Disc-Operated Pump Increases Product Yield and Quality
Disc pumps are unique; they operate on boundary-layer/viscous-drag forces that produce a laminar flow with no pulsation. A boundary layer of fluid adheres to the discs as fluid enters the pump. As the discs rotate, kinetic energy is transferred through layers of fluid molecules between the discs, generating velocity and pressure gradients until the entire fluid mass is in motion. The fluid is pulled through the pump in a smooth, laminar flow. In many chemical-pumping applications, the smoother the flow is, the better the product quality and yield will be.
The ANSI disc pump installed in the crystal-slurry, centrifuge-feed application operates the same way. Non-impingement pumping and laminar-flow conditions provide the best protection for shear-sensitive and delicate products. There is almost zero impact on the product. In addition, laminar flow means low NPSHr (net positive suction head required). The NPSH requirements of a disc pump are about half to a third of what is required with conventional pumps.