Pumps are mainly used in different industries for the transportation of fluids; it can be used for mixing and dosing as well. Among the latter are lobe pumps that have become more and more popular in the recent years. Lobe pumps are PD pumps, which have a number of benefits, and therefore are suitable for many applications. This article seeks to give a clear and extensive overview of lobe pumps looking at the parts that make up the pump, the advantage of the pump and where it can be used.
What is a Lobe Pump?
A lobe pump is made of two rotors or “lobes” which are usually identical and rotate inside a pumping chamber in a single or opposite phasing manner. It oscillates through the housing and when the rotors are rotating they compress and push the fluid through the discharge outlet. The lobes rotate in such a way as to maintain a relatively constant chamber volume which is captured there in and moves along an axial path in the form of a spiral.
Components of a Lobe Pump
1. Rotors: The rotors, or lobes, are the elements of a lobe pump, which are decisive for its performance. they can be made of elastomer, cast iron, stainless steel amongst others depending on their use. Lobes also has a certain geometry which determines or influences the operating characteristics of the pump.
2. Pump Housing: The housing is the static component of the pump and serves as a structure to give support and channel the fluidstream. It also has an inlet and a delivery orifice through which fluids are introduced into and withdrawn from the pump respectively.
3. Seals: Lobe pumps work on a sealing system, which is dynamic to ensure no leakage of fluid occurs. Mechanical seals are fitted between the rotor and the housing whereas axial as well as radial shaft seals are used to provide barrier to fluid going out from the rotor shaft.
Benefits of Lobe Pumps
1. Gentle Handling: Canned motor pumps are less suitable for applications with gentle or sensitive fluids as they apply low shear stress. This gentle handling stops fluids from being degraded or contaminated, which adapts them for use in numerous areas including the medical field, and the use of processed food.
2. Low Maintenance: Lobe pumps require minimal maintenance as they contain very few parts that are in constant motion as situated in other pumps. They also have a long life span which therefore implies that the frequency of their replacement is low and hence less frequent maintenance.
3. Adjustable Speed: A lobe pump operates at a relatively low speed because the flow rate and dosage can be well regulated easily. This feature gives one the possibility to adjust the characteristics of the pump to be optimal for the given application.
4. Versatility: Multiphase Lobe pumps precisely transport thick fluids, low-viscosity liquids, or high viscosity fluids up to 1,000,000 cP. Due to this versatility, they are ideal for different sectors like chemical processing, food and beverage, and waste management sectors.
Applications of Lobe Pumps
1. Chemical Processing: Lobe pumps are employed in chemical process industries for transfer and, especially, for mixing services involving such media as acid, alkali or solvent.
2. Food and Beverage: Lobe pumps are applications in the food and beverage processing industry for pumping and dosing the products such as juices, syrups, sauces, etc.
3. Pharmaceuticals: Lobe pumps owing to its gentle handling of fluids are used in the pharmaceutical industry for the transfer of sensitive products like drugs, cosmetics, and toiletries.
4. Waste Management: Lobe pumps are used for waste management processes due to the ability to manage complex fluids such as sludge, sewage and industrial waste.
Conclusion
Lobe pump have been used in many industries and have shown themselves to be flexible machines that outweigh the benefits of conventional pumps. The non-aggressive nature of the lobe, the low level of maintenance required as well as its flow rate flexibility that is achievable make lobe pumps suitable for many applications for dosing, pumping and mixing of fluids. Looking at the future of technology it is believed that lobe pumps will be used even more than before in different industries throughout the world.