Difference between a vane pump and a radial piston pump

You may think a radial piston pump is the same as the vane pump if you have never come across it before, but they are not. Thus, this article will explain the differences between these pumps.

Radial piston pump has more number of vanes than vane pump

Vane pump has fewer vanes compared to the radial piston pump. A vane pump is less effective in moving fluid compared to a piston pump which consumes more energy per unit of power from motor to output section. This implies that they have higher volumetric efficiency, that is, more fluid can be transferred per unit of power from the motor to the output section.

Cavitation does not occur easily on a radial-piston pump unlike on vane pumps because it does not undergo similar stresses as a vane pump.

Vane pump has bearings on each side to reduce friction and radial piston pumps have bearings for protection

The bearing on the other hand diminishes friction, slightly protects against harm. On the other hand, these bearings are made of different materials although they look like radial piston pumps in every way.

Various types of bearings can be found in radial piston pumps:

1.Ball Bearings : These are the most common type of bearing used in radial piston pumps. They operate by fitting balls into grooves inside pump housing as they seal air between pump housing and moving parts. Usually, the production cost for ball bearings is low; thus, it is popularly used where cost does not matter or performance level does not need to be high and long lasting at all.

2.Roller Bearings : Rolling bearing means any kind of a bearing that uses rolling instead of rotation as a mechanism for movement. A roller bearing has rollers (not balls) that fit into grooves inside the pump housing. Although this type of bearings is more expensive than ball ones, it performs better and lasts longer under heavy load conditions.

Vanes of vane pump are made up of steel whereas radial piston pumps are made up of synthetic materials that are durable

When vane pumps have a small volume of liquid but exert high pressure, radial piston pumps have more liquid and less pressure.

The main difference between vanes and radial piston pumps is their construction. Vanes in a vane pump are built with steel while those in the radial piston pump consist of synthetic materials which are long-lasting. Generally, vanes are costlier than pistons because they are specially constructed for each application.

Vanes have been used for over 100 years whereas radial piston pumps were introduced by Halliburton Oilfield Products Company (HOPC) in the 1950s. Both types of pumps share many similarities including design, basic operation, limitations and benefits.

Vane pumps are single flow pumps and radial piston pumps are double flow pumps

To do this, we will use synonyms. Here is the revised version:

Vane style pumps only have one output and are used for low head applications like filling small buckets or tanks but vane pumps though run at low speeds are highly efficient however their thin walled pump housing makes them unsuitable for high pressure applications as it can develop stress and fatigue cracks over time.

Radial piston pumps are double flow designs having two independent pistons which move in opposite directions and provide a more even flow across the pump body. The advantage of a double flow design is that it enables the pump to be run at higher speeds without generating stresses or fatigue fractures.

Radial piston pumps have a wide range of viscosity compared to vane pumps

The radial piston pump is more accurate, which is important in applications where the liquid’s viscosity changes a lot with temperature. Furthermore, it makes them suitable for use in applications with high oil or other contaminants levels since they are less sensitive to contamination than vane pumps.

The radial piston pump has higher precision, which is important for systems where liquids change their viscosity significantly when heated up. Besides, radial piston pumps can handle high levels of oil or other impurities more effectively than vane pumps and this explains their suitability for such applications.

Such pumps are not only more precise but also less susceptible to cavitation as compared to vane pumps at higher flow rates and pressures due to the presence of eddy currents generated by fluid turbulence inside the housing. They can be used either for low-viscosity liquids or high-viscosity ones.

Vane pumps typically operate on pressures up to around 100 bars, whereas radial piston pumps can withstand pressures up to 1,000 bars

These pumps are available in different sizes, for example; small units that can be used in a solo plant or large pumps that can pump liquid at very high pressure. Another group of them are the large and powerful ones that suit industrial applications and the smaller compact models designed for mobile uses.

The radial piston pumps come with varying sizes and power ratings. Some of which do well under high temperature while others function best in refrigeration systems.

Vane pumps are suitable for high volumes with moderate pressures, while radial piston pumps are better suited for medium volumes with high pressures

Vane pumps are generally less noisy than radial piston pumps, which could be critical for utilization in industries. In addition, the flow rate range of vane pumps is much greater than that of radial piston pumps; this makes them very suitable for applications where one needs to precisely control the speed of the pump.

However, radial piston pumps cost more than vane pumps and allow a more precise adjustment on both flow rate and output pressure. Moreover, they are not as noisy as vane ones that can be an advantage in production zones like manufacturing industries and machine shops.

The distinguishing feature between a vane pump and a radial piston pump is their mode of operation. A van pump uses blades attached to a bar which is pushed by hydraulic fluid. On the other hand, a radial piston pump moves radially or in circles just like pistons do.

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