9 The Advantages of

Rotary Pumps

The advantages of rotary pumps are the following:

Efficiency — 20 to 5% (depending on pressure) higher efficiency for most

typically pumped liquids, with high viscosities.
Viscous Fluids Handling — Above approximately 300 to 1000 SSU (such as
DTE light oil), a centrifugal pump simply cannot be used, as viscous drag
reduces efficiency to nearly zero. PD pumps continue to pump at high
efficiency, with no problems.
Pressure Versatility — As an example, a 11/2 × 1 to 6 centrifugal pump can
only produce approximately 20 psi system pressure at 1800 RPM. A similar
PD pump goes to much higher pressures. This goes back to the inherent
characteristic of PD pumps as “flow generators,” practically unaffected by
pressure, within a wide range.
Self-Priming — a typical ANSI-dimensioned centrifugal pump that is com-
monly found in many chemical plants cannot lift liquid. A standard PD
pump, such as a gear pump, can easily lift liquid in the range of 1 to 20
ft. Centrifugal pumps can be made self-priming, by adding a priming flood
chamber in the inlet, however, this adds expense and violates dimensional
interchangeability.
Inlet Piping — Centrifugal pumps are extremely sensitive to inlet piping
details. Improper piping may cause an increased NPSHR, cavitation, high
vibrations, and possible damage to seals and bearings. PD pumps are less
sensitive to inlet piping and can be a real solution for many difficult
installations with space constraints, since piping modifications to the exist-
ing setups are very costly.
Bi-directional — By simply reversing the direction of motor rotation, many
PD pumps will pump in reverse, which can be advantageous in many
processes. Centrifugal pumps can pump in only one direction. In some
installations, two centrifugal pumps are used: one for loading, and another
for unloading, which doubles the piping runs, valves, and auxiliaries. A
single rotary pump would do the same job. (Note: Relief valves should be
installed in both directions in such cases.)

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©1999 CRC Press LLC

 Flow Maintainability — PD pumps produce almost constant flow, regardless
of fluids’ properties and conditions (viscosity, pressure, and temperature).
For centrifugal pumps, a change in fluid properties and external conditions
would result in a definite change in performance.
Metering Capability — PD pumps can be used as convenient and simple
metering devices. Centrifugal pumps have no such capabilities.
Inventory Reduction — Since PD pumps can pump a wide variety of fluids in
an extreme range of viscosities, the same pump parts inventory is required
for a wide range of applications throughout the plant. Centrifugal pumps
require a greater multitude of sizes for different applications, which results
in increased inventory of parts.

Nevertheless, centrifugal pumps also have numerous advantages and operate very
well, especially at very low viscosities (such as water, etc.) when applied properly,
as will be seen from the examples that follow.

©1999 CRC Press LLC