Ballast Pumps
Ballast pump systems are a crucial part of the marine industry, and are of various types and designs depending on the application. Marine ballast pumps are one of the most common types of pumps used in the marine industry. These pumps are so named because they take in and discharge out ballast water. Ballast pump systems feature a set of valves, a ballast tank, pipes, and a pump. A ballast tank holds sea water, which is pumped by ballast pumps to maintain the ship’s required balance and stability. MXQ is a trusted supplier of progressive cavity pumps, which can be used as ballast pumps for the marine industry.
In the marine industry, ballast pump systems are used to pump water in and out of ballast tanks when the ships load or unload. This process of taking the sea water in and out is called ballasting and de-ballasting. These pumps offer balance and stability to the ship, especially in extreme weather conditions such as storms and cyclones. Therefore, these pumps are crucial components of the ship. Quite logically, when a ship enters shallow waters,the huge amounts of sea water stored in the ship’s ballast tank is pumped out. Water is pumped in when ships unload, so that it adds weight and balance to the ship.
By and large, the selection of a pump for a particular function such as pumping marine water depends on various factors. The prime one is the type of fluid required to be pumped and its viscosity. Now, one may think that marine water is not viscous; however, along with water, a lot of other aquatic creatures and plankton may get pumped in. A pump should be able to not just withstand these solids but also filter them out. The other factors include the rate at which the fluid needs to be pumped, duration, surface tension, and density of the fluid.
Progressive cavity pumps are a type of rotary positive displacement pump. They are capable of pumping in and out various fluids with thin, as well as thick consistencies that contain trapped air, fiber, and other solids. They come with a rotating eccentric screw, and a stationary stator, which is basically a metal tube. Multiple configurations are possible and there is a wide variety of designs. Some models come with an elongated rotor. They work well as ballast pumps because of their features, and are suitable for the most challenging fluid-handling operations in the marine industry.
Wakeboard ballast pumps are nowadays used in boats to help create a larger wake by increasing the displacement and weight. This increases stability when wakeboarding. Also, wakeboard ballast systems reverse the tanks and empty the waters when the boats set sail. This makes the boats lighter and increases their speed.
Progressive cavity pumps as ballast pumps serve very well in the marine and ship building industries both offshore and onboard ship vessels, containers, rigs, and so on. Here are few of their application segments in this industry:
