centrifugal slurry pump parts

If you have experience pumping slurry, you know it is not an easy task. Slurries are heavy and difficult to pump. They can cause excessive wear on the pump and its components, and if they don't move fast enough, they can clog the suction and discharge lines. Most importantly, it can be a challenge to keep a slurry pump in use for a reasonable period of time. However, there are steps you can take to extend the life of your slurry pump and reduce the challenges of pumping slurry.

Many types of pumps are used for pumping slurries.The centrifugal slurry pump uses the centrifugal force generated by a rotating impeller to impact kinetic energy to the slurry, similar to how a water-like liquid would move through a standard centrifugal pump.

Light-duty Slurry Pump

Horizontal pumps are the most commonly used type of slurry pump and therefore have the advantage of being easy to install or maintain, a wide range of flow parameters to choose from and a wide range of design materials to choose from. One of the advantages of vertical pumps, however, is the relatively small amount of floor space required for installation.

Sites often rely on centrifugal pumps to provide slurry service. These pumps (and their associated piping systems) require special provisions that demand detailed knowledge of the properties of solids and slurries to prevent wear, corrosion, erosion and other adverse effects such as solids settling. Specifying the optimum combination of speed, geometry and material requires a proper balance of often conflicting pump priorities; this requires consideration of stable operation, maximum wear life, operational flexibility and minimum energy consumption.

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.