Chapter 3 - Pump and

Compressor
1
Prepared by : Ms Noraziah
2 Pumps and compressors
Pumps and compressors are primary sources of flow
in fluid power systems. Maximum system horsepower
is controlled by the size of these components along
with system flow.

The following hydraulic formula illustrates a

relationship between Horsepower, Pressure, and
Flow.

Hydraulic Horsepower = GPM x PSI x .000583

The three basic types of pumps are the Gear, Piston,

and Vane designs.
3 HYDRAULIC PUMPS AND POSITIVE
DISPLACEMENT

In its most basic sense, positive displacement means

what you take in you put out. In other words, for
each revolution of a hydraulic pump of this type, a
specific quantity of fluid is produced relating to the
displacement of the pump.
4 The Rule of 1500

The rule of 1500 is a engineering reference to a predictable

relationship between Horsepower, Flow, and Pressure. This is used
when sizing an electric motor for a particular hydraulic system.

In any hydraulic system operating at a pressure of 1500 psi, every

GPM of flow produced by the pump will require at least one
horsepower to drive it. This relationship is linear – in other words, at
a pressure of 750 psi, each GPM of flow would require ½
horsepower.

At 3000 psi, each GPM would need 2 horsepower, and so on. In

pneumatic systems there is a similar relationship. However, since
the relationship is not linear (because air compresses), the math
required to calculate it is beyond the scope of this course.
5 Pumps and Compressors
Before we go any further it should be pointed out that no matter what
design of pump or compressor is being discussed, all pumps produce
flow the same way. Pumps and compressors produce flow by creating a
“pressure differential.” Fluids always flow from a higher pressure to a
lower pressure. By using the increasing pump volume at the inlet, the
pump (or compressor) creates a region of decreasing inlet pressure
(vacuum).

This causes the higher reservoir pressure (atmospheric) to push the fluid
to the lower pressure inlet area. An example would be a person drinking
water through a straw. One sucks, creating a lower pressure (vacuum)
inside the mouth, and the higher (atmospheric) pressure on the liquid
surface pushes it up the straw. The fluid is trapped inside the pump, and
it is carried to the outlet where the volume is decreased and pressure
increased. Fluid will take the path of least resistance, which is out the
device outlet.
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Pumps and Compressors Hydraulic Pump Symbol Pneumatic

Compressor Symbol Its important to note that the above
symbols do not indicate a specific design type, just function.
As you can see, the only difference is the triangle.

Remember, pumps and compressors only produce FLOW.

Pressure is created by resistance to that flow. If there is no
resistance, flow moves at atmospheric pressure, and there is
no (gage) pressure.
 Vane Pumps In the above illustration, only the internal parts are shown.
7 Normally, one port would be connected to the “increasing” volume side
and another port would be connected to the “decreasing” volume side. The
outer piece (called the “cam ring”) does not move. The center piece (the
“rotor”) rotates and is off center. The dark lines are the “vanes”. They move in
and out because of centrifugal force to maintain a seal against the cam
ring.
 To understand pump operation, first imagine that the
8 area in green is attached to an inlet port and is under
low pressure (vacuum). Fluid, as influenced by the
atmospheric pressure in the reservoir, rushes in to fill the
voids as the assembly rotates and the volume increases
causing a pressure decrease (Boyle’s Law).
 As the fluid passes from left to right it becomes “trapped”
9 between the rotating group and the pump housing. It is
carried around to the outlet port. There, the volume
containing the fluid decreases, causing the pressure to
increase. Fluids always take the path of least resistance
(as does electricity), so out to the system it goes. All
pumps operate in this manner regardless of design or
configuration.
 Balanced Vane Design The previous slides showed normal
10 vane pump. In normal operation vane and gear pumps are
“loaded” to one side because of pressure at the outlet port.
This “loading” has an adverse effect on bearing life. A
balanced vane pump has its ports located in four distinct
locations around its shaft (2 inlets and 2 outlets, each 180 °
apart) to balance the forces on the shaft. The result is
extended bearing service life.
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Cartridge Assembly
A lot of manufacturers of fixed displacement vane pumps have incorporated
the rotating group into a removable assembly that can be replaced
independently of the housing, so piping can remain connected. This assembly,
called a “cartridge”, consists of the rotor, vanes, cam ring and port plates. It
minimizes down time to rebuild a pump, and reduces piping leaks in the system.
Cartridge assemblies are rarely used in unbalanced vane pumps.
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Double Pump
Although vane pumps are sometimes put together in pairs
to form a “double pump,” any design could be made a
double pump. All this means is that you have two pumps
driven by one motor which may have their flows put
together or separated. Typically, one of the pumps is several
times larger than the other, so the larger pump will produce
much more flow. Schematic symbol for a double pump
13 Variable Volume
Vane Pump “Variable volume” means that the “amount” of oil
which is displaced by a pump each revolution can change
whereas in other ”fixed” displacement models it cannot. What
controls the “total amount” of oil (flow - GPM) produced by a
fixed displacement pump? Speed and Displacement
 Variable Volume Vane Pump Operation
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The key to understanding this illustration is knowing that amount
of displacement depends on the offset that exists between the
rotor and cam ring. The more the offset, the more the
displacement, and the less the offset, the less the
displacement. If the rotor becomes centered, there is NO
displacement. Flow STOPS, but outlet pressure is maintained. If
the rotor travels past the cam ring centerline from one side to
the other, flow reverses ports.
 Volumetric Output of a Pump
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Theoretical Pump Flow = Speed x Displacement
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What this means is that if there is no internal mechanical

mechanism that changes the displacement volume causing flow
rate change, the only two things that control flow from a pump
are the physical size of the pump and how fast you run it.
 As pressure builds in the system it is felt everywhere including the
16 pump outlet. As outlet pressure rises, the cam ring will push away
from the pressure direction toward the path of least resistance
which is the spring. When the pressure of the system is equal to
the tension of the spring, the rotor will be in the center of the
cam ring, Then flow will stop while pressure in the system is
maintained as determined by the spring adjustment.
17 All pumps experience internal leakage but it is worst in the
models illustrated here. To alleviate the internal pressure
caused by this leakage, a case drain is provided. This
relieves the internal pressure and prevents the front seal
on the pump shaft from blowing out,
 In a gear pump, an increasing volume (therefore,
18 decreasing pressure) is generated as teeth un-mesh or
move away from each other. The fluid drawn into the
pump inlet from the reservoir is forced around the teeth
toward the pump outlet, not through the middle. As the
teeth move toward each other, the volume decreases,
and the increasing pressure forces the fluid out the
outlet port.
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 Illustrated above are examples of Radial piston pumps. Their pistons
20 meet the drive shaft axis at 90 degrees. They are more compact
yielding space savings and can be ran at a wide speed range. As
motors, they are very popular in cabling systems.
 Piston pumps operate under the same controlling principles as all other pumps.
With this design, a piston moves back and forth in a barrel. As the piston moves
21 back, a larger volume is created that provides a vacuum. As the piston moves
forward, the volume is decreased (pressure increases) and fluid is forced out. Axial
piston pumps have pistons that move in parallel to the drive shaft axis. Radial
piston pumps have pistons that move at 90 degrees to the drive shaft axis. Axial
piston pumps are, by far, the most common. Either type can be made variable
volume by adjusting the amount of stroke the piston travels in the cylinder bore.
 Low pressure-full stroke condition Compensator fires at pressure setting- no
22 flow In the axial pump above, a pressure build up causes the compensator
rod to push against the swash plate which in turn decreases the stroke of
the pistons. This reduces amount of flow to zero when the pressure
completely balances the tension of the spring, in the same manner as the
variable volume pressure compensated vane pump. The symbols for the
pressure compensated vane and piston pumps are the same.
 As in the vane pump, reverse flow in the piston pump is accomplished by
moving the rotating group beyond a “center” point. In the piston pump the
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swash plate is the member that moves to + or – 0 degrees to achieve this
feature. These types of pumps are often found in hydrostatic transmissions. The
symbol above is could indicate any the piston and vane pump with reverse flow
capability. The description of the component on the system schematic would
tell the technician the details of the pump used.
 Compressors operate by drawing in air at lower than atmospheric conditions
24 and then trapping, and compressing it. Once compressed, the air is allowed to
escape to the path of least resistance, usually into the receiver tank.
Compressors create flow using the same differential pressure principles as
pumps do, but the fluid is a gas. Pump and Compressor symbols are identical,
except for the flow arrow. In both cases, the arrow points “out” of the device,
indicating flow is produced. For pumps, the arrow is solid – for compressors,
transparent. For a quick determination if a schematic is hydraulic or
pneumatic, find the flow producer symbol. Solid is hydraulic – transparent is
pneumatic.
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Compressors
fall into one of
two main
categories;
Dynamic and
Displacement
 Dynamic compressors are not positive displacement. They move air by
adding kinetic energy to it or in other words they “throw” the air. Examples of
26 dynamic compressors would include a leaf blower, hair dryer, and common
fan. Dynamic compressors are primarily used for low pressures but high
volumes of air. Dynamic compressors (fans) are very common at low
pressures. When typical pneumatic system pressures are required, their high
cost limits applications to oil free air requirements, such as in the food and
pharmaceutical industries. A jet engine is another example of a dynamic
compressor.
 Standard displacement compressors can be single
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stage where the air is compressed once or multi-stage
where the air is compressed two or more times to
achieve higher efficiency. In operation, air is drawn in
as the piston moves down. When the piston moves up
air is compressed and then released to the receiver
tank.
 In multi-stage compressors, air is compressed twice in order to
get it to the receiver tank at a higher pressure but lower
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temperature. The hot compressed air is cooled after the first
stage in an “intercooler” to reduce the air temperature
entering the next stage. Since the entering air temperature is
lower, the outlet air temperature is also lower. Single stage
compression is less efficient because more heat has to be
given up in the receiver which translates into lost pressure.
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