Lobe pumps use two rotors with three lobes each to create sealed pockets that transport material from inlet to outlet. They are gentle and can pump solids, suspensions, and certain fluids.
A lobe pump is a positive displacement pump that has a pair of lobe rotors that rotate within a tight fitting, sealed casing. Rotors usually have three lobes each and mesh similarly to gears, although direct contact between them is prevented. The outer edges of the lobes also pass very close to the inner surface of the envelope. In this way, the rotors form sealed pockets between their lobes and the casing during rotation, which carries material from the pump inlet on one side of the casing to the outlet on the other. Lobe pumps are used in many industries that require a gentle, non-destructive pumping action and can be used to pump solids, suspensions and certain fluids.
Lobe pumps work similar to gear pumps in that they transport the pumped material around a closed casing trapped in cells or pockets formed between protrusions on rotating hubs. In the case of a lobe pump, there are two hubs or rotors located within a close-fitting, closed casing. Lobe pump rotors typically have three equally spaced protrusions or lobes, which resemble a clover leaf when viewed directly. The rotors spin in opposite directions and are positioned so that their lobes mesh, but don’t actually make physical contact with each other. In other words, during rotation, one rotor lobe will pass through the gap between two of the other rotor lobes without touching them.
The gap between the rotor lobes and the casing is also very small, meaning that the spaces between the lobes form sealed cells as they pass the casing. It is this feature that facilitates the transport of the pumped material. As the rotors spin, they draw material through an inlet port on one side of the housing and trap it in the spaces between the lobes where it follows the movement of the rotor around the housing before being discharged from the outlet port on the opposite side.
These types of pumps are known for their gentle action that has very little abrasive or concussive effect on the material passing through it. For this reason the lobe pump is often used in industries where sensitive materials are pumped. The lobe pump is also very flexible in the range of materials it can be used for. It can be used to move solids, such as small fruits; suspensions; and some fluids, especially those with high viscosity such as oils.
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