Journal of Fluids Engineering · 1992 · 63 citations · 0 references
EngineeringMaterials EngineeringHydraulic EngineeringHydraulicsTransport PhenomenaHydraulic MachineryParticle SizeDensityParticle-size DistributionPump DesignPump OperationPump Performance AnalysisPump Performance ModelingPump Performance TestingPumps
The study used coal (1480 kg/m³) and zinc tailings (2850 kg/m³) solids up to 3 mm in size, testing both rubber‑lined and metal‑impeller centrifugal pumps. Experimental results show that solid density, size, size distribution, and concentration significantly affect pump performance, and a modified empirical correlation was proposed that better predicts slurry pumping behavior than existing literature models.
Experimental data on the performance of the centrifugal pumps pumping mixtures of solids and water have been presented. The solids used were coal of density 1480 kg/m3 and zinc tailings of density 2850 kg/m3. Maximum size of particles was approximately 3 mm. Tests have been conducted with a rubber lined impeller pump and a metal impeller pump. Effects of solid properties (viz: density, size, and size distribution as well as concentration of solids) on the performance of the pumps have been studied. The measured performance of pumps is compared with the predictions based on the correlations available in literature and a modified empirical relationship has been proposed for the prediction of the pump performance with slurries.