2. Pump types
Centrifugal pump
| PT | EN | ES |
|---|---|---|
| Bomba centrífuga | Centrifugal pump | Bomba centrífuga |
Rotodynamic pump using an impeller spinning inside a casing to add kinetic energy to the fluid, then converting it to pressure energy through a volute or diffuser. Most common pump type in industry.
Variants:
- End-suction: suction in line with shaft, discharge perpendicular
- Split-case (PT: bipartida; ES: bipartida): casing splits horizontally for maintenance
- Multistage (PT: multiestágio; ES: multietapa): multiple impellers in series for high head
- Vertical inline (PT: vertical em linha): suction and discharge on same horizontal line
- Vertical turbine (PT: turbina vertical; ES: turbina vertical): used for deep wells, sumps
Normalized centrifugal pump
| PT | EN | ES |
|---|---|---|
| Bomba centrífuga normalizada | Normalized centrifugal pump | Bomba centrífuga normalizada |
Centrifugal pump whose external dimensions follow ISO 2858 (international) or ASME B73.1 (North America). Footprint, suction/discharge nozzles, and shaft heights are standardized; hydraulic performance is not. Two manufacturers’ normalized pumps in the same size class will bolt onto the same baseplate.
Why this matters in procurement: normalized geometry is cheaper to maintain over a 15-year asset life because spare parts and even whole pumps are interchangeable across vendors.
Gear pump (positive displacement)
| PT | EN | ES |
|---|---|---|
| Bomba de engrenagem | Gear pump | Bomba de engranajes |
Positive-displacement pump using two meshing gears that trap fluid in the spaces between gear teeth and casing. Flow is approximately constant per revolution regardless of discharge pressure (within rated envelope).
Two main variants:
- External gear (PT: engrenagem externa; ES: engranajes externos): two parallel shafts with gears meshing externally. Higher pulsation, simpler.
- Internal gear (PT: engrenagem interna; ES: engranajes internos): one driving gear with internal teeth meshing with a smaller idler gear. Lower pulsation, gentler on shear-sensitive fluids.
Gotcha: in Brazilian field practice, “bomba de engrenagens” (plural “engrenagens”) is also widespread — both are acceptable.
Lobe pump
| PT | EN | ES |
|---|---|---|
| Bomba de lóbulos | Lobe pump | Bomba de lóbulos |
Positive-displacement pump with two or three rotating lobes. Lobes do not contact each other; they are timed by external gears. Common in food and pharmaceutical applications because the gentle pumping action does not shear sensitive fluids.
Diaphragm pump
| PT | EN | ES |
|---|---|---|
| Bomba de diafragma | Diaphragm pump | Bomba de diafragma |
Positive-displacement pump using a flexing diaphragm to push fluid through check valves. Common variants: AODD (air-operated double diaphragm), motorized diaphragm, and hydraulic diaphragm metering pumps.
Gotcha: AODD pumps are often spec’d for chemical and abrasive duty but have lower volumetric efficiency than rotary pumps and consume significantly more compressed-air energy per liter pumped.
Axial flow pump
| PT | EN | ES |
|---|---|---|
| Bomba axial / Bomba de fluxo axial | Axial flow pump | Bomba axial / Bomba de flujo axial |
Pump where fluid moves parallel to the shaft axis through a propeller-like impeller. High flow, low head. Common in irrigation, drainage, large- volume cooling water.
Self-priming pump
| PT | EN | ES |
|---|---|---|
| Bomba autoescorvante / autoaspirante | Self-priming pump | Bomba autoaspirante / autocebante |
Pump that can evacuate air from its suction line and start operating without external priming. Most positive-displacement pumps are self- priming; centrifugal pumps generally are not, with specialized “self-priming centrifugal” variants the exception.
Gotcha: “autoescorvante” and “autoaspirante” are both used in PT-BR field practice. ABNT standardized “autoaspirante”. In ES, “autocebante” is the term in Spain; “autoaspirante” and “auto-cebado” are common in Latin America.
Magnetic drive pump
| PT | EN | ES |
|---|---|---|
| Bomba de acionamento magnético / sem selo | Magnetic drive pump / Sealless | Bomba de accionamiento magnético / sin sello |
Pump where the driver is coupled to the impeller through magnetic force across a sealed containment shell — no shaft seal, no leakage path. Used for hazardous, toxic, or expensive fluids where any leakage is unacceptable.
Gotcha: “sem selo” (PT) and “sin sello” (ES) translate as “sealless”, which can be misleading because the pump still has a containment shell — it just doesn’t have a dynamic seal subject to wear.
Submersible pump
| PT | EN | ES |
|---|---|---|
| Bomba submersível | Submersible pump | Bomba sumergible |
Pump and motor designed to operate fully submerged in the fluid. Common in deep wells, sewage, drainage, mining dewatering. Motor is hermetically sealed; cooling is provided by the surrounding fluid.
Sanitary pump
| PT | EN | ES |
|---|---|---|
| Bomba sanitária | Sanitary pump / hygienic pump | Bomba sanitaria |
Pump certified for food, pharmaceutical, or biotech service per 3-A Sanitary Standards or EHEDG. Surfaces in contact with fluid are polished to specified Ra, all dead spaces are eliminated, and the design allows full Clean-In-Place (CIP) and Sterilize-In-Place (SIP) without disassembly.