Diaphragm pumps can be rather useful solutions to pump downtimes. For example, a diaphragm pump can continue pumping when the original centrifugal pump is down. Diaphragm pumps can be employed as a substitute in the short-term to replace a centrifugal pump in need of repairs. A diaphragm pump is “a type of reciprocating pump used to transfer liquids in which a flexible diaphragm is flexed to and fro. The liquid is drawn into a chamber and expelled as the diaphragm flexes.”1 Because of a diaphragm pump’s ability to transfer many types of fluids, a diaphragm pump is a useful solution in many industries.
The history of the diaphragm pump dates back to the mid-19th century. Diaphragm pumps are designed to be able to be resilient in what they can pump. As long as there is a steady supply of compressed air, a diaphragm pump can pump many varieties of fluid. This includes a small solids such as stones and hazardous fluids such as wastewater. A diaphragm pump is also effective at preventing backflow, because within, “the diaphragm provides a barrier between the liquid and the moving mechanical parts of the pump”2 Hence, there are benefits to utilizing a diaphragm pump in regard to its design.
There are several advantages to using a diaphragm pump, specifically in certain tasks or certain industries. If pump maintenance is a concern, then a diaphragm pump can be a possible solution, for it is a “comparatively low-maintenance sealed pump and useful for transporting liquids where leakage may be a concern.”3 Diaphragm pumps can also be efficient in regard to safety because they “also have the ability to stall if run against too high a pressure”4 To reiterate, due to a diaphragm pump’s ability to pump many types of fluids, it is therefore useful in many industries. The diaphragm pump can be efficiently used in handling hazardous fluids, such as wastewater. Diaphragm pumps are also used in the “nuclear reprocessing industry, such as in the transfer of radioactive solutions”5
If you would like to know more about diaphragm pumps and their applications, our engineers here at EMC are experts in the area of pumps and are readily available to help you. Contact EMC today at https://www.equipmac.com/contact!
- Schaschke, Oxford Dictionary of Chemical Engineering, p.105
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