Selection of centrifugal pumps in the pharmaceutical and bioengineering industries
The selection of centrifugal pumps in the pharmaceutical and bioengineering industry is a key process, and multiple factors need to be considered to ensure that the performance of the pump meets production needs. The following is a detailed analysis of the selection of centrifugal pumps based on the characteristics of the pharmaceutical and bioengineering industry:
1. Selection principles
Meeting process parameters: The type and performance of the selected pump should meet the requirements of process parameters such as device flow, head, pressure, temperature, cavitation margin and the properties of the conveying medium.
Mechanical reliability: The pump is required to have high mechanical reliability, low noise, small size, light weight, simple structure, and low vibration for easy operation and maintenance.
Economic cost: Equipment cost, operating cost, maintenance cost, management cost, etc. should be low to minimize costs.
Special requirements: such as explosion-proof and corrosion-resistant, to meet the special needs of the pharmaceutical and bioengineering industry.
2. Selection basis
Flow rate: Flow rate is one of the important parameters for pump selection, which is directly related to the production capacity and conveying capacity of the entire device. In the process design, if the normal, minimum and maximum flow rates of the pump have been calculated, the maximum flow rate is used as the basis for selecting the pump, taking into account the normal flow rate. If only the normal flow rate of the device is known, the pump flow rate should be estimated with an appropriate safety factor.
Head: The head required by the device system is another important parameter for selecting a pump. When the required head value is given in the process design, it can be used directly; if the head value is not given and an estimate is required, it is necessary to first draw a vertical flow chart of the pump device, indicate the position, elevation, distance, pipeline length and number of pipes of the centrifugal pump in the process, calculate the flow loss, and reserve a margin if necessary, and finally determine the head that the pump needs to provide.
Liquid properties: including the name, physical properties, chemical properties and other properties of the liquid medium (temperature, diameter of solid particles in the medium and gas content, etc.), which is the basis for calculating the system head and effective cavitation margin, and is also an important basis for selecting the material and shaft seal form of the pump.
Pipeline layout conditions: refers to the distance, height and direction of the liquid conveyed, including the lowest liquid level on the suction side, the highest liquid level on the discharge side, the specifications, length and quantity of the pipeline, etc., so as to calculate parameters such as system head and cavitation margin.
Operating conditions: such as the delivery pressure of the liquid, saturated vapor pressure, suction pressure, altitude of the pump installation location, ambient temperature, whether the pump is intermittent or continuous, whether the pump is fixed or movable, etc., these are the basis for pump selection and the basis for selecting the number of centrifugal pumps.
3. Characteristics of the pharmaceutical and bioengineering industry
Material properties: Materials in the pharmaceutical and bioengineering industries are often corrosive, have high viscosity or contain solid particles, which puts high demands on the material and sealing performance of the pump.
Process requirements: These industries have extremely high requirements for the purity and quality of the products, so the pump must maintain the stability of the material and avoid contamination during the transportation process.
Cost control: Considering the production cost and operating efficiency, the selection of the pump needs to take into account both economy and durability.
4. Recommended selection
Based on the above analysis, the following are some recommendations for centrifugal pumps suitable for the pharmaceutical and bioengineering industries:
Stainless steel centrifugal pumps: Stainless steel materials have good corrosion resistance and high temperature resistance, and are suitable for conveying various corrosive liquids and high-temperature liquids. In the pharmaceutical industry, stainless steel centrifugal pumps can be used to transport various liquid and semi-solid drugs and biological products such as drugs, biological agents, chemical reagents, plasma, enzymes, etc.
Sanitary centrifugal pumps: meet the high requirements of the pharmaceutical and bioengineering industries for cleanliness and hygiene standards. Such pumps are usually made of materials that are easy to clean and disinfect, and meet relevant hygiene standards.
Explosion-proof centrifugal pumps: When used in flammable and explosive environments, centrifugal pumps with explosion-proof performance should be selected to ensure production safety.