Pumps & Compressors Overview

Types of Pumps

Pumps are the most widely produced machinery in the world. They are typically used for raising, compressing or transferring fluids and sizes vary from small laboratory pumps to massive pumps weighing tens of tonnes, such as power station boiler feed pumps. Other types of pumps include;

• Displacement
• Reciprocating
• Diaphragm
• Piston
• Plunger
• Gas or vapour displacement
• Rotary Displacement
• Gear and Lob
• Flexible Vane
• Peristaltic
• Progressive Cavity (Mono)
• Open screw
• Velocity
• Rotary Continuous
• Axial Flow
• Centrifugal (volute, turbine, regenerative)

Types of Compressors

Compressors are in many ways similar to Pumps and are used specifically to increase the pressure of a gas and direct it into a pneumatic system. Compressors come in various types: 

• Centrifugal – compresses air and expels it with a centrifugal force from a rotating wheel with radial vanes. Centrifugal compressors are often used for fans and cooling units.
• Axial – gas flows parallel to the rotation of the axis.
• Turbine – used within gas and steam turbines.
• Rotary Screw – derives its pressurizing ability from two interlocking threaded cylinders. The male-female thread interaction traps and compresses air.
• Piston / Reciprocating compressors –- use a piston driven by a rotating crankshaft to pressurize air in a pneumatic system. Delivery is usually to a receiver which is effectively a store of energy used to drive compressed air tools etc. As with an engine, the out of balance moving parts (piston, crank shaft, con rod) can cause considerable vibration disturbance.

Which Farrat solution is most suitable?

By the nature of their high speed and powerful operating requirements pumps and compressors can cause significant noise and vibration disturbance. Specific sources of vibration can also occur due to damage and incorrect installations.

Farrat solutions to reduce the impact of these vibrations include:

• Isolated Foundations
• Wedgemounts
• Levalators
• Jackmounts