Chapter I

BENEFITS OF PROGRESSING
CAVITY PUMPS

From the standpoint of flow and pressure range, PC pumps com-

pete well with any other type of pump design. They can handle
pump flows from fractions of gallons per minute to several thou-
sand gallons per minute. Pressure capability depends on the num-
ber of stages (leads of the stator), and typically reaches 800-1,000
psi. The range of fluids they can handle is enormous, with vis-
cosities ranging from waterlike (1 cSt), to fluidlike (clay, cement,
and sludge with viscosities up to 1,000,000 cSt).
Since the rotor and stator have an interference fit (a plated
metallic rotor in an elastomer-lined stator), and low rotating
speed, the internal shear rates are very low. When applied in the
food industry, these pumps are sometimes known to pump cher-
ries or apples, which move through the internal passages with no
damage. The pulsation-free flow and quiet operation of PC
pumps are additional advantages for shear-sensitive pumpages.
 PC pumps are excellent self-primers and have good suc-
tion characteristics. They are tolerant to entrained air and
gases, and produce minimal churning or foaming.
Another major feature of these machines is their high tol-
erance to contamination and abrasion. Often called a "last-
resource pump," PC pumps are often utilized for extremely
abrasive applications, because of a unique property of the elas-
tomer that lines up the stator tube and resists abrasion. These
elastomers are made from regular rubber (Buna) or more
exotic materials, such as Viton®, Teflon®, and others.
As versatile as they are, PC pumps do have limitations, pri-
marily size. To prevent flow "slip" (leakage from higher dis-
charge pressure back to suction), the number of rotor/stator
leads (stages) must be increased as pressure is increased. This,
in turn, increases the overall length of the unit. For such high-
pressure applications, it is sometimes difficult to retrofit an
existing installation, where smaller pumps (such as centrifu-
gal) have been operating in the past. However, when space is
not an issue, this limitation is not a factor.
Another reason for PC pumps' larger size is their low
speed, which requires a gear reducer (or a belt drive) between
the motor driver and the pump. This can result in added cost.
However, the recent advent of variable frequency drives
(VFDs) has allowed elimination of gear reducers and, at the
same time, has introduced a new capability to vary flow while
pumping against a given pressure.
Another PC pump limitation is fluid compatibility with the
elastomer. Some chemicals may cause problems with the elas-
tomer and others may cause swelling. For corrosive applica-
tions, Viton® or even Teflon® stators are selected. Elastomers
also impose certain temperature limitations, as compared to
fully metallic pumps. Typically, PC pumps are used where tem-
peratures do not exceed 3OO-35O°E PC pumps should not run
dry, except for a very short time, because heat generated at the
interference between the rotor and stator may cause elastomer
failures, often called "chunking" or "debonding."