With
PASTE & TAILINGS
Valmet on reliable tailings flow control
Valmet’ s Flowrox slurry valves and hose pumps have been specifically designed with the demands of slurry handling in mining processes in mind. They are widely in use at mine sites around the globe. Ville Lindh, Industry Manager, Mining and Metals, Europe, Valmet Flow Control business line told IM that while centrifugal pumps provide high-capacity performance in handling tailings, hose pumps are a perfect fit to solve some of the most challenging applications, such as in thickening and tailings processes where slurry is highly abrasive or viscous.“ While their capacity may be more limited compared to some other pump types, their ability to handle tough media with minimal wear makes them a valuable tool in the engineer’ s toolbox for specialised use cases.”
A robust valve design incorporates heavy-duty body construction, reinforced sleeves, and actuators capable of maintaining consistent performance under high differential pressures. This robustness is critical for preventing fatigue over time, particularly in systems that operate around the clock. Similarly, pumps used for tailings handling must deliver consistent flow performance while resisting wear from both abrasion and the effects of present chemicals.
Pinch and knife gate valves, particularly those engineered for heavy-duty slurry service, are known for their long service intervals
Hose pumps are the optimal solution for thickened tailings with up to 80 % solids
and ease of repair. Their design allows for the replacement of critical components such as elastomer sleeves with relative ease, greatly reducing maintenance time and cost. Over the lifespan of a tailings transport system, these design efficiencies translate into measurable reductions in operational expenditure.
Most paste pumps are equipped with a dampening system for suppressing transient pressure surges caused by changes in the flow rate when switching from one piston stroke to the next. The pressure surges can be minimised by limiting the momentum change at the beginning and end of every pump stroke.“ However, not all dampening systems are created equal, and a poor dampening system design will negatively impact the operation of the UDS.”
Positive displacement( PD) pumps are often included in the design of a paste underground distribution system( UDS).
“ Paste backfill operations that require this type of pump do not have sufficient gravity head to overcome pipeline friction losses to deliver paste to all parts of the mine. The PD pump provides the necessary energy to deliver paste to underground stopes at yield stresses between 200 and 450 Pa typically
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