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Viking Pumps load vacuum gas oil onto barge in cold water environment
An Engineering firm recently purchased three large internal gear pumps through a local distributor in northern Illinois. In this case, the pumps were intended to be a prime mover for loading their customer’s product—vacuum gas oil (VGO)—onto a transport barge. Traditional pumping technology, i.e., centrifugal pumps, was not a viable option, as pump performance tends to vary based on product viscosity changes. Since pump operations were scheduled for during the middle of winter, VGO viscosity was sure to increase with dropping temperatures, making it harder to pump.