An Overview of Progressive Cavity Pump Technology

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Progressive cavity pumps, also known as cavity pumps or PC pumps, are a type of positive displacement pump widely used to transfer viscous fluids. This article provides an overview of progressive cavity pump design and operation, applications, advantages and more.

Types of Pumps
Pumps are classified as either dynamic or positive displacement. Dynamic pumps use centrifugal force while positive displacement pumps use reciprocating or rotary actions to displace fluid.

Progressive Cavity Pump Overview
Progressive cavity pumps are rotary positive displacement pumps. They consist of a helical rotor that rotates eccentrically within a matching helical stator. This creates sealed cavities between the rotor and stator that progressively move fluid from inlet to outlet.

Types of Progressive Cavity Pumps
There are several categories of PC pumps suited for different applications:

Type        Description        Size        Flow Rate
Standard PC Pump        General purpose        1-4 inches        Up to 250 m3/hr
Small PC Pump        Compact, portable        Up to 2 inches        Up to 15 m3/hr
Heavy Duty PC Pump        High pressure/temperature        2-8 inches        Up to 1000 m3/hr
Sanitary PC Pump        Hygienic design        Varies        Varies

Applications of PC Pumps
Given their ability to handle viscous fluids gently, PC pumps are used to transfer slurries, sludges, fluids in pipelines, tank farms, food/beverage processing, and more.

Advantages of PC Pumps
PC pumps offer advantages like solids handling, high viscosity applications, self-priming, metering ability, and ability to operate vertically.

Spiral Stator Technology
A new development is the spiral stator design, which offers performance benefits over traditional round stators.

Additional Technologies
Innovations in areas like mechanical seals, monitoring and diagnostics have further improved PC pump performance.

PC pump technology remains well-suited for the transfer of various viscous fluids in many industries.