What is the most common use today for a positive-displacement pump?

The most common use today for a positive-displacement pump is as a chemical feed pump. Positive-displacement pumps are designed to move a fixed amount of fluid with each cycle, making them particularly effective for precisely delivering chemicals in wastewater treatment and other industrial processes. This precision is crucial for ensuring proper chemical dosages, which can significantly impact the effectiveness of processes like disinfection, coagulation, and pH adjustment.

While positive-displacement pumps can also serve functions such as water transfer, vacuum pumping, and pressure boosting, those applications might not be as prevalent compared to their use in chemical feed systems. Other types of pumps, like centrifugal pumps, are often preferred for bulk fluid transfer due to their efficiency in moving larger volumes of fluid at lower pressures. In vacuum applications, specific equipment designed to handle gas more efficiently is typically favored. Thus, the effectiveness and precision of positive-displacement pumps in managing chemical feeds underscore their primary role in modern wastewater treatment operations.