Diaphragm pumps are also classified as positive displacement pumps because the diaphragm acts as

a limited displacement piston

Centrifugal
Centrifugal pumps basically consist of a stationary pump casing and an impeller mounted on a rotating shaft. The pump casing provides a pressure boundary for the pump and contains channels to properly direct the suction and discharge flow. The pump casing has suction and discharge penetrations for the main flow path of the pump and normally has small drain and vent fittings to remove gases trapped in the pump casing or to drain the pump casing for maintenance

Plunger/Piston Pumps
Piston pumps and plunger pumps are reciprocating pumps that use a plunger or piston to move media through a cylindrical chamber. The plunger or piston is actuated by a steam powered, pneumatic, hydraulic, or electric

drive. Piston pumps and plunger pumps are also called well service pumps, high pressure pumps, or high viscosity pumps. Piston pumps and plunger pumps use a cylindrical mechanism to create a reciprocating motion along an axis, which then builds pressure in a cylinder or working barrel to force gas or fluid through the pump. The pressure in the chamber actuates the valves at both the suction and discharge points. Plunger pumps are used in applications that could range from 70 to 2070 bars. Piston pumps are used in lower pressure applications.

Gear Pumps
There are several variations of gear pumps. The simple gear pump shown in the illustration here, consists of two spur gears meshing together and revolving in opposite directions within a casing. Any liquid that fills the space bounded by two successive gear teeth and the case must follow along with the teeth as they revolve. When the gear teeth mesh with the teeth of the other gear, the space between the teeth is reduced, and the entrapped liquid is forced out the pump discharge pipe. As the gears revolve and the teeth disengage, the space again opens on the suction side of the pump, trapping new quantities of liquid and carrying it around the pump case to the discharge. As liquid is carried away from the suction side, a lower pressure is created, which draws liquid in through the suction line. There are no valves in the gear pump to cause friction losses as in the reciprocating pump. The high impeller velocities, with resultant friction losses, are not required as in the centrifugal pump. Therefore, the gear pump is well suited for handling viscous fluids such as fuel and lubricating oils.

Sanitary Lobe Pumps

Lobe pumps are used in a variety of industries including, pulp and paper, chemical, food, beverage, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology. They are

popular in these diverse industries because they offer superb sanitary qualities, high efficiency, reliability, corrosion resistance, and good clean-in-place and sterilize-in-place (CIP/SIP) characteristics. These pumps offer a variety of lobe options including single, bi-wing, tri-lobe (shown), and multi-lobe. Rotary lobe pumps are non-contacting and have large pumping chambers, allowing them to handle solids such as cherries or olives without damage. They are also used to handle slurries, pastes, and a wide variety of other liquids. If wetted, they offer self-priming performance. A gentle pumping action minimizes product degradation. They also offer reversible flows and can operate dry for long periods of time. Flow is relatively independent of changes in process pressure, so output is constant and continuous. Rotary lobe pumps range from industrial designs to sanitary designs. The sanitary designs break down further depending on the service and specific sanitary requirements. These requirements include 3-A, EHEDG, and USDA.

Regenerative Turbines
The primary difference between a centrifugal and a regenerative turbine pump is that fluid only travels through a centrifugal impeller once, while in a turbine, it takes many trips through the vanes. Referring to the cross-section diagram, the impeller vanes move within the flow-through area of the water channel passageway. Once the liquid enters the pump, it is directed into the vanes, which push the fluid forward and impart a centrifugal force outward to the impeller periphery. An orderly circulatory flow is therefore imposed by the impeller vane, which creates fluid velocity. Fluid velocity (or kinetic energy) is then available for conversion to flow and pressure depending on the external systems flow resistance as diagrammed by a system curve.

Screw Pumps

Screw pumps are rotary, positive displacement pumps that can have one or more screws to transfer high or low viscosity fluids along an axis. A classic example of screw pump is the Archimedes screw pump that is still used in irrigation and agricultural applications.

Although progressive cavity pumps can be referred to as single screw pumps, typically screw pumps have two or more intermeshing screws rotating axially clockwise or counterclockwise. Each screw thread is matched to carry a specific volume of fluid. Like gear pumps, screw pumps may include a stationary screw with a rotating screw or screws. Fluid is transferred through successive contact between the housing and the screw flights from one thread to the next. Geometries can vary. Screw pumps provide a specific volume with each cycle and can be dependable in metering applications.

Hose Pumps
Hose pumps are self-priming rotary positive displacement pumps that operate on the peristaltic principle. The pump consists of three major parts: hose, housing and rotor. The hose is placed in the tubing bedbetween the rotor and the housingwhere it is occluded (squeezed). The rollers or shoes on the rotor move across the hose, pushing the fluid. The tubing behind the shoe or roller recovers its shape, creating a vacuum and drawing fluid in behind it. A pillow of fluid is formed between the rollers specific to the interior diameter (ID) of the hose and the geometry of the rotor. Flow rate is determined by multiplying speed (rpm) by the volume of the pillow. This pillow volume is consistent, even under a wide range of viscosities

Air-Operated Pumps
Air operated diaphragm pumps (AOD) or Air-Driven Pumps are ideal for moving sludge and slurries. Solids-laden fluids like sludge and slurry are hard to move -- unless you're using an air operated diaphragm pump.

Air is driven into the bottom of the air cylinder, raising the piston inside and lifting the diaphragm. As the diaphragm is raised, the check valve ball on the intake side is lifted and liquid flows into the pump. When the piston has risen to the top, the pump cavity is filled and the pump is ready for discharge. Compressed air is then forced into the top of the diaphragm chamber, pushing the diaphragm down and evacuating the pump cavity. The check-valve ball on the discharge side is lifted and the pump is ready for the next cycle.

Vane Pumps
The simplest vane pump is a circular rotor rotating inside of a larger circular cavity. The centers of these two circles are offset, causing eccentricity. Vanes are allowed to slide into and out of the rotor and seal on all edges, creating vane chambers that do the pumping work. On the intake side of the pump, the vane chambers are increasing in volume. These increasing volume vane chambers are filled with fluid forced in by the inlet pressure. Often this inlet pressure is nothing more than pressure from the atmosphere. On the discharge side of the pump, the vane chambers are decreasing in volume, forcing fluid out of the pump. The action of the vane drives out the same volume of fluid with each rotation. Multistage rotary vane vacuum pumps can attain pressures as low as 10-3 mbar (0.1 Pa). Vane pumps are used for liquid transfer applications from chemicals to liquefied gases. Vanes extend from slots in the rotor; sweeping liquid through a cam-shaped cavity. The vanes provide very low slip and high volumetric efficiency.