The liquids used in the chemical industries differ considerably in physical and chemical properties. And it has been necessary to develop a wide variety of pumping equipment.
The two main forms are the positive displacement type and centrifugal pumps.
In the former, the volume of liquid delivered is directly related to the displacement of the piston and therefore increases directly with speed and is not appreciably influenced by the pressure. In this group are the reciprocating piston pump and the rotary gear pump, both of which are commonly used for delivery against high pressures and where nearly constant delivery rates are required.
The centrifugal type depends on giving the liquid a high kinetic energy which is then converted as efficiently as possible into pressure energy.
For some applications, such as the handling of liquids which are particularly corrosive or contain abrasive solids in suspension, compressed air is used as the motive force instead of a mechanical pump.
Last Modified on: 14-Sep-2014
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