Progressive cavity pumps are versatile pumps that can be used in different pumping applications. The pumps offer all the benefits of a PD pump and are designed for abrasion resistance in tough applications. The PC pump is a positive displacement (PD) pump. It is important to note that this is different from the commonly used centrifugal pump. Centrifugal pumps are economical when pumping water and other fluids with low viscosity and when a constant discharge and fixed flow pressure are the basis of your application. Well-applied centrifugal pumps offer years of reliable service in pumping applications. Here are some scenarios under which a PC pump is suitable.
Viscosity
A PC pump is used when the pumping application isn’t suited to centrifugal pumps. The clearest example of when to use a PC pump is when the liquid being pumped has a higher thickness or viscosity than water. When the viscosity of the fluid being pumped goes up, centrifugal pumps become very volumetrically inefficient. This means that the power consumption goes up when the flow goes down. This is the opposite with a progressive cavity pump since the volumetric efficiency and mechanical efficiency goes up when the viscosity increases, with more flow and lower power.
A PC pump is therefore ideal for fluids with higher viscosity. A PC pump will also have about the same flow no matter the viscosity of the liquid. If you have any pumping application where you want a constant flow but the fluid’s viscosity is variable and changes then you should buy progressive cavity pumps for sale.
Varying flow
A PC pump is an ideal solution when the application needs a varied flow. A PC pump has precise flow per the pump’s revolution. It is therefore easy to regulate the flow of the pump by just regulating the speed of the pump. Modern speed controllers are suited to be used with PC pumps for varying flow and speed control.
Suction conditions
You can also use a PC pump when the suction conditions of your pumping applications aren’t ideal. A PC pump requires lower NPSH as compared to a centrifugal pump. This is because the internal velocity of the pump is lower. A PC pump can be used to pump even when the suction pressure is low. A PC pump will fill and pump in a difficult pumping application when centrifugal pumps will not do it.
Fluid separation
PC pumps are ideal for applications where the fluid is shear sensitive because of lower internal velocity. You can use it to pump water and oil mixtures to separation devices. A PC pump won’t change the droplets of oil where a centrifugal pump emulsifies the oil and makes the droplets of the oil very small.
Abrasive solids
You should use progressive cavity pumps when the fluid being pumped contains abrasive solids. Other types of PD pumps cannot pump solids well for a long time due to their all-metal designs and close tolerances. A vane pump or gear pump will wear out when the fluid has solids.