types of fluids and gases and they are composed of different parts. A particular example is a pump. This is responsible solely for producing liquid flow, and therefore does not generate pressure. Instead, it triggers the movement needed for developing pressure, which in turn serves as the resisting force to the system’s fluid flow.
Below, we’ll discuss several different types of pump devices, as well as their characteristics and applications.
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Gear pump
A gear pump is a positive displacement pump that promotes flow through repeated enclosing of a set volume. To do so, it utilises interlocking gears — hence the name “gear pump” — mechanically transporting it through a cycle of pumping. The flow that it induces is as smooth as the rotation of its gears.
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Axial-flow pump
Axial flow pumps are versatile and dynamic pump devices that operate by using the momentum and velocity of fluid flow to stimulate pressure. Specifically, they are a type of centrifugal pump that generates velocity through utilising an impeller that exerts centrifugal force to the fluid being circulated.
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Rotary vane pump
Rotary vane vacuum pumps are classified under mechanical vacuum pumps. Like gear pumps, they work via rotary positive displacement. These systems are composed of a housing, rotor, and radially moving vanes as well as an inlet and outlet.
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Piston pump
A piston pump is another type of positive displacement pump. In its operation, a high-pressure seal responds in correspondence to the piston. It’s flexible and can be used both for compressing gases and moving fluids. Moreover, these pumps are also ideal for transporting media that contain solid particles.
Piston pumps can also be utilised over an extensive range of pressures. Systems like delivery and water irrigation require a consistently high pressure so it is common for piston pumps to be used in these networks.
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Water ring vacuum pump
A water ring vacuum pump is a type of liquid-ring pump that, like the rotary vane pump, works through a rotating positive displacement. They are used commonly as a vacuum pump, but its other applications include gas compression. However, what makes them different from rotary vane pumps is that the vanes are indispensable parts of the rotor, which are tasked with churning a rotating “ring of liquid” to create a compression-chamber seal.
The Bottom Line
A network of parts and devices make up a system in every infrastructure. Moreover, each small component adds an important detail and plays a distinct role to ensure that the entire system will function seamlessly.
In line with that, the industry of engineering still continues to come up with innovative devices for piping systems through the use of the latest technology. This means that in the future, we can expect to see more amazing types of pumps that serve multiple purposes.
