EDITOR ’ S CHOICE SOLID & ABRASIVE HANDLING ?
NORTHRIDGE PUMPS
Why seal less pump technology is Key
We are often approached by customers with difficult to pump fluids , which they are having difficulty finding a solution for . Problematic characteristics include high viscosity , abrasiveness , and high concentrations of solids .
This will almost certainly require a pump which can deliver specified volumes of liquids without being affected by changing fluid characteristics such as its thickness , consistency or varying solid concentration .
Some products may require altering to ensure they can be pumped either by the addition of another fluid such as water , agitation or heating . One such example is wax , which in its natural state is solid requiring heating to flow .
Heating is typically performed inside a tank or heating vessel , once the optimum temperature is reached , the wax can flow into the pump for either transferring to another location on site , for spraying or another process .
APPLICATION BACKGROUND
We were approached by one of the World leading technical consultancies to the oil and gas industry with a unique requirement .
One of their processes involves coating the insides of pipework with a hot wax and sand mixture , normally 5 to 10 % concentration . They heat the wax in a large tank to 70 ° C to lower the viscosity enough to ensure it flows , they then need a wax pump to move 1000L / hr while producing 6 bar pressure to spray it through nozzles evenly across the pipework .
LOW MAINTENANCE POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT PUMP DESIGN
Our FMP30 peristaltic pump is an excellent solution for this application due to its seal-less and valveless design . They are outstanding at handling viscous , abrasive and solids laden fluids as there is only one component internally that encounters the fluid - the rubber hose .
As the internal rubber hose is the only wearing part , it makes maintenance quick and simple while the stocking of spare parts is low cost .
The internal rollers rotate at a slow speed and squeeze / contract the hose to force the fluid through at pressure . The motor speed is reduced via a gearbox making the operating speed of the unit very low , this extends the life of components when handling abrasive products such as sand , a huge benefit with this application .
CONSIDERATIONS FOR ABRASIVE FLUID HANDLING
The unique pumping action enables selfpriming , the absence of a mechanical seal allows dry running without damage and the lack of valves means there is no risk of clogging , all extremely useful characteristics when handling difficult fluids or for difficult installations . As the internal rubber hose is the only wearing part , it makes maintenance quick and simple while the stocking of spare parts is low cost .
As wax turns to a solid once cooled , this is something that could easily occur if the operator forgets to clean the unit and leaves the wax inside , the hose therefore adds another huge benefit for this client as is it the only component that needs to be changed in the event this happens .
Should this occur in other designs then it would involve the costly replacement of major parts or even possibly a complete replacement , making the handling of wax a very risky venture . To reduce downtime as much as possible , we advised this customer to keep a spare hose in stock along with silicone grease for lubrication to ensure the unit is quickly back in action should wax accidentally be left inside the pump to set .
If you are looking to handle viscous , solid laden fluid of high viscosity and are unsure of the most suitable way to handle such fluids , visit www . northridgepumps . com or call us on 01773 302 660 to see how we can help .
For further information , please visit www . northridgepumps . com
12 PECM Issue 59