How to tell if a pump is working well

From experience we can say that in general, the hydraulic component on which the
greatest responsibility for the functioning of the hydraulic system of a machin
e is the bomb, or bombs. This does not mean it is the most important, is general
ly working for longer, and its form of construction depends heavily on a good fi
ltration and care of the oil. All hydraulic systems follow a logical sequence of
operations determined by the type of components within the circuit and how they
are interconnected. Without going into details of how it was the fault detectio
n of the machine, say we have a suspicion that the pump may be malfunctioning. B
efore you begin, you should obtain as much information about the system and in p
articular the pump: Type of engine that drives the pump (electric, hydraulic, di
esel, gasoline, etc.), Power and rotation speed or RPM. The temperature at which
the system works type pump (gear, vane, piston, etc.) Flow that must be supplie
d without pressure, flow to the working pressure, maximum allowable pressure. Di
ameter recommended by the manufacturer for suction and discharge, to compare wit
h the actual. There are suction filter? , What type (internal, external, microns
), bypass (valve opens when the filter is clogged). Height of the tank with resp
ect to the pump (top level or below). Oil level in the tank. Needless to say, al
l this information will help you interpret the test results, to avoid doubt. Usi
ng a flowmeter, a pressure gauge and a relief valve, must do the following arran
gement:
RELIEF VALVE
FLOWMETERS GAUGE
ELECTRIC MOTOR 4.8 H.P. 1800 RPM
100 LITRE TANK
Isolating the pump discharge from the rest of the system, run the engine and let
the pump sent the flow through the flowmeter, while keeping open the relief val
ve to the tank. In this way we can take the pump flow without pressure, which mu
st be equal to that suggested by the manufacturer without pressure. Then we must
begin to close the relief valve and pressure we see on the gauge rises. When we
reach the working pressure, we take flow reading is then compared with that sug
gested by the manufacturer. The flux difference between the pressure and flow pr
essure gives us an idea of the volumetric efficiency of the pump. Values below 8
0% are considered low and the pump should be replaced. Now let's look at other f
actors. If at the time of taking the first flow, the value is less than the assu
mption made without pressure, we take into account that this may be because the
pump is sucking air through the suction or through the shaft seal. From the amou
nt of air that sucking will depend how low the flow will be. Another problem tha
t can make reading flux pressure is lower is due to a restriction in the suction
of the pump, causing an excessive vacuum suction generated by the phenomenon kn
own as cavitation. This phenomenon can be confirmed with a vacuum gauge placed a
t the entrance to the pump as close as possible. Abstract. If the pump has no su
ction related problems, such as aeration or cavitation, with the flowmeter have
100% certainty on the status of the pump. If we have doubts with the suction, yo
u have to solve these problems before measuring the flow at the pump for maximum
certainty.
RELIEF VALVE
FLOWMETERS GAUGE
ELECTRIC MOTOR 4.8 H.P. 1800 RPM
100 LITRE TANK