A progressive cavity pump is a type of Positive Displacement Pump and is also known as a progressing cavity pump, eccentric screw pump or even just cavity pump. It transfers fluid by means of the progress, through the pump, of a sequence of small, fixed shape, discrete cavities, as its rotor is turned. This leads to the volumetric flow rate being proportional to the rotation rate (bidirectionally) and to low levels of shearing being applied to the pumped fluid. Hence these pumps have application in fluid metering and pumping of viscous or shear sensitive materials. The cavities taper down toward their ends and overlap with their neighbours, so that, in general, no flow pulsing is caused by the arrival of cavities at the outlet, other than that caused by compression of the fluid or pump components.

As is common in engineering generally, these pumps can often be referred to by using a genericized trademark. Hence names can vary from industry to industry and even regionally; examples include: Moineau (after the inventor, fr:René Moineau), Mono pump, Moyno pump, Mohno pump.

A progressive cavity pump also can act as a motor when fluid is pumped through the interior. Applications include well drilling.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progressive_cavity_pump