Products, Parts, Processes, and Poetry #3: Hydraulic Pumps

Pumps provide a pressure
To drive motion to and fro,
They are the hearts of hydraulics,
Without them the oil won’t flow.

They can push out oil with pistons
Or with sliding pressure vanes,
Gear type or gerotor:
Form varies, but flow sustains.

Gear pumps are inexpensive
Giving less direct control,
They are not the most efficient
But they do well in their role.

Gerotor pumps are similar
Moving oil with gear mesh,
These pumps are efficient
But their pressures aren’t the best.

Vane pumps are compact,
Their vanes slide out from centerline.
They give moderate pressures
And efficiencies are fine.

But to achieve high efficiency,
And pressure to extreme,
You might just want a piston pump
On your hydraulic team.

Within each pump variety
There’s detail too you see,
Some pumps are designed for mobile.
Others? Heavy industry.

Do you have a closed loop system?
Use a hydrostatic pump.
Open loop pumps work best
When in the tank is where flows dump.

You’ll see hydraulic pumps
On the systems with oil within.
Look on military machines,
Agriculture, construction.

So give credit to the pumps
That pressurize when they are spun.
While there are many varieties
Each functions to get work done.

By Kanan R Wanha
Written 2024-12-1