What are rotary vane pumps? How do they operate?

by Radhika Pawar creative content writer

Various manufacturers and companies use the device known as a rotary vane pump to increase the flow of fluid from one point to another. This device was invented by Charles C. Barnes. Several automobiles and AC systems commonly use vane pumps.

Some viscous fluids that can be easily handled by vane pumps include LPG, alcohol, solvents, and ammonia. Although it can is good for both low and moderately viscous fluids, a vane pump can’t perfectly handle highly viscous ones. You can use these pumps for the conversion of low-pressure gas from high-pressure gases.

How do rotary vane pumps operate?

The rotor is generally mounted on the shaft. Power is given to the pump’s shaft through the use of an electric motor. This makes the shaft, as well as the rotor, rotate. There is a presence of sliding vans in the rotor’s slot.

These vans experience a centrifugal force directed outwards on the sliding vane due to the rotation of the rotor. Hence, the vans open, and the spring that is adjoining the rotor and vanes get expanded. Due to this expansion, the cam-ring establishes contact with the sliding vans.

As the vane gets to a point where the distance between the casing and the rotor shaft is short, the vane’s springs get compressed so that it is contacted the cam ring. This process also makes the area between the casing and adjacent vanes become small.

In a similar way, as the vane gets to a point where the area between the casing and rotor shaft gets larger, the vane’s spring also gets expanded so that it can remain in contact with the cam ring. And in this situation, the area between the casing and adjacent vanes becomes larger.

After the motor’s continuous rotation for a while, there is the formation of suctions in the inlet port that sucks the fluids inside the inlet port. As the fluids are sucked, they become trapped between the two side-by-side vanes that remain in contact with cam-rings. Hence, with the two adjacent vanes, the trapped fluids also get rotations.

With the continuous rotation of the rotor, the compressed fluid gets continuously rotated and the distance between the two side by side vanes starts to decrease. This process decreases the fluid volume and makes the entangled fluid narrower. Due to this, the pressure of fluids increases, and it gets pushed from the vane pump’s outlet.

Conclusion

We hope now you understand how the rotary vane pumps operate and why it is useful for various companies and manufacturers.