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When it comes to slurry transportation, familiarity with pumps and their parts is par for the course. However, it’s also important to understand what goes into each element of slurry transport. That understanding starts with a few basic questions: “What’s the difference between a slurry pump and a water pump?” “What makes a slurry pump special?” and “What kinds of slurry pump installations are there?”
Slurry pumps versus water pumps
What distinguishes slurry from other fluid types is the presence of a solid — gravel, copper, or sand — within a liquid. Although, in many cases, that liquid is water, a slurry may contain solvents, like acids, alcohols, or petroleum. Those non-water components, whether solids or solvents, make slurry pumps necessary.
In contrast to water pumps’ narrow and often inexpensive components, large replaceable slurry pump parts are made of sturdy, often specialized materials. These parts allow pumps to move nearly any type of solid within a slurry efficiently and safely. Water pumps, on the other hand, lack the hydraulic capacity to move solid particles and are unable to withstand the particle abrasion and chemical corrosion that slurries can cause.
What makes slurry pumps special?
Slurry pumps can withstand extensive wear due to characteristics such as: a large impeller diameter, shafts, bearings, and internal passageways as well as heavy-duty construction. On an industrial level, slurry pump features generate higher upfront and operational costs compared to water pumps. However, only slurry pumps can hydrotransport solid materials efficiently, and the long-term benefits outweigh initial costs.
Centrifugal force pushes something outward when it's spinning rapidly around a center.Centrifugal force pushes something outward when it's spinning rapidly around a center.
Key to slurry pump success is the generation of centrifugal force, which pushes material outward from the pump center. This contrasts with centripetal force, which pushes material toward the center. Slurry pumps must operate on centrifugal principles because the forces that impart velocity to the slurry accelerate the transport process. A centripetal pump, on the other hand, would be impractical since the solids within the slurry would accumulate instead of flowing freely.
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Slurry pump installations
Knowing these basics, it’s also important for anyone looking to install a slurry pump to understand the specific environments required for each type of pump. Three types of slurry installations exist:
- Wet — In this installation, the slurry pump and drive are fully submersible. This is necessary for certain slurry pump applications, such as underwater operations.
- Dry — In this installation, the pump drive and bearings are kept out of the slurry. The wet end — which includes the shell, impeller, hub or suction liner, and shaft sleeve or stuffing box — is free-standing and clear of any surrounding liquid. Slurry pump technicians install most horizontal pumps this way.
- Semi-dry — This special arrangement is used for dredging applications with horizontal pumps. Operators flood the wet end and bearings but keep the drive dry. Bearings require special sealing arrangements in this case.
Although this guide provides an overview of slurry pumps and their installations, there’s plenty more to learn. For those who want to better understand slurry pumps and their applications or need help deciding which pump and installation type is best for their applications, GIW Industries Inc. is here to help.
GIW can ensure you choose the right slurry pump installation to meet and exceed your slurry transport needs. To see a list of all our offerings and how they can benefit you, check out our
GIW Corporate Overview brochure.
Slurry pumps and water pumps are not one and the same, which rings true for other pumps as well. Each serves a different purpose, which helps to inform why they’re not interchangeable systems. But why, exactly, is a slurry pump necessary over a standard water pump in certain, specific applications? Read on for the full answer.
Know the Difference Between Slurry and Water Pumps
As mentioned, a slurry pump differs from a water pump in many key ways. First, slurry pumps and water pumps (as their names suggest) pump different materials. Slurry pumps pump mixtures of fluids not present when pumping hot water, hot oil, or thermanol, which can include or involve gravel, copper, sand, alcohols, acids, petroleum, abrasive mixtures, and more. Slurry pumps are specially made to handle these abrasive and/or caustic materials, having replaceable, durable, and robust pump parts.
On the other hand, hot water pumps are able to bear high temperature pressure, but don’t have the hydraulic capacity to pump solid or slurry particles effectively. Hot water pumps also lack the ability to stand up to the highly abrasive and corrosive nature of slurries.
Why a Slurry Pump Works for Intended Use
What makes a slurry pump so effective at handling slurry? It has many wear-resistant properties, including a bigger impeller diameter, bearings, shafts, and internal system. It also typically boasts heavy-duty construction—much more so than standard water pumps possess.
Due to this, slurry pumps can transport solid and slurry materials more effectively and efficiently. The other core component to slurry pump success is the utilization of centrifugal force. Centrifugal force propels material(s) outward from the center of the pump. Centripetal force does the opposite: It propels material(s) toward the pump center. However, slurry pumps have to perform on a centrifugal basis. This is due to the way in which forces produce velocity to the slurry, which fast tracks material transportation. Operationally, a centripetal pump would render ineffective for slurry, causing the slurry and solids to conglomerate together rather than flow freely.
Means for Slurry Pump Implementation
There are three main ways to pump slurry based on what the specific situation calls for. These are semi-dry, dry, and wet. Semi-dry installations are almost exclusively used for dredging applications that utilize horizontal pumping orientation. Dry installations are when pump drive and bearings stay out of slurry, and the “wet” end is free from liquid and stands on its own. Here, the wet end comprises the impeller, shell, suction liner or hub, and shaft sleeve. For wet installations, which Vulcan Pumps specializes in, the slurry pump and drive are wholly submersible. This is essential for a range of slurry pump applications, including those done underwater.
Vulcan Pumps’ HDS submersible slurry pump is built for long-lasting use through quality assured, U.S.-made manufacturing. Contact us for more info on this product, and how our locally inventoried parts and fast lead-times can benefit your operation.
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