What Is a Powder Pump?
A powder pump is utilized for the transportation of powders by mixing them with air, allowing them to behave like a fluid.
In essence, a diaphragm pump is employed for conveying by altering the volume within a container through the movement of a membrane known as a diaphragm, actuated by a piston.
Certain products are designed to minimize dust generation by reducing the volume of air used and by achieving consistent flow rates with minimal pulsation.
Apart from diaphragm pumps, there are also products transported using blowers and vacuum pumps.
Applications of Powder Pumps
Powder pumps find applications across a broad spectrum of industries, including food processing plants, chemical facilities, and water purification plants.
When selecting a powder pump, it is imperative to consider factors such as compatibility with the quantity of material to be transported, the type of powder, flow rates, pulsation levels, dust control measures, size, and power consumption.
Due to the nature of handling powders, substantial maintenance is often required, making ease of maintenance an important consideration.
Here are some examples of powder pump users:
- Conveying flour and other powdered materials in food factories
- Conveying powdered water purification materials in water treatment facilities
- Conveying powdered raw materials in chemical plants
Principles of Powder Pumps
The following is an explanation of the operating principle of powder pumps, using a diaphragm pump as an example.
Powder pumps comprise of a suction port, a diaphragm pump, and a discharge port. A diaphragm pump consists of a container, one or two diaphragms, a piston that displaces the diaphragm outside the container, and a valve.
In operation, when the diaphragm pump expands the container with the outlet-side valve closed, the internal pressure decreases, allowing powder to be drawn in from the inlet side. Subsequently, when the inlet-side valve is closed and the diaphragm pump contracts the container, the internal pressure increases. Upon opening the outlet-side valve, the powder is blown out from the outlet and transported. Using two diaphragms connected to both ends of the piston is common practice, as it enables efficient powder transport within a single reciprocating cycle.