Hydrostatic Pump: Everything You Should Know

In hydraulic systems, positive displacement pumps called hydrostatic pumps are employed. Positive displacement involves trapping fluid and forcing it through a controlled channel. Continue reading, you will learn more facts about the hydrostatic pump.

What is Hydrostatic Testing?

A pressure vessel or pipe system is subjected to a hydrostatic test, also known as a hydro test, to determine whether it can withstand the pressure it is rated for while maintaining structural integrity. The object being tested must continue to have a specified PSI for the duration of that time without leaking or rupturing. The manufacturer or government agency regulations will usually specify the hydrostatic test duration and PSI rating for each application.

To carry out a hydrostatic test, which typically entails closing a supply valve, a closed-loop system must be developed. Most commonly, the pressurized fluid is water (from the Greek word hydro), and it is sometimes dyed to aid in the visual inspection of leaks. After equipment is shut down, repaired, or has been idle for a while, hydrostatic tests are frequently required to make sure it will function properly once it is restarted.

What Are the 2 Types of Pumps Used in a Hydraulic System?

There are two types of hydraulic pumps to consider: gear pumps and piston pumps. Piston pumps come in axial and radial varieties. In contrast to radial pumps, which can also produce rotary motion, axial pumps produce linear motion. The category of gear pumps is further divided into external and internal gear pumps.

How Does a Hydraulic Pump Work?

It does this mechanically by first creating a vacuum at the pump’s inlet, which then allows atmospheric pressure to force liquid out of the reservoir and pump it into the pump’s inlet line. Second, it forces this liquid into the hydraulic system through the pump outlet thanks to its mechanical action.

What is the Advantage of Hydrostatic?

Both benefits and drawbacks are associated with organisms that have a hydrostatic skeleton. They can swim and burrow with ease because of their supple shape. They are more adept at hiding from predators and can fit through oddly shaped passages.

What Are Common Hydrostatic Testing Applications?

Theoretically, a hydrostatic test could be advantageous for any system that needs to maintain a pressure greater than the surrounding atmosphere. The following industries and applications are the most common examples of hydrostatic testing:

Sprinkler systems. According to the code, a lot of sprinkler systems need to be tested on a regular basis to make sure they can operate properly and maintain pressure when activated. A pump is connected to the main sprinkler system line and pressurized to 250 PSI, which it must maintain for at least 15 minutes.

Critical applications, such as fire hoses, must be put through testing to make sure they won’t rupture or stop working while in use. Normally, they are tested before being put in fire trucks or transported to fire stations. In accordance with National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) requirements, inspectors will pressurize hoses to a minimum of 300 PSI and flood them with fluid.

Pipe manufacturers. Commercial pipe manufacturing facilities will put pipes of all lengths—especially those supplied to government agencies—through hydrostatic testing. They need to demonstrate that each pipe complies with specifications and that they won’t malfunction in crucial applications, like naval defense vessels.

In facilities where climate control is important, like hospitals, cooling systems, cylinders or coils for A/C or refrigeration units are routinely tested. These refrigerants are also used to cool electronics in industrial electrical enclosures and in military vehicles used in extremely hot climates. Cooling systems are used in municipal vehicles like city buses, and some state Departments of transportation may demand routine testing to guarantee their security and functionality.

Hydrostatic testing is used for a variety of other purposes, including the inspection of irrigation systems, gas cylinders, boilers, sewer water lines, plumbing, and oil and gas pipelines.

What to Look for in a Hydrostatic Testing Pump?

As you can see, a hydrostatic testing business might offer services to various sectors of the economy. Therefore, it will be necessary to use a pump that can function at various pressures that meet the required specifications.

A business might test fire sprinklers one day, fire hoses the next, and plumbing the day after that. When an application calls for it, an operator might use a pump with a 1,200 PSI rating and then reduce its pressure to 250 PSI to test sprinklers. In order to meet that threshold, the pressure of the pump is modified using a pressure regulator. In the sprinkler test example, once the pressure reaches 250 PSI, it will bypass any further pressure to keep the line’s pressure levels constant.

The real value, however, lies in maintaining constant pressure. An electric plunger pump is the best option because fluctuating pressure is not allowed during a hydrostatic test. A plunger pump’s pressure won’t fluctuate, unlike a diaphragm pump with flexible parts. Despite having definite differences, both are regarded as positive displacement pumps.

The amount of flow output that a pump can produce is another issue that operators worry about. They don’t want to spend the entire day standing around while they wait for a system to fill and reach the desired PSI. The system will fill more quickly with the higher flow rate of the pump.

You typically don’t want any less than 3.0 GPM for many applications, including fire hoses and sprinkler systems. Our 350U and 356U series pumps have a large range of flow potential when used with a pressure gauge and regulator. They can achieve a significant amount of flow and fill lines more quickly when operating at around 250 PSI, allowing operators to enter and exit jobs more quickly and saving money on labor.

Electric plunger pumps are perfect because of their consistent flow and pressure, quiet operation, and ability to be moved around to fit into small spaces.

In critical systems and the hydrostatic testing pumps used to test them, failure is not an option. Discover how our engineers can create a solution that meets your exact requirements and what makes Pumptec hydrostatic testing pumps different from the competition. A pump specialist is available right now.

Conclusion on Hydrostatic Pump

Two cavities make up hydrostatic pumps: one on the fluid discharge side of the pump that is shrinking and one on the suction side that is growing or expanding. Fluid enters the pump as the suction side cavity widens, and fluid leaves the pump as the discharge side cavity contracts or collapses.