Types Of Hydraulic Pumps

There are different types of hydraulic pumps used in a hydraulic machine.

Gear pumps: This type of pump has a fixed displacement and external teeth. This pump is suitable for pressures below 3000psi. The advantage of this pump is that it is simple, cheap, compact and durable. On the other hand, the downside of this pump is that it has a limited pressure capability, unbalanced results in large bearing loads, can be noisy and because it is working at a constant displacement, their work is less efficient.

Vane Pumps: This type of hydraulic pumps is driven by an outside engine that rotates at a continuous speed. Regardless of how much pressure there is in the system, the same amount of fluid is pumped with each rotation. The advantage of this pump is that it simple and reliable. It also offers an option of variable displacement and has a higher pressure capability than gear pumps. This pump operates in pressures up to 180 bars. The disadvantage of this pump is that they are more complex and expensive than gear pumps.

Axial Piston Pumps: This type of hydraulic pumps contain pistons that are arranged in a circular array within a cylinder block. This cylinder block serves as its housing. The advantage of this type of pump is that it contains a variable design and it has the highest volumetric efficiency and pressure capability. It works for pressure up to 350 bars. The disadvantage is that it is more sensitive to oil contamination and it is more expensive.

Radial Piston Pumps: This type of hydraulic pumps are in contrast with axial piston pumps for the reason that it contains pistons that are arranged in symmetrical and radial direction around a drive shaft. The advantage of these pumps is that it is highly reliable, works efficiently and it creates minimum level of noise. It operates through pressures around 650 bars. The disadvantage of these pumps is its bigger radial dimensions and higher cost.

Hydraulic pumps are an indispensable feature in hydraulic machines. They play a key role in the proper functioning of machineries.