PumpLinx is a 3-D Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD

Computational fluid dynamics

Computational fluid dynamics, usually abbreviated as CFD, is a branch of fluid mechanics that uses numerical methods and algorithms to solve and analyze problems that involve fluid flows. Computers are used to perform the calculations required to simulate the interaction of liquids and gases with...

) software developed for the analysis of fluid pumps, motors, compressors, valves, propellers, hydraulic systems and other fluid devices with rotating or sliding components.

The software imports 3-D geometry from CAD data in the form of STL

STL (file format)

STL is a file format native to the stereolithography CAD software created by 3D Systems. This file format is supported by many other software packages; it is widely used for rapid prototyping and computer-aided manufacturing. STL files describe only the surface geometry of a three dimensional...

 files . It has geometry Conformal Adaptive Binary-Tree mesh generation tool which creates 3-D grid from CAD surfaces. For liquid devices, PumpLinx has a cavitation

Cavitation

Cavitation is the formation and then immediate implosion of cavities in a liquidi.e. small liquid-free zones that are the consequence of forces acting upon the liquid...

 model to account for the effect of liquid vapor, free/dissolved gas, and liquid compressibility.

PumpLinx provides templates for different categories of devices, including:
axial piston pump

Axial piston pump

An axial piston pump is a positive displacement pump that has a number of pistons in a circular array within a cylinder block. It can be used as a stand-alone pump, a hydraulic motor or an automotive air conditioning compressor.-Description:...

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centrifugal pump

Centrifugal pump

A centrifugal pump is a rotodynamic pump that uses a rotating impeller to create flow by the addition of energy to a fluid. Centrifugal pumps are commonly used to move liquids through piping...

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gerotor

Gerotor

A gerotor is a positive displacement pumping unit. The name gerotor is derived from "Generated Rotor". A gerotor unit consists of an inner and outer rotor. The inner rotor has N teeth, and the outer rotor has N+1 teeth. The inner rotor is located off-center and both rotors rotate...

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gear pump

Gear pump

A gear pump uses the meshing of gears to pump fluid by displacement. They are one of the most common types of pumps for hydraulic fluid power applications. Gear pumps are also widely used in chemical installations to pump fluid with a certain viscosity...

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progressive cavity pump

Progressive cavity pump

A progressive cavity pump is a type of positive displacement pump and is also known as a progressing cavity pump, eccentric screw pump or even just cavity pump. It transfers fluid by means of the progress, through the pump, of a sequence of small, fixed shape, discrete cavities, as its rotor is...

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propeller

Propeller

A propeller is a type of fan that transmits power by converting rotational motion into thrust. A pressure difference is produced between the forward and rear surfaces of the airfoil-shaped blade, and a fluid is accelerated behind the blade. Propeller dynamics can be modeled by both Bernoulli's...

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radial piston pump

Radial piston pump

A radial piston pump is a form of hydraulic pump. The working pistons extend in a radial direction symmetrically around the drive shaft, in contrast to the axial piston pump.-Construction:...

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rotary vane pump

Rotary vane pump

A rotary vane pump is a positive-displacement pump that consists of vanes mounted to a rotor that rotates inside of a cavity. In some cases these vanes can be variable length and/or tensioned to maintain contact with the walls as the pump rotates. It was invented by Charles C...

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submersible pump

Submersible pump

A submersible pump is a device which has a hermetically sealed motor close-coupled to the pump body. The whole assembly is submerged in the fluid to be pumped. The main advantage of this type of pump is that it prevents pump cavitation, a problem associated with a high elevation difference between...

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valve

Valve

A valve is a device that regulates, directs or controls the flow of a fluid by opening, closing, or partially obstructing various passageways. Valves are technically pipe fittings, but are usually discussed as a separate category...

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Those templates create an initial grid for special rotors; for example, grids around gears of a gear pump, and then re-meshes the grid for a moving simulation, and provide device specific input and output. The output from the code include velocities, pressures, temperatures, and gas volume fractions of the flow field, together with integrated engineering data such as loads and torques.

PumpLinx uses a single Graphical User Interface (GUI) for grid generation, model set-up, execution, and post processing.

Market

The software is used primarily by component and system engineers in the automotive, hydraulic, and aerospace industry as a virtual test-bed to study efficiency, cavitation, pressure ripple, and noise for hydrodynamic pumps, and fluid power equipment.