Hydraulic Pumps are any of a class of positive displacement machines used in fluid power applications to provide hydraulic flow to fluid-powered devices such as cylinders, rams, motors, etc. A car’s power- steering pump is one example where an engine-driven rotary-vane pump is common. The engine’s gear-type oil pump is another everyday example. Hydraulic pumps can be motor driven, too, or manually operated. Variable displacement pumps are especially useful because they can provide infinite adjustment over their speed range with a constant input rpm.
Pumps produce flow. Pressure is resistance to flow. Whereas centrifugal pumps can run against blocked discharges without building up excess pressure, positive-displacement pumps cannot. Hydraulic pumps, like any positive-displacement pump, thus require overpressure protection generally in the form of a pressure-relief valve. Over-pressure relief is often built into the pump itself.
Flowtech Fluidpower PLC (LON:FLO) is a leading specialist in fluid power products and solutions. Through hydraulics, pneumatics and associated industrial products, they focus on moving liquid, gas or air to generate power which keeps industry moving.
