Progressing cavity pumps for explosion emulsions
This falls into one of the more interesting applications we see - pumping of ammonium nitrate. We commonly see these applications in the mining market. Progressing cavity pumps are the pump of choice here because of the low shear that they apply on the product as well as the high viscosity of the explosive liquid.
Why is the right design important or what are some of the hazards users might experience when pumping ammonium nitrate?
- Deadhead pumping which is caused by cooled down emulsion explosive forming a plug or by a foreign object
- Dry pumping which generates excessive heat and may result in ignition of explosive residue
These are just some of the reasons the Allweiler branded pumps are the pump of choice. Allweiler pumps applied in this application are intrinsically safe and have met (or can meet) the necessary hazard operation reviews required.
Download your copy of our progressing cavity pump brochure, fill out the application data sheet and get the right pump for your application or contact us to learn how we can help.
Sean McCandless Industrial Market Manager Colfax Fluid Handling
Uh oh…my pump didn’t last as long as I think it should
The next section on our series on diagnosing or understanding pump problems, will focus on rapid pump wear.
Rapid pump wear is caused by either abrasives in the liquid or operation under conditions for which the pump is not suitable, such as excessively low viscosity or excessively higher pressure or temperature. If abrasives are a normal condition of the pumping application, as in slurry pumping, then pump wear will be a fact of life, and the best that can be done will include pump and drive speed selection that provides the best economic evaluation over the pump life cycle. While requiring bigger displacement and more expensive pumps, slower operation on abrasive service often pays back far beyond the initial purchase cost differential.
Wear due to abrasives in the liquid is a function of speed raise to a power usually betwen 2 and 3. If the abrasives are deliberately introduced, as when fuel oil additives intended to reduce boiler corrosion are brought into a system, they should be injected downstream of any liquid recirculation to insure that they do not go through the pump. Obviously, if abrasive foreign material is not supposed to be present, strainers or filters should be employed wherever possible and practical.
Rapid wear is sometimes not wear in the sense of a non-durable pump, but rather a catastrophic pump failure that occurs very quickly. Looking at the pump internal parts alone can frequently not provide much help in setting a direction to search. So, it is important to know what was occurring in the time period immediately preceding the detection problem.
Often, pump manufacturers offer a checklist designed to help you understand potential causes to failure. Contact your supplier today to discuss your issue and what supporting information they have available.
I'm also pleased to announce that our IMO pump brand has an updated Application Data Sheet. The data included in the online tool enables our engineers to answer your questions and projects request quickly and accurately. Moreover, you can consider products from the entire Colfax product portfolio.
Sean McCandless Industrial Market Manager Colfax Fluid HandlingThoughts and Comments from the Power Gen Show in Las Vegas
The Colfax Fluid Handling team was on display at the Power Gen show in Las Vegas. If you attended the show, hopefully you had a chance to come by and say hello. Overall, I thought the show attendance was greater than the 2009 Las Vegas show, but less than the 2010 show in Orlando.
The quality of leads generated at the show was, however, solid and the Colfax team was fortunate to talk with people who -
- Had problems with water in their lubrication Oil (recommend the ThermoJet or PurLube)
- Was interested in pumping sulfuric acid within the environmental system of his plant (recommended the Zenith metering pump)
- Was interested in using a progressing cavity pump in a vertical configuration to save space in his sump (recommended the Allweiler branded progressing cavity or Emtec pump)
- Needed to understand how to size three screw pumps for a fuel oil plant that they were building in the Middle East (recommended the IMO or Allweiler branded three screw pump)
These were only some of the applications that we discussed with show attendees. These leads also show the diversity and flexibility of the Colfax portfolio and the global coverage that we offer our customers.
Finally, we always welcome the opportunity to conduct a lunch and learn seminar for your associates. We offer topics such as the basics of centrifugal vs. positive displacement pumps, design and considerations for lubrication oil systems and three and two screw pumps benefits and design considerations. If you're interested, let me know.
Sean McCandless Industrial Market Manager Colfax Fluid Handling