Drum pump, barrel pump, and transfer pump refer to

pump A pump is a device that moves fluids (liquids or gases), or sometimes slurries, by mechanical action, typically converted from electrical energy into hydraulic energy. Pumps can be classified into three major groups according to the method they u ...

s that are used to empty

barrel A barrel or cask is a hollow cylindrical container with a bulging center, longer than it is wide. They are traditionally made of wooden staves and bound by wooden or metal hoops. The word vat is often used for large containers for liquids, ...

tanks A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and good battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engine ...

, IBCs and

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

. Many liquids used on manufacturing and processing plants are delivered in 100 or 200 litre barrels and are too heavy to tip to empty the liquids inside. Drum pumps range from simple

siphon A siphon (from grc, σίφων, síphōn, "pipe, tube", also spelled nonetymologically syphon) is any of a wide variety of devices that involve the flow of liquids through tubes. In a narrower sense, the word refers particularly to a tube in a ...

based devices to sophisticated highly-engineered machinery.

Considerations

* Function - Is the purpose simply to empty the drum completely in one operation, to allow dispense-on-demand operations, or to provide a metered flow to a subsequent operations? Flow rate, pressure, control systems, etc. need to be specified. * Liquid being pumped - Product viscosity determines the type of pump mechanism. Heavy viscous liquids usually require

positive displacement pump A pump is a device that moves fluids (liquids or gases), or sometimes slurries, by mechanical action, typically converted from electrical energy into hydraulic energy. Pumps can be classified into three major groups according to the method they u ...

ing head. * Special product characteristics - Acids, corrosives, or reactive liquids need special materials in the drum pumps. Food and pharmaceutical liquids also need special materials as well as a means of regular cleaning and sanitizing. Flammable liquids require special handling.

Manual

Low cost manual pumps are used when product dispensing is periodically needed. Crank and lever driven pumps are available. Double-action piston drum pumps can be self priming, delivering liquid on both the forward and the back stroke.

Powered

Unlike a

submersible pump A submersible pump (or electric submersible pump (ESP)) is a device which has a hermetically sealed motor close-coupled to the pump body. The whole assembly is submerged in the fluid to be pumped. The main advantage of this type of pump is that i ...

with the motor submerged, a drum pump has a drive motor above the container. Electric and pneumatic motors are available. The motor is attached to the vertical shaft at the top of the tube outside the drum and the pumping element is located at the end of the shaft inside the drum. This configuration allows the drum to be emptied without tipping and so reduces the risk of spills and operator injury.

Hot melt drum pump

Some materials are solid at ambient temperatures and must be melted to allow pumping. This might include open-head drums of hot-melt adhesive, heavy grease, etc. Several systems have been developed which use a heated platen placed on the material; the melted material is then pumped through a

heated hose Heated hoses are hoses used for transporting liquids or molten materials where integral heat is needed for temperature control. Heated hoses are used in bonding technology, filling and dosing systems, medical technology, chemical, pharmaceutical ...

to its destination.

References

* Hicks, Tyler G. and Theodore W. Edwards. ''Pump Application Engineering''. McGraw-Hill Book Company.1971. *

External links