Study of operating modes of a double-chamber diaphragm milk pump

Abstract

Diaphragm (membrane) pumps refer to a class of devices with a reciprocating movement of the working body that are widely used in various industrial technologies and in everyday life. In agricultural production, these pumps are used in the production line of milking installations and for creating a vacuum in individual milking machines. The most important distinguishing feature of a diaphragm pump is the minimum mechanical effect on the pumped product due to the excluded action of centrifugal forces, which in turn excludes mechanical impact and foaming. Therefore, they are mainly used for delicate pumping of products, in particular milk. Another important feature of the pump design is its tightness that serves as a reliable barrier to isolate the working and external environments. A significantly smaller number of rubbing parts in comparison with centrifugal pumps ensures higher reliability and minimum maintenance. Analysis of modern designs of diaphragm pumps showed that their productivity and operational reliability can be improved as follows: two-chamber version; the increased usable volume of the chamber due to the diaphragm structuring; electric drive of the working body. The team of authors substantiated the design of a two-chamber milk pump with an electromagnetic drive, substantiated its supply to ensure stable operation of the milking installation throughout the entire milking time, and calculated the effect of the structured diaphragm diameter on the pump flow. The laboratory bench of the Department of Machines and Technologies of Agro-industrial Complex, Stavropol State Agrarian University, was used for experimental studies, and the estimated payback period for the developed pump design was found not to exceed 1.2...1.5 years.