Sliding vane fluid pump

A fluid pump comprising:

• a pump section rotor which is centered about an axis and which rotates about said axis, said pump section rotor having a pump section rotor central chamber and a plurality of vane slots arranged in a polar array centered about said axis such that each of said plurality of vane slots extend radially inward from an outer periphery of said pump section rotor and open into said pump section rotor central chamber;
• a pump section stator having a pump section stator recess therein within which said pump section rotor is located, said pump section stator recess having a pump section stator recess peripheral surface which is eccentric to said axis;
• a plurality of vanes which each extend in a direction parallel to said axis from a vane first end to a vane second end, each one of said plurality of vanes being received in a respective one of said plurality of vane slots such that each one of said plurality of vanes slides radially within its respective vane slot, said plurality of vanes defining a plurality of pumping chambers which expand and contract based on rotational position said pump section rotor relative to said pump section stator;
• and
• a positioning ring located within said pump section rotor central chamber such that said positioning ring engages each of said plurality of vanes and such that said positioning ring urges each of said plurality of vanes into contact with said pump section stator recess peripheral surface, wherein said positioning ring is radially aligned with a midpoint between said vane first end and said vane second end of each of said plurality of vanes.