Effect of multiple peristaltic pump heads in series on accuracy

"Discussion on the Effect of Multi-pump Head Series on Peristaltic Pump Accuracy"

In some special application scenarios, in order to meet higher flow requirements or achieve specific fluid handling purposes, a configuration that connects multiple peristaltic pump heads in series may be used. This configuration will have a certain impact on the accuracy of the peristaltic pump, including the following aspects:

Flow Overlay Effect :

When two or more peristaltic pump heads are connected in series, their flow rates will be superimposed, and in theory a larger total flow rate can be obtained. However, this superposition effect is not perfect, because the flow rate of each pump head will be affected by the output pressure of the previous pump head, causing the actual flow rate to be lower than expected. In addition, due to the extra pressure loss caused by the flow of fluid between the pump heads, this will further reduce the superposition effect of the flow rate.

Pressure fluctuations :

Series pump heads will lead to fluid flow between pumps to produce pressure fluctuations, this pressure fluctuations may be transferred to the subsequent pump heads, resulting in flow instability. If the pressure fluctuation is too large, it may lead to cavitation between the pump heads, thus affecting the normal operation and accuracy of the pump.

Synchronization requirements ：

In order to ensure the correct operation of the series pump head, it is necessary to maintain the synchronous operation between the pump heads. The failure or performance degradation of any one pump head may affect the stability and accuracy of the entire system. Therefore, when designing and maintaining the series pump head system, special attention needs to be paid to the matching and coordination between the pump heads.

Effects of fluid characteristics :

The influence of viscosity, density and compressibility of the fluid on the series pump head system can not be ignored. For example, high viscosity fluid flows between pumps with a large pressure loss, which may lead to uneven flow distribution between pump heads. In addition, if the fluid has a high compressibility, then the pressure fluctuations when flowing between the pumps may be more obvious, thus affecting the accuracy of the pump.

 Challenges of Control Strategies :

In the series pump head system, more complex control strategies are needed to ensure the coordinated work between the pump heads. For example, it is necessary to precisely control the start and stop timing of each pump head, as well as to adjust the flow distribution ratio between pump heads. The implementation of these control strategies increases the complexity of the system, and also puts forward higher requirements for the accuracy and stability of the control system.

*Conclusion ：

In the design and use of peristaltic pump system with multiple pump heads in series, it is necessary to fully consider the impact of the above factors on the accuracy. By optimizing the selection of the pump head, the design of the control strategy and the maintenance of the system, these effects can be reduced to a certain extent, and the effective control of the fluid handling accuracy can be realized. At the same time, for specific application scenarios, detailed experimental studies and simulation analysis may also be required to determine the optimal pump head series configuration and operating conditions.