Monday, September 7, 2015

Applications Of The High Pressure Positive Displacement Pump

By Daphne Bowen


The revolution and diversification of industries can all be attributed to the invention of the pump. The applications of high pressure positive displacement pump has been extended well beyond the common usage of pumping water from a borehole. Modern industry relies heavily on this technology.

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.

The efficiency and rate of flow of pumps is hugely dependent on two physical properties, that is, the viscosity of fluids and the pressure. The preference of PD pumps stems from their ability to maintain a constant flow rate given the ever changing physical properties.

Their applications are spread all over the facets of industrialization. One major use can be seen in the oil, gas and petroleum industry. Centrifugal pumps cannot move fluids that contain large amounts of gas. PD drives however have the capabilities of handling fluids with up to 50 percent gas without requiring any modification. Specialized PD drives can transmit fluids with up to 95 percent gas.

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.

PD pumps also found their application in the chemical industry. This typically involved the food and beverage industry and the pharmaceutical companies. Bio technology also uses these types of pumps. During a chemical process, when the chemical solution is passed through the reactor, certain attributes change due to heating and other reactions. This includes the viscosity of the mixture. The process however demands a constant rate of flow through the procedure. This is why they are applied in the chemical industry.

A similar application can be seen in paper milling industries. Paper mills are fueled by a mixture of fibers from the wood and liquid chemical. During the process the resulting mixture usually undergoes changes in density as it is burnt. Other problems such as clogging and erosion of passageways is also a common phenomena. Since the process of paper manufacturing is a highly regulated procedure, a constant flow of fuel is required. Using any other type of pumps despite these associated problems will not yield the required results. The reciprocating type pumps therefore offer the best solution for paper millers.

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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