What is a water pump?
A water pump is a device used to move water. Water pumps are among the oldest and most common types of machines, and exist in a wide variety of designs. Shaduf or shadoofW, a very primitive type of pump, is known to have existed since about 2000 BC.
The pump can be operated by:
- Human power: crank, foot pedal power, moving piston
- Animal power
- Main power source, electric motor
- Battery power
- Solar power, photovoltaic collector to power electric motor
- Engines using local fuels: diesel, gasoline; coal-fired steam engine
- Wind energy
Who invented the water pump?
The first pump invented by mankind was the Shadoof. And, the Egyptians are credited with this invention, millennium BC. Shadoof is a bucket tied to a rod or a rope and used to lift water from deep wells.
While this does not accurately describe the workings of a pump, it is the first evidence from history that humans have always been looking for devices to make transporting water easy. And while this first pump may seem too simple by today’s standards, it should be noted that it appeared only after a thousand years of human existence on the planet.
Types of water pumps
After the fall of the great Roman Empire, pump technology became stagnant for almost a millennium and a half. It was only during the Enlightenment that hydraulic science began to return to focus.
It was during this era that the pump was reborn and over the next few centuries new ideas and inventions began to flood the market, all of which led to the design of the modern pump.
And below, let’s refer to the pump lines with the person who invented them!
Gear pumps
In 1593, a Frenchman named Nicolas Grollier de Serviere diagrammed early designs for a gear pump. Then in 1636, a German engineer named Pappenheim invented the double-rotating, worm-tooth gear pump, which is still used to lubricate engines to this day.
Centrifugal Pump
This is one of the most common types of pumps in use today and it was invented in the 17th century by Denis Papin, a French inventor. He uses straight vanes to drain the water. Centrifugal pumps are motor-driven pumps that pull water by creating a suction force.
Pump Savery
In 1698, an inventor Thomas Avery created a pump that used steam to work. The steam creates a vacuum, which in turn pulls the water up.
Axial pump
Since the 1940s, axial pumps have always been present in water supply services. In addition to this application, axial pumps are also used extensively in the industrial and commercial sectors.
Rocket pump
This type is similar to a centrifugal pump but is mainly used to lift water from a deep well.
Solenoid pump
This type is mainly used in advanced applications such as nuclear reactors. This is because solenoid pumps can handle very high temperatures. It is therefore ideal for applications that move liquid metals and other conductive liquids. It uses an electromagnetic force to move liquids.
There are also many other types of pumps invented from the 1900s to the present time such as:
- Submersible pumps
- Deep good turbine pump
- Vertical shaft pump without seal
- Bushing pump
- Peristaltic pump
- Dosing pump
- Magnetic drive pump
- Chopper pump
- Circulation pump
- Pneumatically operated double diaphragm pumps…
Water pump construction
Currently, there are many different types of water pumps. But basically, they all have the same basic structure as the early days of the invention. That is:
- Drive motor (Some pumps use compressed air)
- Pump chamber
- Impeller (Some pump lines will not have impellers, but instead have diaphragm pumps like diaphragm pumps …)
- Suction and discharge head
Principle of water pump
There are different types of water pumps including volumetric and centrifugal pumps, which provide the same function, however, they operate in different ways.
The core concept of a water pump is to use a motor to convert rotational or kinetic energy and convert it into energy for a moving fluid (hydrodynamic energy).
Centrifugal pumps operate with an impeller, the fluid enters through the rotating impeller and is ejected by centrifugal force through the ends of the impeller. This process increases the velocity and pressure of the fluid and directs it towards the outlet of the pump.
The volumetric pump has an expansion chamber on the suction side of the machine and a reducing chamber on the discharge side of the machine. The water pump works by filling the reservoir alternately and then displacing the liquid with each cycle having a constant volume regardless of pressure or pump head used.
Although similar in function, the key difference between centrifugal water pumps and volumetric pumps is: Centrifugal pumps can have variable flow rates depending on the pressure of the type of pump head used. . Volumetric pumps can vary in flow regardless of system or head pressure used. Another important difference is that as the flow rate decreases for a centrifugal pump, the viscosity will increase, compared to a volumetric pump because as the flow increases the viscosity also increases.
Why is the water pump weak?
Weak water pump is a problem that anyone who has directly used a water pump has also encountered it. Talking about the cause of this error is a lot. And to fix it thoroughly, we have no choice but to check in general and gradually eliminate the causes.
Some causes that Thai Khuong has encountered and completely dealt with are:
- Weak power supply, voltage drop, phase loss
- The suction pipe filter is jammed with garbage, blocking the suction line
- The pump chamber has a problem, usually the impeller is damaged, the pump shaft is stuck
- And it is also possible that the motor is burned, the operation is flickering
As for how to fix it, it’s not too difficult, as Thai Khuong mentioned above, that is, we have to do a general check and eliminate it gradually when we have not determined exactly what the cause of the problem is.
Troubleshooting has ways like:
- Check the power supply
- Check motor operation
- Check suction head, remove waste
- Check the operation of the pump chamber, test the function, if not, you can ask the supplier or the pump repair service to support it…
Why is the water pump not working?
The cause of the water pump not going up is similar to the weak water pump that Thai Khuong presented above. But in terms of extent, the condition of the water pump not coming up can be considered worse.
Some reasons such as:
- Pump lost power
- Burned motor
- Pump shaft stuck
- The impeller is completely broken
- The suction head is sealed, there is no water suction line
- The water source is running out…
And the way to fix it is similar to the case of the weak water pump! With difficult pump lines such as: diaphragm pump, gear pump, screw pump, piston pump or vane pump, we should ask for a problem solving service to ensure better pump performance!
Why does the pump lack priming water?
Pump failure is usually related to the pump suction line. There are a few main causes that often cause this condition as follows:
- Lupe is open, can no longer keep the one-way valve function
- The suction pipe has a section that is cracked or broken, causing leaks and gas infiltration
- A leak between the pump head and the pipe also causes the above situation
The way to fix it is to review the causes, where we can handle the problem at that point. Check again, then add water and test to see if the error is gone!
Why does the water pump make a loud noise?
The main cause of the loud noise of the water pump can come from 2 problems:
- Noise in the pump chamber: With this situation, it is possible that the pump shaft is hissing, shaft jam, lack of lubricant or due to dry running at some point. In addition, the damage, wear, broken or chipped edge of the pump impeller also emits loud, abnormal sounds during operation.
- The noise comes from the pump motor: This cause is usually checked by the technical team first, because most of the loud noises in the water pump are caused by the pump motor. The cause may be due to long-term operation, the parts inside the motor degrade, the operation is no longer stable, causing the howling noise of the engine. Burned coils will also cause abnormal howls. Stuck in the rotor shaft makes very loud and hard to hear sounds… The solution is to disconnect the power and check the motor shaft’s looseness. See if there is a burning smell or black burn on the motor. If it’s light, you can rewind the motor. If the damage is too severe, it should be replaced.
Water pump application
Today, it can be said that the water pump is an indispensable device. Even in daily life, or in production service. As simple as that can be seen, if there is no water pump, how will you have water to use? The water pump is used to pump water from the water plant to your home, pump water from the well to the tank, pump from the tank to the faucet for you to use…
In industry, water pumps, in general, contribute to boosting production productivity, creating quality finished products. Help the factory handle the stages that human power or another tool or machine cannot perform.
Water pumps serve many industries from heavy industries such as mining, oil, and gas, to industries requiring hygiene and safety standards such as medical, pharmaceutical, and F&B…
Thai Khuong shared the most detailed information about water pumps with readers. Currently, Thai Khuong has been fighting with the industry for almost 16 years. Therefore, Thai Khuong is confident to provide and solve the water pump problems you encounter.