You should know about this piece of equipment, it’s not ordinary. It has lasted the test of time, being invented by the Europeans many hundreds of years ago. Now, it’s a key tool in the modern world and is an engineering marvel.

What Types Of Pumps Are There?

Do you know what I’m talking about? It’s none other than the simple water pumps. Well, it’s not really ‘simple’. Like I said, It’s an engineering marvel and that’s why it deserves its very own article to glorify the science behind it. This will be that very article.

There are two types of pumps. They are the centrifugal and positive displacement pumps. Firstly, we’ll be discussing how the former works. The pump itself has various different parts, but the major parts are the impeller, which is a disk that rotates, the pump which is the power supply that causes the rotation of the impeller, the outer shell, which protects the inside components and the shaft which acts as ligament, connecting the impeller to the motor.

But how does it work? The impeller acts as a propeller when it happens to rotate, acting as a source to pressurize the water, thus moving it outwards. It does this by propelling potential energy into the liquid (water) which causes it to gain velocity as it passes through.

What about the other type of pump? The positive displacement pumps? This pump allows for a fixed amount of fluid to flow through the machine in one cycle. Positive displacement pumps have several different types, such as the piston pump, gear pump, rope pump and chain. The most common of them all is the piston pump, and we’ll be using that as our example. Basically, a piston pump uses the piston it has situated in its cavity as a tool to drive the liquid through the vessel. This is due to the pressure exerted on it. Along with its other displacement counterparts, it can force through the most viscous of fluids. This is a great advantage that centrifugal pumps simply do not offer, and that’s why many industries prefer to use this type of pump instead.

The Setbacks Between The Two?

Let’s start with centrifugal pumps. You can’t just start pumping the water. You need to get the insides primed. This means that you need to some water already inside the cavity of the device before it can do work. However, these type of pumps take little to no effort in maintenance and are relatively cheap to own. That’s why its such a favorite for at home use. In terms of positive displacement pumps, they’re the more expensive type of the two to own, as well as to look after. But, as it readily uses suction force, can work with the most difficult of liquids such as sewage.

Aren’t they marvelous? If only Archimedes could see how far his invention has come. It has passed the test of time and is a love of the modern world.

Tags: water pumps.