CFX CAFS eliminates centrifugal water pump and air compressor with a high-efficiency positive-displacement CEM Rotary Pump.

El Segundo, Calif. , CFX, Inc., manufacturer of compressed air-foam fire pump systems (CAFS) has recently captured one of the top three places in the annual Excellence in Design competition hosted by Design News Magazine. The contest, which features engineers, inventors and design teams from all fields of technology has become extremely competitive and often serves as a preview of upcoming trends and changes.

Pump designer Eddie Paul spent the better part of 16 years developing and streamlining his rotary cylinder pump concept before it was ready for introduction. He applied and received patent protection for his Cylindrical Energy Module (CEM) rotary cylinder pump in May of 1993, classified as an engine/pump/compressor "power module" by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

From the moment of its market introduction, technical experts as well as specialists in fluid dynamics have praised the CEM for its superior efficiency, simplicity of design and unlimited potential. In 1994, the first major prototype application of the CEM positive-displacement rotary pump went to the medical field as the critical component in an emergency ventilator system. The CEM Ventilator Pump was presented with the Editor’s Choice Award in Medical Equipment Designer Magazine, the first of many accolades to come. In mid 1995, the U.S. Dept. of Defense took notice of CEM technology for its internal combustion potential and, through the U.S. Army Small Business Innovation Research program, awarded a Phase 1 contract for the development of a new internal combustion engine/generator set based on CEM componentry. As word of this ultra-efficient pump spread, the diversity and number of applications increased.

Most applications have involved leading edge research and development with companies such as TRW, whose aerospace division conducted tests on the CEM pump for extreme high-pressure use in the Space Shuttle fuel system. Raytheon Systems recently subjected a CEM prototype to extended-cycle testing in a lubrication-free liquid carbon-dioxide dry-cleaning system followed by a 3000psi static housing test. And The Boeing Company is considering a major redesign of the Airborne Laser System to use a CEM pump in its cooling system Whether or not these prototypes lead to production is not an issue. The payoff is a wealth of data obtained from researching and testing with these high-technology companies and their national laboratories.

The CEM pump has the unique capability of flowing up to four separate fluids and/or gases in and, depending on manifold structure, four separate fluids/gases or any combination of the four, out. The CFX system uses one CEM Rotary pump to handle the three foam elements (water, foam surfactant and air). Until now, all CAFS consisted of a low-efficiency centrifugal water pump connected to an air compressor and a complex proportioning system to combine the three elements to make foam. With less pump, less plumbing, and superior volumetric efficiency, the lighter, smaller CFX CAFS delivers its rated outputs with a mere third of the drive power of other systems of equal output.

All the same, CFX owner Eddie Paul knows that it takes more than just having a superior design. This is why he’s chosen to maintain such a moderate profile in the fire pump market. "The fire service is rich in tradition. No matter how good the technology is, acceptance takes time," says Eddie. "We’ve got a good product here so we plan to give it all the time necessary to become part of that tradition.