The name of the diaphragm pump is derived from the RUBBER MEMBRANE that the pump uses to achieve its pumping action. The diaphragm works on an air displacement principle. ... When the diaphragm is extended the slurry, or whatever is being pumped, is sucked into the diaphragm chamber through the intake line.
Diaphragm pumps work like bicycle pumps, with one intake and one output cycle per revolution of the drive motor, which produces an inherently pulsatile flow.
Diaphragm pumps offer a number of features that could be valuable to designers of products that require the movement of gases and fluids: they are relatively inexpensive; capable of flow, pressure and vacuum levels suited to mobile or stationary applications; and they are configurable, efficient and durable, with no sliding seals.
One of their biggest advantages is that the fluid path is completely sealed from the environment, making them ideal for handling sensitive gases and fluids. The smallest ones are about 30mm (1”) long and fit in the palm of your hand, weighing only a dozen grams (under a half ounce) for moving or sampling small amounts of air or gas. Heavy-duty industrial diaphragm pumps can weigh hundreds of pounds for process applications involving chemicals, fluids and gases.
The internal workings of a diaphragm pump.
