The invention of the pump itself was a significant breakthrough for mankind. It significantly simplified the way to obtain drinking water. With growing demands for a stable water supply, largely clear of pressure fluctuations, and at exactly the same time increasing demands on the power efficiency of buildings, pumps are now making their contribution as booster pumps. What their task is, how they function and what pressure switches do in the process is explained briefly and succinctly on this page.
What exactly are booster pumps necessary for?
A booster pump increases low water pressure and, with that, improves the flow rate. It offers an extra boost to create the water pressure to the required level. Booster pumps are often used in pipelines to improve the pressure therefore to move the liquid along to the next pump, and in addition for pumping in residential houses or large commercial buildings. Bomb can extend a pressure booster system. By using this expansion vessel, the water pressure is additionally stabilised and therefore improved.
Booster pumps functioning
The figure gives an overview of the various measuring points within a pressure booster system:
1 Input pressure ? Pressure
2a Dry run protection ? Pressure
2b Dry run protection ? Level
3 Output pressure ? Pressure
4 Pump performance ? Differential pressure
So how exactly does a booster pump work?
Booster pumps are selected predicated on application demands. Rather than selecting one large pump, consider selecting multiple pumps with smaller horsepower. Booster pumps have an impeller that moves water that comes in through the inlet and exits through the outlet. A motor makes the impellers spin. The pumps differ in how they draw the water in and push it out. Some of them work with a spinning propeller, others use an oscillating diaphragm or other pump principles.
What do mechanical pressure switches in booster pumps do?
The mechanical pressure switches in booster pumps are employed for the direct control/monitoring of safety functions to be able to protect pumps with insufficient input pressure against dry running. An example of here is the WIKA PSM-520 pressure switch.
How do mechanical pressure switches work?
The pressure component of the switch is a resilient bellow which works against a spring mechanism having an adjustable pre-load force. On the spring mechanism you will find a contact arm for actuating the change-over switch contact. The switch is actuated as soon as the force generated by the pressure in the pressure element is higher than the set pre-load force.
Note
Further information on the various measurement solutions which you can expect you for pumps and systems are available on the WIKA website. In case you have any questions, your contact will gladly help you.
Also read our articles
Mechanical pressure switches: How does one set the switch point?
Mechanical vs. electronic pressure switches: Functionality
Further blog posts on mechanical pressure switches