Customer: Verification, Testing and Certification Company
Application: Abrasive slurry of fuel oil and coal dust
Equipment Supplied: Progressive cavity pump
Location: UK
Equipment Supplied
- Type: MN010-2
- Fluid: Fuel oil with suspension of 10% coal dust (<10 microns)
- Flow: 3l/hour @ 53 RPM
- Pressure: 3 bar
- Application: Research and development within the oil and gas industry
- Installation: Horizontal
- Pump body: AISI 316L / W. 1.440
- Stator: NBR
- Rotor: AISI 316L / W. 1.4404+HCP
- Voltage: 440V
- Motor: Coaxial gearbox with electric motor 0.37Kw, 4 Pole
- Seal: Mechanical - SIC/SIC/NBR – With flushing system
Enquiry
Castle Pumps received an enquiry from an R&D company that needed a pump for an abrasive slurry of fuel oil and coal dust. This fuel oil pump was to be installed as part of a test rig to be used for research and development within the oil and gas industry.
To be able to test the process in a controlled environment, the pump also needed to have a low flow rate which could be controlled by a variable speed drive.
Key challenges:
- Able to handle the abrasive nature of coal dust
- Requirement to control the pump speed
Solution
Progressive cavity pumps need the fluid to have lubricating properties to function and are also really good when handling solids or abrasive liquids, so we immediately decided this pump was right for the job. We also specified the fitting of a mechanical seal flushing system to the pump, as this helps to extend the lifespan of the wearing seals when dealing with the abrasive dust particles.
We selected a coaxial gearbox coupled to an electric motor to provide the low RPM needed to produce the low flow rate requested. Running the progressive cavity pump slower would also help with handling the abrasive content of the fluid. The motor was also rated so that it could be connected to a variable speed drive and operated with a control panel.
