Gear Pumps, Peristaltic Pumps, Laboratory Pumps—Pump Types and Definitions

What’s the difference between gear pumps, peristaltic pumps, and flexible impeller pumps? Can you define a progressing cavity? (Hint: It’s not something your dentist finds.)

Learn the various pump types and what they can do to in order to choose the right technology for your use. See how many of these you are familiar with:

Bellows—These pumps move fluid through a reciprocating bellows cavity that is coupled to a driving rod. These pumps are found in the “Metering” and “Positive Displacement” pump sections.

Centrifugal Pumps—A rotating vaned disk attached to a drive shaft moves fluid without pulsation as it spins. The outlet can be restricted without damaging the pump.

Diaphragm Metering Pumps—Pulsations of one or two flexible diaphragms displace liquid while check valves control the direction of the fluid flow.

Drum—A motor attached to an impeller is mounted on top of a drum. The impeller pushes fluid up the tube set when submersed.

Flexible Liner Pumps—The outer surface of an inert liner and inner surface of a rotating body block create a fluid channel used to gently pump fluids without pulsation.

Flexible Impeller—Elastomeric impeller traps fluid between the impeller blades and a molded housing that sweeps fluid through the pump housing.

Gear—Fluid is trapped between the teeth of two or three rotating gears. Gear pumps are good for high system pressure applications and are often magnetically driven.

Hand—Manually powered pumps of various designs used for short term or repetitive liquid transfer applications.

Peristaltic Pumps/Peristaltic (tubing)—Fluid only contacts the tubing—rollers of a motor-driven pump head push the fluid along the tubing as they rotate. Noncontaminating and easy to clean.

Piston—Rotating pistons of varying stroke lengths pump fluids through check valves. Good for high-pressure applications.

Progressing Cavity—The cavity between a screw-style rotor and stator force high-viscosity and particulate-filled fluids through the pump.

Rotary Lobe—Lobe shaped rotors gently fill with and dispense fluids containing soft particles, solids, and highly viscous fluids. Sanitary construction is perfect for use in the food and beverage industries.

Rotary Vane—Operate like the flexible impeller pumps but use an impeller made of a rigid material—useful for high-pressure or low-shear applications.

Syringe Pumps—Infusion or withdrawal syringe pumps provide high-pressure and high accuracy for applications such as HPLC.

Submersible/Immersible—Centrifugal pumps in a specialized housing used for emptying tanks or sumps.