Oil Sealed Rotary Vane Vacuum Pump

In an oil-sealed rotary vane pump (or dry vane mechanism) an offset rotor fitted with vanes that slide in and out of their housing within a stator ‘chamber’. The vanes rotate and ‘trap’ a quantity of gas which enters through the pump’s inlet port and the volume between the rotor and stator decreases. The resulting compressed gas exits the outlet port to the atmosphere.
The oil employed for oil-seal rotary vane pumps is commonly a distilled mineral oil which has been molecularly doctored to provide a stable fluid with a low vapour pressure. In addition, if the pump is exposed to reactive or corrosive gases, the oil will be further processed to remove any impurities.

Automotive Industry
Oil sealed rotary vane vacuum pump play a crucial role in the automotive industry. They are used in various applications, including power brake booster systems, emission control systems, and engine management systems. These pumps help create the required vacuum for efficient operation and control of these systems.

Laboratory Industry
In laboratory settings, oil sealed rotary vane vacuum pump are utilized in a wide range of applications. They are commonly used in vacuum drying, vacuum filtration, rotary evaporation, vacuum distillation, and freeze-drying processes. These pumps provide the necessary vacuum levels to enable precise and controlled experiments and sample preparation.

Plastics Industry
The plastics industry extensively relies on oil sealed rotary vane vacuum pump for various processes. These pumps are used for plastic extrusion, where they help in removing moisture from the raw materials. They are also used in vacuum forming processes, where they create the necessary vacuum for shaping the plastic sheets or molds.

Food Packaging Industry
Oil sealed rotary vane vacuum pump are widely used in the food packaging industry. They are utilized in vacuum packaging machines to remove the air from the package, preserving the freshness and extending the shelf life of the food products. These pumps ensure a tight seal and help maintain the desired vacuum level throughout the packaging process.

Dry pumps rely on internal dimensional accuracy to create a vacuum, while wet pumps use fluid to form a seal. Oil-sealed pumps are wet pumps that specifically use oil to form a seal. Furthermore, a direct drive is used to construct many oil sealed oil sealed rotary vane vacuum pump. Each oil sealed rotary vane vacuum pump is constructed utilizing the same fundamental parts.

Rotor: The pump’s rotor is usually wound with copper. The rotor rotates in this electrical engine and needs energy. The spiral layout's stationary element is called the stator. It encircles the internal surfaces of the motor housing and carries electrical current.

Vanes and Blades: The vanes are large blades affixed to a revolving axis or wheel. The vanes form a seal with the wall of the pumping chamber to stop fluid from flowing back across the pump.

Oil Sump: The oil sump stores the engine oil needed for sealing. An oil pump will send oil out of the sump, through the oil filter, and into the engine block's oil channels. The sealing points are then used to restore the oil to the oil sump.

Suction Flange: A suction tube is attached to a hydraulic tank using suction flanges. They create a seal to stop fluid leaks and pollution from getting into the tank. The suction element is also made possible via flanges without draining the tank.

Cylindrical Housing: The housing covering the pump’s exterior is usually made of aluminum die-casting. The compressor is housed inside.

Motor: A device that transforms electrical energy (AC or DC) into mechanical energy is an electric motor. The motor's magnetic field and the electric current flowing through a wire winding interact to produce the torque applied to the motor shaft.

Float Valve: A float detects changes in elevation on an oil-free surface and reacts by opening or closing a valve.

Vacuum compression applications are used typically in processes like distillation, degassing, drying stripping, solvent recovery, evaporation, filtration, crystallization, waste gas compression, vapor recovery, reactor service, and gas boosters.
Many vapor/gas streams that need compression in process industries are toxic, explosive, reactive, corrosive, and wet or saturated. When you are evaluating the vacuum technology needed for a process, the first thing to do is to eliminate those pumping systems that are not able to meet the conditions for the process, which will include discharge pressure, gas inlet temperature, capacity, and vacuum level.

Liquid ring pumps are capable of taking on the dirtiest of processes. Their tolerance for harsh environments is high, as it also is for aggressively saturated air that can have or not have vapor loads. Vacuum pumps and compressors using liquid ring technology can also act as direct-contact condensers. When they are required to handle highly condensable vapor loads, the condensation occurs within the liquid ring and leads to an increase in pump efficiency, that leads to an increase in the speed of pumping over the curve of performance (cubic feet per minute/horsepower).

Vacuum pumps using the dry screw technology are more suitable to gas streams that are relatively dry and clean, and when there is zero tolerance to any process contamination.
These pumps achieve deeper partial vacuum levels and must be considered when you require vacuum levels below 10 torr, even though in these applications, multistage liquid ring systems can be used.
There is only one moving part in liquid ring pump designs, which is the impeller/shaft assembly. Bearings in these designs are outside the pumping chamber and in the rotating parts and the casing there is never any metal to metal contact.

Inspect the surrounding environment
Oil sealed rotary vane vacuum pumps require the right conditions to operate at their best. In the worst conditions, they have a greater chance of breaking down and creating a gridlock in your operations.
The airflow around your pump can be critical to its optimal performance. When the pump was first installed, the airflow might have been excellent. Check this frequently for any changes.

Conduct a visual pump inspection
Most oil sealed rotary vane vacuum pumps come equipped with a sight glass. This makes frequent visual inspection of the oil inside the pump a simple matter.
Clean oil will appear about the same color as vegetable oil, which is nearly opaque. As the oil collects contaminants, it will get darker. Highly contaminated oil will be dark brown or even black. By the time it turns this color, the integrity of your pump may be compromised, and it could need off-site servicing.

Do regular oil & filter changes
According to Blower and Vacuum Best Practices, dry pumps typically require an oil change in the gearbox about once per year. You may need to do this twice annually for heavy usage. In comparison, an oil-sealed pump could require an oil and filter change up to monthly depending on their usage and application.

Perform leak testing
By leak testing your pump system periodically after it's been installed, you can ensure that there is a vacuum-tight seal though the various connections. Eliminating these leaks can prolong the life of your pump and improve the quality of the work it produces. 
Keeping foreign elements out of your oil sealed rotary vane vacuum pump is critical. This includes debris, moisture, and oxygen, which are all contaminants that can compromise the integrity of your unit and reduce its effectiveness.

Create some leeway in your process
Every pump requires maintenance and downtime to operate at peak performance. Ignoring this fact is asking for trouble, and you'll likely find that your pump quits on you at the worst possible time for your business.