High-pressure pumps
Waterkracht is a specialist in high-pressure pumps. In high-pressure cleaning technology, a high-pressure plunger pump is one which is used to move water from a low to a high-pressure.
How a piston pump works
The high-pressure pump consists of a drive and a water-displacement section, with a number of plungers (3 or 5) being driven mechanically. During the suction stroke, the inlet valve opens, the plunger chamber fills with water, and during the pressure stroke, the plunger forces this volume of water to the discharge side via the delivery valve. The same volume of water is displaced per plunger in each plunger stroke. The greater the drive speed, the more strokes per minute, and the greater the water flow rate. In principle, a plunger pump can increase the water pressure infinitely, but the maximum permissible operating pressure in these high-pressure pumps is determined by the design and the choice of materials. The plungers can be arranged in line with the drive shaft or at right angles to it. This is then described as an axial plunger pump or a radial plunger pump respectively.
Accessories for the delivery side of a plunger pump
The delivery side of a plunger pump must have at least:
- A pressure gauge, glycerine-filled, with a minimum measuring range of 1.3 times the operating pressure;
- A pressure regulation system;
- A relief valve, set and sealed at the operating pressure + 15%;
- Depending on the application and choice of pump, an accumulator may be desirable/necessary.
Operational cycle of a high-pressure pump
The operational cycle is the total period that a pump is continuously in operation. If the cleaning application requires the pump to be usable 24 hours a day, or a large part of that, then choose a high-pressure pump which is designed for this, and has proven its quality in practice.
Service life of high-pressure pumps
The service life is the period of time when a pump is usable. In general, it can be said that the service life of a high-pressure pump can be enhanced considerably by running it at a speed 50% lower than the maximum drive speed indicated by the manufacturer. This rule applies to all high-pressure plunger pumps, large or small, from domestic pumps to process pumps.
Use of the high-pressure pump
- Semi-professional use, high-pressure pumps with a high drive speed. These pumps have a forecast service life of up to 1500 hours' operation at an input power of 7.5 kW. These can be either axial or radial high-pressure pumps.
- Professional use, high-pressure pumps with a drive speed of 1500 revolutions per minute. These pumps have a forecast service life of up to 3000 hours' operation. These are radial high-pressure pumps with an input power of up to 18.5 kW.
- Professional/industrial use, high-pressure pumps with a crankshaft speed of up to 1000 revolutions per minute with a forecast service life of 10,000 to 15,000 hours' operation. These pumps have an input power of up to 40 kW.
- Industrial use, high-pressure plunger pumps with a low crankshaft speed are developed for industrial or continuous use. The service life of these pumps is tens of thousands of hours' operation. In this case we would think of Hammelmann high-pressure pumps with an input power of up to 750 kW.
High-pressure pump range
The high-pressure pumps supplied by Waterkracht vary sharply in operating pressure (bar) and water flow rate. So, for example, we can supply high-pressure pumps and systems up to 4000 bar or pumps with a water flow rate of 1600 litres per minute, but we also have pumps with a water flow rate of a few litres per minute and a low operating pressure. Check out our range of high-pressure pumps below.