Drum pumps are handy instruments placed on top of a drum or barrel to empty them out. They eliminate the tiring process of manually tipping a weighty drum to remove the fluid inside.
Since industries deal with liquid raw ingredients, fuel, oil, and other types of fluid at such large volumes on a daily basis, drum pumps have become an indispensable equipment to them. Drum pumps are available in different forms, making them highly customizable.
There are rotary-style, siphon, electric, lever, air, diaphragm, electric, and piston types among many others. Generally, they contain a vertical shaft that is inserted within the drum gap. The motor is hooked up to the highest point of the, outside the drum. The main pump component also sits on top of the drum. This configuration allows spill-less transfer of liquid and prevents operator injury.
Since drum pumps are available in different forms, their working principle also varies, mainly between centrifugal and positive displacement pump operations.
Basically, a barrel pump works by fitting into the top opening of a drum by way of its narrow tube, which houses a vertical shaft. The drum pump also consists of a small motor attached to the shaft, which runs on an AC or DC electric motor. The pump is driven from the other end of the immersion tube, using an extended shaft protected by a sealed column. The pumped liquid flows between the sleeve and the tube to the discharge port at the motor end of the immersion tube.
Drum pumps for low or medium-viscosity fluids generally employ extended centrifugal pumps with single, double, or multiple impellers. The rotation of the impeller discharges the liquid up the tube and out of a port at the top of the immersion tube. For medium and viscosity fluids, positive displacement pumps are more suitable. PTFE screw-type lifting compressors are often used. For higher viscosities up to 100,000cP, a progressive cavity design is more suitable.
