Industrial Vacuum Pumps
Some of the extremely important components found in many types of commercial industries are industrial vacuum pumps. These pumps serve various purposes across the industrial spectrum and are a vital part of the success of those industries. As you can see from our menu and other pages on this site, we can supply quite an offering of name brand used and rebuilt pumps. However, in this article, we are going to speak more in general on a wide variety of vacuum pumps that may be found in various applications.
Industrial vacuum pumps are fashioned to pump liquids and gasses out of sealed containers in order to create a vacuum. Vacuum pump technology was explored beginning in the 17th century and the technology has grown and expanded to become vital to a broader range of enterprises. You might use a vacuum pump in electronics you might find in a household, to large industrial vacuum pumps found in food processing, to aviation equipment and countless other applications.
When we use the term industrial vacuum pumps we can be referring to vacuum pump systems used in fields such as food and beverage processing, pharmaceuticals, plastics, printing, mining, automotive, power generation plants, the aircraft industry, and so many other industries as well. One of the industries that we have focused in is the poultry processing industry.
Although, in general, the basic principle of a vacuum pump is to create a vacuum, it takes different types of pumps to create various outcomes depending on the need of a particular industry. High quality vacuum pumps that work well in one industrial environment may totally fail in another setting. So, obviously, one size does not fit all in designing industrial vacuum pumps. It’s important to know the correct type of vacuum pump for the specific application you’re using in order to keep your systems running properly and providing you the best quality outcome.
When we use the term industrial vacuum pumps we can be referring to vacuum pump systems used in fields such as food and beverage processing, pharmaceuticals, plastics, printing, mining, automotive, power generation plants, the aircraft industry, and so many other industries as well. One of the industries that we have focused in is the poultry processing industry.
Although, in general, the basic principle of a vacuum pump is to create a vacuum, it takes different types of pumps to create various outcomes depending on the need of a particular industry. High quality vacuum pumps that work well in one industrial environment may totally fail in another setting. So, obviously, one size does not fit all in designing industrial vacuum pumps. It’s important to know the correct type of vacuum pump for the specific application you’re using in order to keep your systems running properly and providing you the best quality outcome.
Types of Industrial Vacuum Pumps
Vacuum pumps all operate on virtually the same principle — they provide the removal of air and gas molecules from a vacuum chamber. All vacuum pumps are built to accomplish this goal, however, their methods differ. There are two broad types of vacuum pumps.
- Positive displacement pumps are those that create a vacuum by expanding a cavity, thus allowing the liquids or gases to flow in. Then, the cavity is sealed off from the chamber and, therefore, the gases and liquids are “exhausted” to their destination. Pumps such as rotary vane pumps, diaphragm pumps, and liquid ring pumps all work on the principle of positive displacement.
- With a non-positive displacement pump the output flow rate can change responsively to the pressure on the outlet. Scientifically, they use Newton’s first law of motion to move fluid against the system resistance. They provide smooth and continuous flows, however, their flow output is reduced with increased system resistance.
Examples of Industrial Vacuum Pumps
If you need after-hours help with your vacuum pump systems, please check out the after-hours page here..
Also, check out our Vacuum Pump Troubleshooting Checklist.
Liquid Ring Vacuum Pumps
These pumps work by using an eccentrically-mounted impeller that has a number of blades. blades. As the impeller rotates, it moves the liquid inside of the case and forms a liquid ring. During this rotation the expansion of the air space creates a vacuum. The vacuum created is used to compress and discharge air at high speeds.
Liquid ring pumps are most often used in industrial applications, especially in those applications that benefit from the design properties of the liquid ring pumps which are air-purifying in nature. Some examples include the chemical, environmental, mining, petrochemical and textile industries, and food processing such as poultry.
Liquid-ring systems may be single or multistage. A multistage pump may have up to two compression stages on a common shaft. In terms of the vacuum service, the pressure reduction is limited by the vapor pressure of the ring-liquid. When vacuum that is generated approaches the vapor pressure of the ring-liquid, the volume of vapor released from the ring-liquic will diminish the vacuum capacity that remains. As a result the efficiency of the system will decline.
Single-stage pumps typically produce vacuum to 35 Torr (mm Hg) or 47 millibars (4.7 kPa), while the two-stage pumps can produce vacuum to 25 Torr. This, of course presumes that the air being pumped and the ring liquid is water at 60 assuming air is being pumped and the ring-liquid is water at 60 °F (15 °C) or less. 15 °C sealant-water temperature and dry air is the standard performance basis. Most manufacturers use this standard for their performance curves.
Advantages – These pumps effectively absorb heat that is generated during the process of compression. The liquid in the system also serves as a method of trapping powder or liquid in the air. In addition, liquid ring pumps are known to be some of the most quiet pumps in the industry.
Disadvantages – Liquid ring pumps are larger in size and are best suited for larger scale industrial applications. The knowledgeable staff at Vacuum Pump Systems, Inc. can provide you with new and rebuilt vacuum pumps, parts, repairs, and complete vacuum pump packages.
Rotary Vane Industrial Vacuum Pumps
Example: Dekker Rotary Vane Pump
Rotary vane pump have similarities to the liquid ring pump. In a simple definition, a rotary vane vacuum pump is a type of pump technology that enables the compression of air inside the pump chamber that creates suction so that the air molecules can be removed for the removal from a vessel or area. They work with the use of vanes that rotate in a cylindrical case. When the vanes slide in and out around the mounted rotor, the pump traps the air and the air moves from the inlet port to the outlet port which generates the vacuum. These pumps typically generate 20 to 28 inHg, although some two-stage designs gan generate up to 29.5 inHg vacuums.
Advantages of Rotary Vane Industrial Vacuum Pumps – these pumps are small compared to other types. Their flow capacity is hige for their small size. They are also much less expensive than other pumps that may give similar vacuum levels.
Disadvantages – Rotary vane pumps are somewhat seen as pumps that are in the middle-ground of vacuum pumps — meaning that they can’t product the powerful results of various other pump types.
Dry Claw Vacuum Pumps
These are positive displacement vacuum pumps that use 2 claw-shaped rotors. These rotors run in opposite directions. The rotors don’t touch each other or the pump chamber. This allows them to sustain less wear over time. These types of pumps areDry claw pumps are particularly designed for industrial solutions and are found on industrial production lines, pneumatic systems and also central vacuum supply systems.
Advantages – As state, they can have longer lifespans due to their low-wear designs. Also, they don’t use lubrication, which gets rid of contamination of processed substances. These pumps are also some of the quietest industrial vacuum pumps on the market.
Disadvantages – These pumps are heavy systems. They are used for industrial applications, and not usually suitable for small applications. They also do not function well at higher altitudes.
Diaphragm Pumps
These are also known as membrane pumps. They are positive displacements pumps also. They are used in the rough vacuum range from 0,5 to 1000 mbar. A rubber membrane or Viton ® or Teflon® moves up and down in the body of the pump which compresses and exhausts the gas that comes from the inlet.
Advantages – In addition to being reliable and cost efficient, these industrial vacuum pumps have a low compression ratio with low flow. They have large diameters and short strokes. Another plus is that they run very quietly.
Disadvantages – You can expect these pumps to produce somewhat lower vacuums in comparison to others of the positive displacement pumps.
Reciprocating Piston Pump
This is another example of a positive displacement pump. The reciprocating piston pump uses a plunger or piston to make a change to a cavity’s volume and it produces a differential in pressure. A plunger pump operates with the reciprocating motion of the plunger or piston. Depending on the type of design used in these various pumps, it may employ the use of single or multiple plungers. You may find these pumps used in many applications such as cleaning for pipes, tanks, tubes, heat exchanger, etc. They can be found in oil drilling, refineries, disposal, pneumatic pressure applications, vehicle cleaning, sewer line cleaning, and wet sandblasting. They are often used where a fairly small quantity of liquid is to be handled and delivery pressure is quite high.
Advantages – These types of pumps generate relatively high vacuums. They also work well in a broad variety of operational conditions. They also have long lifespans.
Disadvantages – The primary disadvantages to this type of industrial vacuum pump is that, compared to other systems, they can be heavier and more expensive. These pumps also have a limited capacity. Also, you will find that they will typically operate at a higher noise level than other systems.
Rocking Piston Pump
Rocking piston pumps are also positive displacement pumps. The principle of this pump is a very known concept utilized since the early days of the industrial revolution. Also referred to as the Wobbling piston, it’s a very simple design. They use a rigidly mounted piston and an eccentric connecting rod.
The air is evacuated through the motion of the piston inside the cylinder. When the piston makes its downward movement the air is pulled into the cylinder. This creates a vacuum at the inlet. At that point the piston moves upward and compresses the air inside the cylinder. This creates a pressure at the exhaust of the cylinder and the air is moved out of a system – thus, a vacuum is generated.
These pumps are commonly used in pond aeration. Their quiet operation can make them a good choice for environments that call for low noise such as medical, dental, and laboratories. You can also find them in systems that dispense beverages, in addition to automotive suspension systems among other applications.
Advantages – These pumps can act as a vacuum pump and as a compressor. So, they can be quite versatile for your business or industry. In addition, since these vacuum pump can be relatively small with they do not require and enormous amount of power to be operated. These pumps can have a compact design with clean operation, so they can be frequently placed onto something such as a counter top in a lab.
Disadvantages – These pumps are not intended for high vacuum applications. Many are rated between 5 and 219 Torr ultimate pressure. although they can cover many applications, it does exclude these pumps for the higher vacuum realm.
Rotary Screw Pump
Rotary-screw vacuum pumps are positive displacement pumps. In these pumps there are two helically-shaped rotors which turn in opposite directions. This traps air and moves it through the chamber which creates the vacuum. Rotary screw pumps can provide reliable, continuous operation for a range of commercial purposes. The operating speeds are variable and that allows users to better tailor their production for a particular project. These types of industrial vacuum pumps may be found in large-scale applications that handle clean gasses
Advantages – Rotary screw pumps work through a smooth, continuous motion. This means that the pumps do not have the number of pulses that are often seen with piston-based designs.
Disadvantages – Due to the size of the necessary parts, rotary screw pumps can be quite cumbersome. So, they are often seen mostly in larger installations. The vacuum production is also lower than piston based designs. They also have lower inlet capacities as well. Another drawback that can occur is that screw pumps may encounter issues with the lubricant migrating into the pumping chamber over a period of time. This can result in maintenance problems.