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Ask yourself the following questions:
- Are you pumping sludge, mud or a slurry?
- Does your application require a pulse free or low shear flow?
- Does your application require self-priming suction lift or a strong vacuum?
- Are you pumping a mixture of air and fluid?
If you answered yes to just one of the above questions, then you could possibly benefit from a LobeStar pump.
LobeStar rotary pumps
LobeStar rotary lobe pumps are members of the positive displacement pump family and are ideal for agricultural, industrial and municipal applications.
LobeStar versus Centrifugal Pumps
LobeStar Pumps are effective replacements for centrifugal pumps in sludge and slurry applications because they are more forgiving. Centrifugal pumps are adversely affected by entrained air, by inadequate Net Positive Suction Head (NPSH) or if not operated within 10% of their best efficiency point. Operating centrifugal pumps in excess of 10% their best efficiency point causes shaft deflection, vibration and cavitation, which damages internal parts and reduces the effective life of the pump.
Rotary Lobe Pumps will happily pump air and water, will not cavitate as a result of inadequate NPSH and are equally efficient at all points within their operating range. Unlike centrifugal pumps, the output of positive displacement pumps are largely unaffected by head or viscosity.
Wear rates in abrasive applications are greatly affected by pump RPM’s. As pump RPM’s increase, relative wear rates increase exponentially. This is why LobeStar engineers are involved in every aspect of pump selection. LobeStar engineers will specify the proper pump and speed requirement for your application ranging from 200-300 RPM’s for abrasive applications to 500-600 RPM’s in non abrasive applications. |
LobeStar sludge pumps can be fitted with several types of flange connections, including swan shaped flanges as seen here. Swan shape flanges enable LobeStar pumps to self prime.
Contrast this for wear rate to centrifugal pumps which commonly operate at 1750 RPM’s. This difference in pump speed has the added result that centrifugal pumps mix and agitate the fluids pumped whereas rotary pumps operated at low RPM and gently transfer the fluid with low shear flow.
Another significant difference is rotary lobe pumps create a strong vacuum which brings the material to the pump and makes them self priming without having to separate air from fluid. Centrifugal pumps must have a separate priming mechanism to separate air from water in order to self prime. This mechanism is easily clogged by solids or viscous materials. Centrifugal pumps do not bring the material to the pump.
LobeStar versus Progressive Cavity Pumps
LobeStar pumps can be used in most transfer processes involving thick or thin sludge, mud and slurries. They have the following advantages over progressive cavity pumps:
- Ability to run dry for a period of time
- Sharply lower maintenance and repair cost.
- Require approximately 1/3 their physical space.
- In addition, progressive cavity pumps need additional space for removing the rotor and stator.
- As an added benefit, LobeStar rotary pump lobes, seals and wear plates can be replaced without removing attached piping.
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