Gear pumps are a type of positive displacement pump, which move fluid by the operation of rotating gears with intermeshing teeth. A gear pump is a popular choice over a centrifugal pump in applications concerning the movement of quite viscous, clean fluids and where the installation is relatively high pressure. Whilst suited to this applications, we recommend screw pumps as a more efficient pumping technology, read our guide for a comparison.There are a number of types of gear pumps including internal eccentric gear pumps and external helical and modular gear pumps.
Common applications where gear pumps are installed include:
Fuel transfer
Hydraulic fluid power
Petrochemicals
Chemical mixing and blending
Acids and caustic
Small scale hot oil circulation
Paint and ink transfer
Machine tool lubrication
Alcohol and solvent transfer
Food products such as chocolate and peanut butter
As well as its ability to handle higher pressures and higher viscosity liquids than a centrifugal pump, a gear pump also benefits from a controllable, smooth flow and self-priming capabilities. In addition to this, a gear pump has a lower NPSH making them suitable for applications where suction lift is required. It must be noted that the fluid must have self-lubricating properties for a gear pump to operate efficiently.
