The Resonance Chamber System
Often it is the simplest ideas that yield the best solutions. Like the ND 100 – the first liquid pump with a resonance chamber system designed by KNF in the early 1980s. Connected to the suction side of the liquid pump, the chamber works as both a fluid regulator and a pulsation damper.
After many tests and studies, the first liquid pump with a resonance chamber is ready just in time for ACHEMA 1982 in Frankfurt. As the first pump of its kind, it really makes waves at the world’s largest process manufacturing exhibition for chemical engineering, process technology and biotechnology. This is due in part to the many disadvantages of the complex and fault-prone system customarily used to control flow rates at the time. In contrast, KNF’s new resonance chamber system is robust and follows the simple principle of using the kinetic energy generated when drawing in liquid.
A resonating diaphragm is the beating heart of this liquid pump. Attached to the suction side of the pump to form a chamber, the diaphragm resonates at the same frequency as the suction strokes. The volume of the resonance chamber can be adjusted using a simple regulator. Reducing the volume decreases the amount of liquid drawn in. Simple, ingenious and effective on many levels, the pump’s design not only allows the volume of liquid to be controlled, it also enables the resonance chamber to act as a dynamic buffer. The chamber balances out negative pressure peaks and reduces unwanted gas bubbles (cavitation effects) in the liquid being transferred.
The product’s unveiling at ACHEMA 1982 is a resounding success. Just one year later, KNF adds two new standard pumps with resonance chambers to its product range. Just like the other models, these pumps can be customized using KNF’s modular system by adapting the motor, diaphragm, eccentric and pump head to the customer’s requirements. However, since the pump is often used in laboratories where it comes into contact with aggressive liquids, the resonating diaphragm and inlet and exhaust valves are always made of Teflon.
The resonance chamber has stood the test of time. It is used in KNF liquid pumps in a wide range of industries today, especially in medical engineering and industrial digital printing technology. One example is the FL 10 liquid pump, which KNF designed especially for low-viscosity, aggressive media, such as those often encountered in hygiene applications. Since the resonance chamber can compensate for turbulence, it ensures that volatile disinfectants are transferred gently. And this is just one example of many possible applications. After all, the resonance chamber has become an integral part of KNF’s customized pump solutions, which in turn have been instrumental to the company’s success.
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