The disc pump: A game-changer in CEM

The Lee Company does not use the term ‘game-changer’ lightly – the disc pump is a compact, pulsation-free micropump that enables the development of a new generation of smaller, more accurate, longer-life measurement and monitoring systems.

In recent years, it has become evident that particulate pollution poses one of the greatest environmental risks to health, as ultra-fine particles are more damaging over time than many gases due to their ability to penetrate deep into the body. 

With this revelation has come tightening legislation and a growing industry focus on air quality, worker safety, and environmental emissions – all of which are driving the need for a for a new generation of measurement and monitoring systems; from samplers and detectors to laboratory analysers and particle counters. 

Many of these systems employ a pump for active sampling, with some gas detection systems using changes in volume or baffles to reduce flow pulsation - the enemy of measurement sensitivity and accuracy. However, devices such as Optical Particle Counters cannot use these techniques as particles often get stuck in baffles, or ‘drop-out’ from the air stream when the air velocity slows down due to a volumetric change in the system. 

This is when the disc pump becomes a ‘game changer’ in CEM and any other applications where gases or particles need to be measured accurately: 

• Pulsation-free

The disc pump cycles at 21KHz, moving just a few nanolitres per cycle, which results in near-zero flow pulsation. This ultra-smooth flow removes the need for any pulsation damping and helps to maximise the signal to noise ratio, improving instrument accuracy.

• Silent Operation

The disc pump operates silently, with no mechanical vibration and a near infinite turn down ratio for accurate flow control, which helps to back up our claim of it being a ‘game changer’, especially if one considers the growing market for indoor air quality monitoring where noise pollution and sampling discretion also feature highly.

• Long life

The disc pump can offer extremely long life in many CEM systems and with closed loop control can provide condition monitoring for planned maintenance and reduced system intervention.

If you want to learn more, John Watson, the Technical Sales Specialist, will be giving a talk: ‘The disc pump: Enabling innovation in CEM through improved sample acquisition and handling’ at CEM 2025 in Room 1, 2:30pm on the 25th September.