Applications Of The High Pressure Positive Displacement Pump

By Daphne Bowen


The industrial applications of pumps have greatly changed the way machines work. At the helm of this transformation is the high pressure positive displacement pump (abbreviated as the PD pumps). Ever since their discovery, they have constantly been applied in machinery both in the traditional and modern setting.

The rotary and reciprocating pumps constitute the two main classes of pumps. They are similar in that they both allow a constant rate of flow but different in a functional point of view. Rotary pumps require constant lubrication through the pumping process. Their suitability with highly viscous fluids is the corner stone of their operation. They however cannot transmit abrasive fluids like water and gas efficiently. Vaporized fluids can be pumped but for only limited periods of time. Reciprocating pumps on the other hand are more all rounded because they are better suited for both viscous and abrasive liquids.

PD pumps way of working is entirely dependent on pressure and viscosity. They transmit fluids by trapping say an amount equal to its volume and moving it through a discharge pipe. The effect of these two properties is on the flow rate and efficiency. The main cause in their efficiency is their ability to keep a uniform flow despite unpredictable changes in discharge pressure and viscosity.

There have been numerous applications of this types of pumps. A major milestone that has been achieved is in the oil and petroleum trade. The centrifugal pump was abandoned since it could not move fluids with gas. The gas content constituted part of the crude oil along with water and sand residues. Specific designs however allowed the PD pumps to move significantly large quantities of gas. Even the most basic designs could transmit up to 50 percent gas quantities.

The properties above helped curb the cost of transmitting oil from offshore countries since oil and gas mixture could be pumped through one mechanism only.

In the field of chemical engineering, PD drives are vital to the pumping mechanisms. A standard chemical reaction results in huge changes in viscosity of the underlying mixture. This implies that other pumps such as the centrifugal types would not sufficiently carry the mixture through the reactor. PD drives will be able to transmit the mixture constantly irregardless of the fluctuations. This is the major reason why its uses extend to the pharmaceutical, foods and beverages and the biotechnology industries.

Paper mills usually dissolve the wood fibers and the resulting solution is used as a fuel for the boilers. This fuel needs to be pumped at a consistent rate. Viscosity of this solution keeps changing as it is burned while pressure also fluctuates wildly due to clogging in some passageways and erosion. A PD drive is therefore vital in ensuring that a constant rate of flow is maintained since irregular amounts of heat can distort the final quality of paper.

As a parting shot, each and every aspect of the transmitted fluid should be analyzed before choosing which pumps to use, however the PD pumps have been seen to be efficient at maintaining the rate of flow.




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