Brushless DC pump is a new type of dc water pump that has emerged in the past 20 years or so. Its essence is a BLDC motor which drives the impeller on the rotor makes it rotate at high speed and generate centrifugal force to pressurize the liquid to achieve the purpose of transporting the liquid.
Due to its advantages in low price, small size, high-efficiency, long lifespan, safety, quiet, brushless dc water pumps are widely used as a fluid transport functional component in various equipment and industries, agriculture, civil and other fields, it very popular in the market. So, what is a brushless DC pump, what is its structure, what are its advantages, what power sources can power it, how to choose, how to use, and how to maintain it? As a world technology leading brushless DC pump manufacturer, below, we will answer you one by one.
A brushless dc pump is built by a bldc motor. So, what is a brushless dc motor?
A brushless DC motor (BLDC) is a dc motor that uses an electronic commutator instead of the traditional carbon brush commutator. It primarily consists of a stator, rotor, position sensor, and electronic commutator. It offers advantages such as high efficiency, high reliability, low noise, and long life, making it widely used in many fields.
The working principle of a brushless DC motor can be broken down into the following steps:
When a DC power supply is connected to the motor’s input, the electronic commutator controls the current flow in the coils based on the signal from the position sensor, generating a magnetic field in the stator. This magnetic field interacts with the permanent magnets on the rotor, generating torque and causing the rotor to rotate. The position sensor detects the rotor’s position in real time and transmits the signal to the electronic commutator. Based on the position sensor’s signal, the electronic commutator adjusts the current flow in the coils in real time to maintain interaction between the magnetic field and the rotor’s permanent magnets, allowing the rotor to continue rotating. After the motor reaches stable operation, the electronic commutator and position sensor work together to achieve brushless commutation, ensuring continuous and stable operation.
Before running the brushless DC water pump , it need to fill the pump chamber with water to eliminate the air in it. After connecting the DC power supply to start the water pump motor, the motor controller controls the direction and magnitude of the current to generate a rotating magnetic field between the permanent magnets and windings on the rotor, which in turn drives the permanent magnets (rotor) to rotate. The impeller on the rotor begins to rotate at high speed with the rotor under the action of electromagnetic force, thereby driving the water between the blades to rotate at high speed with the blades. The impeller rotates at high speed to produce centrifugal force on the water. At this time, the water is thrown out from the center of the impeller and obtains kinetic energy. At the same time, it leaves the outer edge of the open impeller at a high speed and then enters the pump head volute.
In the volute of the pump head, due to the bending and elongation of the flow channel, the speed of the water is reduced and the kinetic energy is converted into pressure energy, and the water is pushed into the drain pipe by high pressure. Since the impeller continues to operate along with the motor, a negative pressure is generated in the pump chamber, so water is continuously sucked into the pump chamber under the action of atmospheric pressure, and then continuously discharged out of the pump chamber and pump casing through the work of the impeller. This is How the brushelss dc pumps working principle.
Brushless motor DC water pump is mainly composed of brushless DC motor, impeller, pump shell and pump chamber. The shaft of the motor is connected to the impeller. As there is a gap between the stator and the rotor of the motor, there is a possibility that water can penetrate into the inside of the motor when the water pump is working for a long time. In this cae it increases the possibility of short circuiting the windings and causing damage to the motor. However, the cost of this type of water pump is relatively low and the efficiency is high.
Unlike brushed DC motors that rely on carbon brushes for commutation, brushless DC motor use circuit programs or electronic components for commutation, so, there is no problem of carbon brush commutation wear which lead to a greatly limited working lifespan. Therefore, working lifespan of brushless DC water pump is much longer than that of the brush motor water pump and the brushless motor water pump. And as the stator part and the rotor part are completely isolated, also the stator and circuit board parts are potted with epoxy resin, pump’s waterproof performance is very high and can be used as a submersible pump. At the same time, the brushless DC pump also has the characteristics of low operating noise, small size, high efficiency, stable performance, adjustable parameters, and wide voltage operation,etc.
Take the brushless DC water pump out of the packaging box and find out the positive and negative poles of the power cord. Generally speaking, the red wire is the positive pole and the black wire is the negative pole. If the power cord of the water pump you buy is of another color, you no need to worry. You can just check the water pump test report that comes with the product to know the positive and negative poles of the power wire.
When the water inlet of a brushless DC water pump is blocked, larger debris in the water will enter the water pump along with the water. It will wear the impeller, pump casing and shaft, etc., seriously affecting the working lifespan of the pump.Therefore, you should clean the debris which in the water inlet and pump cavity in time. You should replace the components such as impellers and shafts in time, if they are damaged beyond repair.
If you find a fault with the water pump when using it, you should eliminate it in time and do not let the pump work “sickly”. For example, when you find that the water pump bearings are severely worn, you should replace the bearings in time, otherwise the water pump will consume too much energy and cavitation will occur, which will accelerate the damage of the impeller and directly affect the working lifespan of the water pump. For another example, if you find the pump vibrating violently, you should stop it immediately for inspection. And you should replace the shaft in time, if you find it is deformed.
Due to the many advantages of brushless DC water pumps, especially the very high reliability, it is generally difficult for brushless DC water pumps to fail except for use failures caused by congenital manufacturing defects. However, if the operator does not follow the usage conditions and correct usage methods of the water pump provided by the manufacturer, and operates the water pump illegally, it is likely to cause the water pump to malfunction. So how to repair the water pump when such a malfunction occurs? Let we explain to you one by one:
Maybe the internal seal of the pump head is damaged or the filter is not installed. At this point, it is necessary to replace the internal seal of the pump head or reinstall the filter.
It should be noted that safety operating procedures should be followed to ensure that the power is disconnected. In addition, if the cause of the fault cannot be determined or cannot be repaired, professionals should be contacted for repair.
You should remove all the screws and clean them with a wire brush, and lubricate them before installation on the pump to prevent the screws from rusting, when the brushless DC pump is not used for a long time. By doing so, prevents the screws from rusting and cannot be removed when the water pump is not used for a long time. This will also cause the pump head cover to be unable to be opened to repair the pump when the water pump’s sealing ring or shaft or impeller fails.
The fuel system of a racecar is the gatekeeper to how much power it can make. Careful thought needs to go into each part of the fuel system and the fuel pump is the star of the show. Brushless fuel pumps are a great way to build a strong fuel system since they’re super-efficient and are sized to fit in the tightest of spaces around a vehicle.
Each fuel system is going to be different since every application they’re used in will have its own requirements. An EFI or carbureted engine can benefit from a brushless fuel pump providing its go-go juice, but a lot of people might not understand what these pumps bring to the table. So we sat down to chat with Rob Scharfenberg from Fuelab to learn more about brushless fuel pumps and the advantages they provide.
Brushless Fuel Pump Basics
Brushed motors operate in an entirely different way than a brushless motor, so it’s important to understand how a brushed motor works to see the difference.
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit PJM AUTOMATION.
A brushed electrical motor has brushes that keep the motor turning through the process of changing the direction electricity flows through the wire windings of the motor. The magnetic force that’s created by this process is what propels the electric motor. The brushes are interacting with the commutator on the motor and this is what allows the electricity to change directions.
Brushless motors use a totally different structure than a brushed electric motor, and Scharfenberg explains in what ways this is the case.
“A brushless motor has more of a ‘flipped’ structure compared to conventional DC Brushed motors, wherein the magnets rotate with the windings being stationary. Electronics are required to commutate or change electrical flow within the windings to allow the motor to rotate. The electronics used for such assembly can be advanced enough to allow variable speed to occur upon signal input from the outside world.”
The electronics required by a brushless fuel pump are different from what a brushed fuel pump needs, as well. The brushless fuel pump’s electronics might also require a special mounting location based on the application.
“The electronics controls what current goes into the different motor windings in the brushless motor. The electronics need to be there to control the entire system. These electronics are what go in between the power going into the motor and the motor phase wiring. Typically, you’ll see the external controller when you want to keep the electronics on the outside of the fuel tank,” Scharfenberg says.
Having a greater efficiency has the biggest benefit, it allows for a lower current draw and less heat to be added into the fuel system itself. – Rob Scharfenberg, Fuelab
The most important part of the electronics required to run a brushless fuel pump is a speed controller feature. A speed controller is the brains of the pump and it controls how fast the pump needs to spin; as the engine requires more fuel, the pump can be commanded to move faster, to flow the required amount of fuel by the ECU or other means. This technology is part of the reason a brushless fuel pump is so efficient: it makes sure the pump is running wide open constantly.
A brushless fuel pump doesn’t use any type of radical flow system to move fuel — these pumps actually take on all the same forms of a brushed fuel pump. This means you don’t have to worry about how the pump will move fuel since it’s available in a screw-style pump, a positive displacement-style pump, and even a turbine-style pump.
The Advantages Of A Brushless Fuel Pump
Now that you know a little bit about brushless fuel pump basics, the question needs to be asked, why should you think about getting one? The brushed electric motor has been around for a very long time and its abilities have certain limits — that’s where the brushless fuel pump can help.
A fuel pump with a brushless motor is going to have several distinct advantages over a fuel pump with a brushed motor. The biggest of these is how efficiency. We talked about earlier how the electronics allow a brushless fuel pump to match the pace of the engine in fuel delivery, and that makes it highly efficient.
One of the advantages of a brushless pump is we can get a lot of power out of a system and reduce the size of the packaging. -Rob Scharfenberg, Fuelab
“Having a greater efficiency has the biggest benefit — it allows for a lower current draw and less heat to be added into the fuel system itself. More power being transmitted to a fuel pump will turn into heat, and since a brushless fuel pump requires less power by being more efficient, it will generate less heat. The brushless fuel pump’s efficiency also makes it less taxing on the electrical system of the car,” Scharfenberg explains.
Fuel pumps with brushed motors draw a lot of current and that means they’re going to generate a lot of heat as they run. A brushless pump is going to reduce the load on your vehicle’s electrical system and this also means the pump won’t be getting nearly as hot. A pump that doesn’t get hot thanks to less current draw has a unique benefit — it’s not going to transfer nearly as much heat into your fuel as your vehicle runs for extended periods of time.
“The lower the amount of current draw, the less heat that goes into the system,” Scharfenberg states. “It helps with the overall reliability of your fuel system because if your fuel gets too hot, it becomes prone to cavitation…a vapor lock type of condition. If your fuel is exposed to additional heat, it can lead to a loss in fuel pressure and a host of other issues.”
Fuel compatibility is also a huge advantage for brushless over brushed fuel pumps. A brushless fuel pump will work with gasoline, E85, methanol, and even diesel. The fuel actually flows through the pump and electric motor itself in a brushless fuel pump — this is done to help cool the pump and make it easier to seal up.
“A brushless system doesn’t require you to worry about the commutator and how it reacts with the fuel as you do with a brushed motor, Scharfenberg explains. “Mechanical brushes that are exposed to fuel are going to cause compatibility issues. Fuel like E85 can be corrosive and the lubricity can be low…that’s hard on parts inside a brushed motor. With a brushless system, there is no wear since there’s nothing moving other than the shaft itself.”
Racers need fuel pumps that can move a tremendous amount of fuel quickly, but they also don’t want a giant fuel pump that adds a lot of weight or is hard to mount. The brushless fuel pump has both of these attributes thanks to their technology.
“One of the primary advantages of a brushless pump is we can get a lot of power out of a system and reduce the size of the packaging. Most brushed fuel pumps use a ceramic-based magnet that has a low flex density. A brushless system uses a neodymium magnet system that’s much stronger and has a higher performance level. For high-horsepower applications, it really becomes more significant since you need a bigger fuel pump, Scharfenberg says.
Brushless fuel pumps provide a lot from a performance standpoint that makes them a great fit for high-performance applications. These pumps are vastly more efficient than a standard pump that uses a brushed electrical motor, they won’t add additional heat to your fuel, and they don’t take up a lot of real estate thanks to their compact size. If you’re thinking about upgrading your fuel system, making the switch to a brushless fuel pump is worth examining if you want some extra performance and reliability.
Are you interested in learning more about Brushless Pump? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!