Difference Between Piston and Plunger

Piston vs Plunger

Piston pumps and plunger pumps are two types of positive displacement pumps working based on a reciprocating mechanism. They are the most commonly used type of reciprocating pumps to transport gasses or liquids at a very low to 150 MPa pressure.

What is a Piston Pump?

Operation of the piston pump is based on the reciprocating movement of a piston through a cylinder where the inlet and the outlet flow are controlled by one way valve mechanism. They generate the largest pump pressures and operate at different speeds as per design. The efficiency of the piston pumps is as high as 90%, and the effective lifetime of the pumps are longer.

Depending on the alignment of the cylinders of the pump, the piston pumps are divided in to axial piston pump and radial piston pump categories.

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Plunger pumps share the same operating principles of the piston pumps but use a plunger instead of a piston in the cylinder cavity. However, the plunger pumps can provide higher pressure conditions than the piston pumps ranging up to 200MPa.

What is the difference between Piston and Plunger Pump?

• Plungers have solid plunger instead of a piston inside the cylinder cavity.

• Plunger pumps produce pressures up to 200MPa, while piston pumps produce pressure at a maximum of 150Mpa.