Line shaft pumps refer to mixed and axial pump designs. Consisting of a single line shaft contained within a pipe, in most cases, these pumps can drive many different liquids with either an impeller (axial design) or hybrid (mixed pump) piston shaped impeller design. Lineshaft pumps are one of the most efficient style pumps today offering pump sizes up to 800,000 gallons per minute. Used mostly through industrial and commercial companies because of their need for large diesel electric motors, you’ll find lineshaft pump applications from water sewage treatment plants to large chemical facilities. This article talks about the two main types of lineshaft pumps, including their main parts and common applications.
Axial Line Shaft Pump Designs
As the most traditional type of line shaft pump, an axial style pump uses an impeller design usually operated through an internal shaft inside a pipe. External applications are possible, but usually as a special request. Most axial line shaft pumps sit internally within a pipe and move fluid only when semi submerged or fully submerged. Axial line shaft pumps are not able to lift fluids efficiently and not suited for this type of application, unlike their counterpart mixed pump design.
Common applications for axial lineshaft pumps include ballast systems across large ships and sailing vessels, as a backup system for drainage facilities and chemical treatment plants and as a supplemental boost system for both commercial and industrial fire control. Axial line shaft pumps are found in thousands of applications at both the residential and commercial level.
High-Efficiency Mixed Pump Shaft Designs
Mixed pumps are at the forefront of pump technology and act as a hybrid between both the piston and traditional axial line shaft design. Offering the ability to lift fluids without the need for submersion and the fact that they can be operated in a closed valve system emergency for a short period of time is why mixed pump applications are perfect for both high flow/low-pressure and low-pressure/high flow situations. Mixed pump line shaft designs are considered one of the most efficient pumps in the industry.
Many mixed pump designs can be found at oil transfer stations and at large water treatment facilities both, under severe duty and continuous flow situations. Because of their ability to work without priming or the need for submersion, their high-efficiency as well as compact design mixed pumps will continue to be the high efficiency leader in the industry.
All lineshaft designed pumps are a tried and true pumping method that is now the most common type of pump commercially available. If your application demands continuous, efficient performance, then lineshaft pumps are the best choice.
