It is used to increase the velocity of the material in the pipeline when the dredge has moved far enough from the plant that the main pump can't provide sufficient turbulence to keep the material suspended in the pipeline.ĭredging operations often balk at the idea of additional capital expenditure and the associated costs of adding a booster pump to the pipeline. A booster pump is installed between the primary dredge pump and the discharge point. At the same time, the dredge is producing less material to pay for wear parts.Īs long as the primary dredge pump is adjusted and working correctly, and it is being operated with sufficient power, a booster pump is the best option to improve pumping efficiency. Since the slurry now has a greater chance of becoming too dense, it increases the possibility of pipeline plugging and, at the same time, causes a higher wear-rate on the pump because of poor pump efficiency and increased recirculation of solids within the pump itself. If a pipeline is too long, the increased friction causes the slurry's velocity to decrease.īecause of this decrease in velocity, turbulence also decreases, meaning the maximum percentage of solids that can be safely transported in the pipeline also decreases. And turbulence is the key - because that is what keeps material suspended so that it can travel in the pipeline. Turbulence within a pipeline is the product of velocity and friction. However, the added benefits of greater production and less wear and tear on equipment means that a booster pump will typically pay for itself within a short period of time. It is true that adding booster pumps requires an initial outlay of money for equipment, as well as ongoing costs for fuel or power supply and replacement of wear parts. Because of this, the idea of adding a booster pump to the dredging operation in order to reduce costs may seem counterintuitive. Of course, there is always a cost involved in pumping the water/material slurry and the associated fuel or power required to do so. Once maximum pump speed has been achieved, further increasing the discharge distance causes the cost-per-ton of material moved to rise, while production declines. As a dredge moves farther away from the discharge point, the pump speed is increased to maintain a proper slurry velocity within the pipeline.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |