A variety of factors must be considered to ensure a satisfactory service. Here are tips for choosing the right >pump. In applications ranging from processing to wastewater treatment, plants often have to handle slurries. Handling this mixture of liquids and solids can be challenging and difficult. Some of the key factors in slurry pumping are the size and nature of the solids in the liquid and the type of wear they cause. Another is the corrosiveness of the liquid or mixture.

Process speed doesn’t have anything to do with choosing slurry pump impeller, but it does have an effect on the life of slurry pump impeller. It is important to find the sweet spot that allows the slurry pump to run as slow as possible, but fast enough to keep solids from settling and clogging. If pumping too fast, the slurry can quickly erode the impeller due to its abrasive nature. This is why it is important to select a larger impeller if possible.

Again, to meet life cycle cost considerations, pumps should be equipped with large diameter impellers for lower operating speeds and longer wear life, as well as field replaceable rubber liners that can be bolted on for quick maintenance. In a typical coal-fired power plant, two to five pumps will be used in each spray tower.

The dredge pump is designed to draw sediment, debris and other hazardous materials from the surface layer into the suction pipe and transport the material through the pipe to the discharge site. The pump must be able to handle common solid debris of various sizes that can pass through the pump, thus minimizing the downtime required for cleaning.

Slurry Pump

Light-duty Slurry Pump