1,1 Applications of Slurry Transport Vast tonnages are pumped every year in the form of solid-liquid mixtures, known as slurries. The application which involves the largest quantities is the dredging industry, continually maintaining navigation in harbours and rivers, altering coastlines and winning material for landfill and construction purposes. As a single dredge may be required to maintain a throughput of 7000 tonnes of slurry per hour or more, very large centrifugal pumps are used. Figures 1-1 and 1-2 show, respectively, an exterior view of this type of pump, and a view of a large dredge-pump impeller (Addie & Helmley, 1989). The manufacture of fertiliser is another process involving massive slur- transport operations. Li Florida, phosphate matrix is recovered by huge draglines in open-pit mining operations. It is then slurried, and pumped to the wash plants through pipelines with a typical length of about 10 kilometres. Each year some 34 million tonnes of matrix are transported in this manner. This industry employs centrifugal pumps that are generally smaller than those used in large dredges, but impeller diameters up to 1. 4 m are common, and drive capacity is often in excess of 1000 kW. The transport distance is typically longer than for dredging applications, and Chapter 1 Figure LI. Testing a dredge pump at the GIW Hydraulic Laboratory Figure 1. 2. Impeller for large dredge pump 1. Introduction 3 hence a series of pumping stations is often used. Figure 1-3 shows a boost- pump installation in a phosphate pipeline.
Vast tonnages of solid-liquid mixtures are pumped every year in dredging operations, mining and waste-disposal applications. Most of these systems are centrifugal pumps, and the resolution of problems encountered in slurry pumping requires both detailed scientific knowledge and judgment derived from practical experience. For many years, the combination of up-to-date analysis and hands-on experimentation has been provided to interested engineers in a short course based at the GIW Hydraulic Laboratory. The lecturers in this course, who represent a broad background of international expertise, have prepared this widely-recognized text, "Slurry Transport Using Centrifugal Pumps, Third Edition". This unique text is logically divided into two sections: the first part of the book concentrates on the behaviors of various sorts of slurry flow, and the second part deals with the behavior of centrifugal pumps handling slurries, and with how pumps and pipelines interact as a system.
"Slurry Transport Using Centrifugal Pumps, Third Edition" also includes: new material on both non-Newtonian flows and slurries of granular particles; new information on pump wear, solids effect, and system operation; updated and completely new material on pump selection and environmental aspects; and worked examples and case studies that stress practical applications. "Slurry Transport Using Centrifugal Pumps, Third Edition" will be of interest to all engineers and technologists involved in the large-scale transportation of slurries.
