Gear pump

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A gear pump uses the meshing of gears to pump fluid by displacement.[1] They are one of the most common types of pumps for hydraulic fluid power applications. Gear pumps are also widely used in chemical installations to pump fluid with a certain viscosity. There are two main variations; external gear pumps which use two external spur gears, and internal gear pumps which use an external and an internal spur gear. Gear pumps are positive displacement (or fixed displacement ), meaning they pump a constant amount of fluid for each revolution. Some gear pumps are designed to function as either a motor or a pump.

An exploded view of an external gear pump.

Contents
1 Theory of operation 2 See also 3 References 4 External links

Theory of operation
As the gears rotate they separate on the intake side Water flows from left to right in this Gerotor pump of the pump, creating a void and suction which is filled by fluid. The fluid is carried by the gears to the discharge side of the pump, where the meshing of the gears displaces the fluid. The mechanical clearances are small in the order of 10 m. The tight clearances, along with the speed of rotation, effectively prevent the fluid from leaking backwards. The rigid design of the gears and houses allow for very high pressures and the ability to pump highly viscous fluids. Many variations exist, including; helical and herringbone gear sets (instead of spur gears), lobe shaped rotors similar to Roots blowers (commonly used as superchargers), and mechanical designs that allow the stacking of pumps. The most common variations are shown below (the drive gear is shown blue and the idler is shown purple).

External gear pump design for hydraulic power applications.

Internal gear (Gerotor) pump design for automotive oil pumps.

Internal gear (Gerotor) pump design for high viscosity fluids.

Suction and pressure ports need to interface where the gears mesh (shown as dim gray lines in the internal pump images). Some internal gear pumps have an additional, crescent-shaped seal (shown above, right). Pump formulas: Flow rate in US gal/min = Fluid Density X Pump Capacity X rpm Power in hp = US gal/min X (lbf/in)/1714 Generally used in: Petrochemicals: Pure or filled bitumen, pitch, diesel oil, crude oil, lube oil etc. Chemicals: Sodium silicate, acids, plastics, mixed chemicals, isocyanates etc. Paint and ink. Resins and adhesives. Pulp and paper: acid, soap, lye, black liquor, kaolin, lime, latex, sludge etc. Food: Chocolate, cacao butter, fillers, sugar, vegetable fats and oils, molasses, animal food etc.

See also
Gerotor Hydraulic pump Vane pump

References
1. ^ "Welcome to the Hydraulic Institute" (http://www.pumps.org/content_detail_pumps.aspx?id=1772). Pumps.org. Retrieved 2013-08-18. Oil pump from a scooter engine

External links
External gear pump description (http://www.pumpschool.com/principles/external.htm)

Internal gear pump description (http://www.pumpschool.com/principles/internal.htm) Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Gear_pump&oldid=569095922" Categories: Pumps This page was last modified on 18 August 2013 at 15:57. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.