china high head centrifugal slurry pump manufacturer

As new coal-fired power plants come on line to meet the growing demand for electricity in the US and around the world, there is an increasing need to clean plant emissions to meet clean air regulations. Special pumpsxa0help to operate these scrubbers efficiently and handle the abrasive slurries used in the flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) process.

How much solids damage can the customer tolerate?

Dredge pumps are designed to transfer large quantities of fluids and solids.

The FGD process begins when the limestone feed (rock) is reduced in size by crushing it in a ball mill and then mixed with water in a slurry supply tank. The slurry (approx. 90% water) is then pumped into the absorption tank. As the consistency of the limestone slurry tends to change, suction conditions can occur which can lead to cavitation and pump failure.

Keep in mind that slurry pumps are designed to adapt to specific pumping conditions. Pumps used in the cement industry handle most fine particles at low pressures, so the casing can be of lightweight construction. In rock pumping, the casing and impeller must be able to resist slamming, so they must be built thick and strong.

The design of the slurry pump is critical to ensure that the abrasive and often corrosive aspects of the slurry do not damage the impeller. In addition, slurries and sludges may contain large amounts of unforeseen solids, which will inevitably clog many types of pumps. Since most centrifugal pump impellers have very tight tolerances on the worm gear, the abrasive (and sometimes corrosive) nature of the slurry will quickly wear down the worm gear and destroy the tolerances. In turn, this causes the pump to lose suction. This can lead to extensive downtime of the slurry pump, as well as expensive maintenance and spare parts.