Choose the right pump type for your duty. This side-by-side comparison of pump families gives the maximum flow, pressure, viscosity, NPSH required, temperature and solids handling of each, with what it is best for and its limitations — so you can shortlist centrifugal, positive-displacement, submersible, metering and specialty pumps against your process conditions.
No single pump type suits every duty, and the cost of choosing the wrong family shows up later as poor efficiency, high maintenance or an installation that simply cannot meet its point. The first division is between rotodynamic pumps (centrifugal, mixed- and axial-flow), where flow falls as head rises, and positive-displacement pumps (gear, screw, lobe, progressive-cavity, diaphragm, peristaltic, piston), where flow is set by speed and is almost independent of pressure.
Centrifugal pumps dominate clean, low-viscosity, medium-to-high flow water duties because they are simple, compact and cheap. Positive-displacement pumps take over for viscous fluids, high pressure at modest flow, accurate metering, shear-sensitive or two-phase fluids and high suction lift. Solids content, abrasiveness, viscosity, required turndown, suction conditions and metering accuracy are the parameters that actually decide the family — use the duty envelope below to shortlist, then confirm the specific model against its certified curve.
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