A duplex pump consists of two pumps that alternate the pumping process, making it more efficient than a single pump. It has a higher flow rate and is used in wastewater treatment plants, oil fields, and for pumping diesel and heating oils. The original steam-powered duplex pump has been replaced with one that runs on compressed air.
A duplex pump is a pump typically found in wastewater treatment plants and oil fields. It consists of two pumps that alternate the pumping process, allowing it to be more efficient than a single version. This pump has a higher flow rate because it has no dead center in the pump stroke. When one pump is completing its stroke cycle, the other begins its stroke, maintaining maximum pumping action without interrupting the cycle.
The first duplex pump was steam powered. It consisted of two steam chambers and two pump housings. The pumps were capable of pumping twice as much liquid as a single-stage pump. There are no dead spots in this type of pump. The pumping cylinders are constantly under pressure and work with each other just enough to ensure that one or the other is always pumping.
The steam pump has been replaced with a duplex pump, which runs on compressed air. Compressed air acts in the same way as steam and maintains a constant pressure on the pump cylinders. The original steam duplex pump was created in the 1800s and steam pumps are still in use, but compressed air has taken over as the primary operating system.
The duplex pump is used where a high sustained pumping volume is required. Wastewater treatment plants use pumps due to the need to move large quantities of water without the risk of backwash. Any backwashing could potentially contaminate large fresh water storage tanks and render the system unfit for use.
In oil fields, the need to pump large quantities of water to cool drill heads and to empty holes requires the use of a duplex pump. The ability to move the large amount of water allows the drills to operate at a much faster rate than those equipped with a single-stage pump.
Duplex pumps are also used to pump diesel and heating oils that do not require heating. The low viscosity of these oils allows pumps to transfer them to holding tanks and pass the oils through a filter to clean them of impurities. Thicker oils require heating to allow them to be pumped. The thin composition of the heating oil allows the oil to flow freely through the high speed pumps.
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