Back then, traveling across a body of water took a huge amount of resources and bravery to get from Point A to Point B. After all, the material used before could easily be decimated by a storm or even strong waves. And it doesn’t help how ship designs decades ago demand all hands on deck since the ship actively needs everyone’s help to steer it through treacherous waters.
Fortunately, as technology advanced, so did the construction of ships. Therefore, what used to be made out of wood is now replaced by different metal types to disrupt incoming waves easily. Furthermore, new technology is included to optimize a modern ship’s inner workings and lessen any accident while it’s in the middle of traveling. One of those is by having a high-quality pumping system.
What Are Pumps?
With how massive ships are already, they’ll need complex machinery to power everything. However, because of its size and the load, the only reason why it’s not breaking down is because of the ship’s pumping system. This circulates water from outside to cool down machinery and ensure smooth workflow.
Furthermore, Carver Pump and other pumping manufacturers also cater to different functions onboard. Be it for sanitary purposes or air conditioning, being able to circulate water guarantees a comfortable trip for everyone on the ship.
Types Of Pumps
Despite its simple purpose, a pumping system still differs from ship to ship. After all, different cargo ships transport a certain type of material. For example, oil tankers are designed to handle millions of barrels of oil, whereas reefer ships are ideal for transporting perishable goods.
To have these different designs fulfill their respective purpose, they’ll need a pumping system that caters to what the ship needs to preserve the quality of its cargo. Hence, there are two types of pumps: dynamic and displacement pumps.
- Dynamic Pumps
Also called kinetic pumps, dynamic pumps utilize their impeller to create velocity once fluid passes through its blades. Consequentially, excess velocity is bound to be produced as well. Hence, it pressures the fluid to pump further and create more kinetic energy. Under this category, there are centrifugal and axial pumps.
- Centrifugal Pumps
Centrifugal pumps can easily be described as more or less a rotating machine. Since its main function is the rotating impeller, it favors pressure by increasing the fluid’s velocity. Because of this, it encourages a steady yet pressured flow, which makes it perfect to use for sudden fires while transporting chemical materials such as plastic.
But while this feature makes it possess a large throughput, a centrifugal pump isn’t capable of self-priming. Therefore, you need to prep it by keeping its discharge valve close. However, having the valve shut will cause the pump to overheat due to high kinetic energy. So, it needs to be maintained and observed thoroughly.
- Axial Pumps
Meanwhile, axial pumps aren’t that different. But instead of creating velocity, this kind of pump has its impeller generate acceleration to increase pressure. Considering how little resistance its design has, it has the highest flow rate among the rest of the pumps.
- Displacement Pumps
On the other hand, displacement pumps have the same purpose as dynamic pumps when promoting the constant flow of fluid. However, this type of pump can only develop flow instead of creating pressure first. Under this category, there are three subcategories of displacement pumps:
- Reciprocating Pumps
Instead of using an impeller, reciprocating pumps would use pistons or plungers. Here, the pump’s to-and-fro motion would push the fluid into the casing, get suctioned, and get displaced into the discharge line. Because it compresses and moves the fluid inside the cylinder, it can create constant water flow and high levels of pressure.
- Rotary Type Pumps
In rotary-type pumps, the pump can move in two ways: in an arc (semi-rotary) or a complete circle (rotary). Regardless of how it rotates, this pump always has the fluid flow forward while trapped in a cavity. But in the case of a semi-rotary pump, it can only pump a smaller quantity than a rotary one.
- Pneumatic Pumps
Instead of utilizing plungers or pumps, pneumatic pumps use pressurized gas. However, it still has the same function: it displaces fluid from the casing through the discharge line until the tank fills again. Regardless, only a small amount of resources is used to power its system. And this makes it ideal for oil tankers and any ships in the same vein.
Takeaway
Making sure a cargo ship can get from Point A to Point B smoothly is a serious undertaking. After all, considering its size, it needs all the resources and the best technology there is to make sure it delivers vital materials safely. Therefore, one factor you need to consider is the ship’s pumping system.
