Pump School: Slurry Pump Engineering and Industry Insights

Explore expert insights, technical knowledge, and real-world applications in slurry pump engineering.

lake house view

Pump or System Problem?

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Summer arrives, and it is time to forget about pumps. You go on holiday, but just when you think you have gotten away from the pump world, a friend asks you to look at his cabin’s water system, and so it begins. Tom isn’t getting any…
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impeller in a pump at the Hevvy shop

Defining Impeller Specific Speed

Specific speed is defined as the speed in revolutions per minute at which a geometrically similar impeller would operate if it were of such a size as to deliver one gallon per minute against one foot head. Although that definition of specific…
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contaminated packing seal

Packing Failure and Replacement

Packings are a very simple and cost-effective way to seal a pump. Incorrect selection of material type, poor installation practices and misaligned or bent shafts can all cause premature seal failure. However, there are two additional problems…
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What is a Pump’s Packing

No, it’s it has nothing to do with guns or firearms. Packing is a type of material used within a seal box in a pump to keep fluid away from the pump's bearings and or electrics. Originally, packing was formed from materials such as leather,…
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Cutless Bearing Vertical Pumps

If you have a pump application in a sump that is deeper than 7 or 8 feet, you probably cannot use a cantilever pump due to shaft deflection issues, and using a vertical column pump or a submersible may be your only option. Yes, tail pipes and…
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Taking A Look At The Specificities Of A Cantilever Agitator Pump

Our last discussion centered around the definition of a cantilever pump and how shaft deflection issues can determine maximum setting length. Today, I would like to focus on agitator pumps and leave non-agitator pumps for another day.  For…
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What Are Vertical Cantilever Pumps?

“Vertical cantilever pumps”, as the name implies, are pumps designed to operate with the shaft running in a vertical plane with some sort of cantilever component in their design. The shaft running in a vertical plane is self-explanatory, but…
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The Basics of Variable Frequency Drives, Part 3

In Parts 1 & 2, we discussed the basics of how VFDs work, looked at how to size them for centrifugal pumps and the pitfalls that need to be avoided. Today, I would like to discuss the advantages of VFDs. Ease of Varying Speeds It goes…
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The Basics of Variable Frequency Drives, Part 2

In Part 1, we covered how VFDs work and also discussed their use in controlling AC motors. Today, I would like to discuss some of the pitfalls associated with VFDs. Sizing for a driven RPM at less than 60 Hz There is a common mistake made…
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The Basics of Variable Frequency Drives, Part 1

Variable frequency drives are becoming more and more common within the pump industry. As such, it is important for pump users to understand the basics of VFDs. A Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) is a solid-state device that inputs a fixed frequency…
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Pumps & Best Efficiency Point

There are four important locations on any head/flow (H-Q) pump curve. The operating point (in blue). This is the point at which the system curve intersects the H-Q curve. The shut-off point (in red). This is the point at which the flow…
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blue pipes on a slurry pump system

Designing for Water Hammer

Previously, we have discussed the basics of water hammer, so today I would like to look at how professionals quantify it and take steps to design around it. To accurately calculate the pressure increase due to water hammer by abruptly closing…
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Understanding The Basics of Water Hammers

Wikipedia defines a water hammer (or, more generally, a fluid hammer) as a pressure surge or wave caused when a fluid in motion is forced to stop or change direction suddenly (momentum change). The pressure surge or shock wave generated can…
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How Does Impeller Tip Speed Relate to The Pump’s Head?

Previously we have discussed tip speed at some length, but to refresh you tip speed is simply the distance that any selected point on the peripheral of the impeller travels in a set time. In other words the “speed” of that point. To calculate…
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Moving Solids in a Pipeline Part 2 – Slurry Categories

In part 1 we discussed solids settling in a pipeline and how laminar and turbulent flow affect settling.  It may have left you with the impression turbulent flow is always the way to go but it does come at a cost. Wear is increased and energy/…
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The Particle Size 40% Rule Can Dictate Minimum Production Rate

We often hear customers say that there are only a few oversized particles in a deposit, and they will not present a problem. The truth is they will be a problem. Large particles are screened out and left behind if the pump has a screen. They…
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Moving Solids in a Pipeline Part 1- Laminar vs Turbulent Flow

No one ever wants to talk about unplugging a pipeline and one of the best ways to avoid that discussion is to understand settling velocities.  Keeping the solids within a pipeline moving is easy if the solids are slow to settle out of suspension.…
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NPSHA (Available Inlet Pressure)

Gain In-Depth Knowledge About Our Pumps & Industry In the last blog of this series we explained why a pump requires a positive inlet pressure and introduced the term NPSHR.  As promised, this blog we will investigate the…
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Pipe

Why Particle Distribution Matters

Previously we have spent some time discussing how particle size can be described in terms of different standards. It's now time to look at how the distribution of particles is important for people in the pump/dredge world. “Particle Distribution”…
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How to Define Slurry Particle Size

Accessing and describing the make of a deposit or a slurry is important in the selection of pumping equipment. Particle size along with particle distribution will affect pump wear, material selection, pipeline settling velocity, and how a deposit…
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Production by Weight or Volume?

We have previously talked about “slurry specific gravity” with a view to helping everyone understand its numerical value, but how does it really help pump owners? Today, we will look at how the knowledge of specific gravity can help us determine…
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