Comparison of pumps

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This article lists different types of pump and provides a comparison of certain key design features. Different types of pumps are suitable for different applications, for example: a pump's maximum lift height also determines the applications it can be used for. Low-lift pumps are only suitable for the pumping of surface water (e.g., irrigation, drainage of lands, ...), while high-lift pumps allow deep water pumping (e.g., potable water pumping from wells).[1]

Direct lift devices

Pump type Cyclic/continuous ? Maximum lift height Production cost Efficiency Output Size of device Fabrication requirements Difficulty of production Durability Difficulty of repair Suction lift ?
Continuous bucket pump continuous 5m-50m low-medium medium low-medium  ?  ? traditional  ?  ? no
Counterpoise lift or Shadoof cyclic 1m-4m low-medium low-medium low-medium  ?  ? traditional  ?  ? no
Mohte cyclic 3m-8m low-medium low medium  ?  ? traditional  ?  ? no
Persian wheel "Tablia" continuous 3m-10m low-medium medium medium  ?  ? traditional  ?  ? no
Persian wheel "Zawaffa" continuous 3m-15m medium medium-high medium-high  ?  ? traditional  ?  ? no
Pivoting gutters and "dhones" cyclic 1m-1,5m low-medium low-medium low-medium  ?  ? traditional  ?  ? no
Reciprocating bucket hoist cyclic 100m-500m medium-high medium medium-high  ?  ? industrial  ?  ? no
Rope & bucket and windlass cyclic 5m-50m very low very low very low  ?  ? basic  ?  ? no
Scoops and bailers cyclic >1m very low very low low-medium  ?  ? basic  ?  ? no
Scoop wheel "Sakia" continuous >2m medium-high medium-high medium-high  ?  ? traditional  ?  ? no
Swing basket cyclic >1m very low very low low-medium  ?  ? basic  ?  ? no
Waterwheels or noria continuous >5m low-medium low-medium low-medium  ?  ? traditional  ?  ? no
Watering car cyclic >3m very low very low very low  ?  ? basic  ?  ? no

Displacement pumps

Pump type Cyclic/continuous ? Maximum lift height Production cost Efficiency Output Size of device Fabrication requirements Difficulty of production Durability Difficulty of repair Suction lift ?
Archimedean screw continuous >2m medium medium medium-high  ?  ? industrial  ?  ? no
Chain (or rope) and washer pump continuous 3m-20m medium-high medium-high medium  ?  ? traditional  ?  ? no
Coil pump and spiral pump continuous >6m medium medium low-medium  ?  ? traditional  ?  ? no
Diaphragm pump cyclic 5m-10m medium medium-high medium  ?  ? industrial  ?  ? yes
Flash wheel and treadmill >2m low-medium low-medium medium-high  ?  ?  ? traditional/industrial  ?  ? no
Flexible vane pump continuous 10m-20m medium-high medium medium  ?  ? industrial  ?  ? yes
Gas or vapour displacement pump cyclic 5m-50m medium medium medium-high  ?  ? industrial  ?  ? no/yes
Gear and lobe pump continuous 10m-20m medium low-medium very low  ?  ? industrial  ?  ? yes
Open screw pump continuous >6m high medium-high medium-high  ?  ? industrial  ?  ? no
Peristaltic pump continuous >3m medium medium very low  ?  ? industrial  ?  ? yes
Petropump continuous 10m-100m medium-high high low-medium  ?  ? industrial  ?  ?  ?
Porous rope continuous 3m-10m  ?  ? low-medium  ?  ? industrial  ?  ? no
Progressive cavity (Moyno) continuous 10m-100m medium-high medium-high medium  ?  ? industrial  ?  ? no
Piston pump, bucket pump cyclic 2m-200m medium-high high medium  ?  ? traditional/industrial  ?  ? yes
Plunger pump cyclic 100m-500m high medium-high low-medium  ?  ? traditional  ?  ? yes
Pulser Pump cyclic 1-300m low-medium low low-medium small-huge  ? traditional very high easy no
Semi-rotary pump cyclic 5m-10m low-medium low-medium low-medium  ?  ? industrial  ?  ? yes
Water ladder cyclic >2m medium medium medium  ?  ? traditional  ?  ? no

Velocity pumps

Pump type Cyclic/continuous ? Maximum lift height Production cost Efficiency Output Size of device Fabrication requirements Difficulty of production Durability Difficulty of repair Suction lift ?
Centrifugal (regenerative) pump continuous 10m-30m medium-high medium medium  ?  ? industrial  ?  ? yes
Centrifugal (turbine) pump continuous 3m-200m medium-high medium-high high  ?  ? industrial  ?  ? yes
Centrifugal (volute) pump continuous 3m-20m medium medium-high high  ?  ? industrial  ?  ? yes
Flap valve pump  ? 2m-4m very low low-medium very low  ?  ? basic/traditional  ?  ? no
Inertia pump, joggle pump cyclic 2m-4m low-medium medium-high low-medium  ?  ? traditional, industrial  ?  ? no
Jet pump (water, air or stream) continuous 2m-20m medium low-medium low-medium  ?  ? industrial  ?  ? no
Mixed flow pump continuous 2m-10m medium-high medium-high high  ?  ? industrial  ?  ? no
Propeller (axial flow) pump continuous 5m-30m medium-high medium-high high  ?  ? industrial  ?  ? no
Rebound inertia cyclic 2m-60m medium medium-high very low  ?  ? industrial  ?  ? yes
Resonating joggle pump cyclic 2m-10m medium medium-high medium-high  ?  ? traditional  ?  ? no

Buoyancy pumps

Pump type Cyclic/continuous ? Maximum lift height Production cost Efficiency Output Size of device Fabrication requirements Difficulty of production Durability Difficulty of repair Suction lift ?
Air lift  ? 5m-50m medium-high low-medium medium  ?  ? industrial  ?  ? no

Impulse pumps

Pump type Cyclic/continuous ? Maximum lift height Production cost Efficiency Output Size of device Fabrication requirements Difficulty of production Durability Difficulty of repair Suction lift ?
Hydraulic ram cyclic 10m-100m medium low-medium low  ? requires flowing water as power source (eg river) industrial high  ? no

Note: reciprocating pumps are cyclic, rotary pumps are typically continuous.


References

  1. ↑ Table of pumps; classification and characteristics


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