Does an in-line 1-5psi air pump exist?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Hepth
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Air Pump
AI Thread Summary
An in-line air pump that operates at 1-5 psi and is powered by DC or AC is difficult to find, with many search results dominated by automotive pumps. The user is seeking a compact solution similar to in-line water pumps, but smaller and more efficient. Suggestions include looking at miniature air pumps and aquarium air pumps, which are low-cost and suitable for low volume and pressure applications. Industrial options from manufacturers like Gast or Thomas were also recommended for more robust needs. The user may need to reconsider their layout or product requirements to find a suitable solution.
Hepth
Science Advisor
Gold Member
Messages
457
Reaction score
40
I've been trying to find a product to no avail (lest I disassemble something myself).

What I'm looking for is an in-line air pump, powered by either DC or AC (DC preferred). So electric motor. In/Outlets are just small for rubber tubes. It doesn't have to be too strong. It will be moving air, not water (which I know creates problems with cooling sometimes in electric motors).

I haven't been able to find it, but I have found those portable balloon-inflaters. I guess that's about the strength I'd need (maybe 1-4psi?). But they're large, and the inlet is the width of my hand, while the outlet nozzle is 1/4". So a large fan, medium rpm, large inlet.

I guess the physical size I'm looking for is something of the order of those in-line water pumps for hoses that are powered by drills. Smaller fan, higher rpm, smaller inlet.

Does anyone have any ideas? Its tough to find online as air/water/fuel pumps from automotive really flood the search results.
 
Engineering news on Phys.org
I googled "miniature air pump" and this was on the first page:
http://www.sensidyne.com/micro-and-miniature-air-pumps/aaa-series-micro-air-pump.php

You probably won't find a rotary pump that small, because the inefficiency due to leakage round the tips of the impellers etc is worse for small pumps than for large ones. To make an efficient small rotary air pump needs "swiss watchmaking" manufacturing tolerances, so they aren't something you can sell for $10. You would also need much higher RPMs than you would get from an electric drill (small turbochargers can run at speeds up to 100,000 RPM, for example).
 
Ah yes, I'm NOT using an electric drill, just was looking for something that had a similar form factor as the water-drill one (in-line, so that I don't have to use a bunch of elbows, as I would with this one.)

Thanks though, I may just have to rethink the layout.

I don't know how I didn't see it. I guess I was in the shopping tab and those didn't show up there, and I kept including inline.

Thanks! I may order the AAA one.
 
Not sure if it would work for your application, but any aquarium shop will sell small air pumps for aerating the water. These are low volume, low pressure reciprocating pumps, quite inexpensive.
 
Back
Top