Slurry pumping has become one of the most crucial processes in today's industrial age. It is the process of transferring a mixture of solid particles and liquids, where the solid particles can vary in their size, shape, and nature. The types of solid particles vary by industry and application. This mixture of liquid and solid particles is transferred using specially designed slurry pumps.
The principal mechanism of these pumps is to generate high centrifugal force using rotating impellers to push the accumulated slurries along the pipeline to the desired location or disposal site. These slurry pumps are uniquely designed to be different from other pumps. They are usually made up of wear-resistant materials to withstand harsh pumping conditions. They feature an open-impeller design to prevent clogging and to allow coarse or large particles, abrasive slurries, and dense mixtures to pass efficiently.
Why is Slurry Pumping Crucial?
Industries such as dredging, mining, agriculture, and wastewater treatment rely heavily on slurry pumping, as this process enables them to transfer abrasive, corrosive slurries. Since most slurries in these industries contain particles such as sand, rocks, chemicals, mud, tailings, or other industrial waste, they can damage pumping equipment or cause production interruptions. Other damages may include overheating of the pumps, increased energy consumption, seal failures, increased downtime, and more. Furthermore, environmental concerns escalate alarmingly if slurries are not disposed of properly.
Hence, removing these solid-laden slurries is crucial to maintaining operational efficiency, reliability, and ecological balance throughout the process.
Are Traditional Pumps Enough for Pumping Slurries?
Though traditional pumps have been in use for decades now, they are not efficient enough to pump or transfer slurries. These pumps often fail to withstand the varied nature, size, and shape of slurries and the particles they contain. In most cases, the solid particles present in the slurries cause wear and tear in the pump's internal components. This results in the degradation of pump components, such as impellers, inner linings, casings, pump seals, and other parts. As a result, the pump requires frequent repairs and parts replacement.
Also, since the size of the solid particles in the slurries varies, traditional pumps often clog, increasing downtime and operational costs. Clogging is also a reason pumps overheat over time, resulting in internal damage, leakage, high pressure, poor cooling conditions, and repeated operational failures. Considering all these conditions with the traditional pumps, the overall cost for parts replacement and operational maintenance increases over time, making the slurry pumping process extremely challenging and cost-inefficient.
Introducing EDDY Pump — Globally Trusted for Slurry Pumping
EDDY Pump Corporation is an American pump manufacturer known for its innovation in the dredging and pumping industry. The company is known for its patented pump technology that harnesses the power of synchronized 'eddy current' rather than relying on traditional impellers. This enables EDDY Pump to handle abrasive, large particles, and viscous slurries efficiently.
Today, EDDY Pump is globally known for its range of slurry pumps, including submersible slurry pumps, flooded suction pumps, and self-priming slurry pumps. These pumps are widely used and trusted across industries such as mining, dredging, oil and gas, wastewater management, construction, and others. They feature an open-rotor design that allows 30%–70% of the flow to pass easily without clogging or damaging the pumps. Their unique design can easily handle solids up to 15 inches in size, keeping maintenance costs low and increasing equipment lifetime and operational efficiency.
The build of these pumps is another essential feature that makes them almost invincible to wear and tear. They are built with wear-resistant materials that withstand corrosive, abrasive, and viscous fluids. They are versatile in handling virtually all types of slurries, from chemicals and grit to fly ash and sludge, and everything in industrial waste.
The unique design, patented technology, and robust build of these slurry pumps allow them to deliver maximum power with almost zero failures and minimal downtime. With continuous innovation, high-quality manufacturing, and successful project delivery worldwide, slurry pumps from EDDY Pump have earned the trust of industry leaders worldwide.
EDDY Pump Slurry Pumps in Brief
As a global leader in slurry pumping, EDDY Pump offers a range of slurry pumps designed to handle the toughest of slurries across industries. Their line-up includes: submersible slurry pumps, flooded suction pumps, and self-priming slurry pumps (electric, hydraulic, and diesel)
1. Submersible Slurry Pumps
The submersible slurry pumps from EDDY Pump are designed to operate fully submerged. Meaning, they can operate while being fully submerged in the liquid or source that needs to be pumped. They are designed to eliminate priming and reduce the risk of cavitation. Thus, they are ideal for pumping slurries with high solid concentrations. Additionally, their robust, heavy-duty construction enables them to withstand even the most challenging conditions. Thus, they are ideal for harsh environments and applications such as mining, dredging, and wastewater treatment.
The EDDY submersible slurry pumps range in size from 1 to 16 inches and deliver flow rates up to 12,000 GPM. These pumps can generate heads of up to 350 feet and a solid passage of 15 inches, depending on the model.
2. Flooded Suction Pumps
The flooded suction pumps are designed to operate with the fluid source positioned above the pump. This allows gravity to push or feed the slurry into the pump's suction. As a result, the pump remains primed, resulting in continuous slurry transfer with high efficiency. These flooded suction pumps are ideal for dredging, transferring highly viscous or abrasive material, and handling sludge, muck, and paste. This type of slurry pump can be installed in various configurations to suit the pumping environment, ensuring high efficiency, long service life, and minimal maintenance. They can also be customized with a variety of options to fit specific pumping needs. This makes them a versatile choice in environments that require high output.
The EDDY Pump flooded suction slurry pumps come in 1- to 16-inch sizes, with flow rates up to 12,000 GPM. These pumps have a head capability of up to 350 feet and a solids handling capability of up to 70% solids by volume.
3. Self-Priming Slurry Pumps
The EDDY Pump Self-Priming Slurry Pump is available in three variants — electric, hydraulic, and diesel. As these pumps don't require manual priming, they are highly efficient for applications that require mobility. They are ideal options for emergency dewatering, construction sites, and environmental cleanup applications that require frequent starts and stops.
The electric self-priming slurry pump is ideal for locations or environments with available power options. This pump ensures zero-emission pumping, long runtime, and 24/7 operation. It is a perfect choice for controlled environments with consistent loads. The electric self-priming slurry pump is available in 1- to 16-inch options with a power of 2.5–2000-HP. These pumps can generate a flow up to 12,000 GPM with a head range of up to 350 feet.
The hydraulic self-priming slurry pump is often considered the ideal slurry pump for power and control. As external HPUs power this variant, they can be mounted in remote locations or in mobile operations with limited power options. The hydraulic self-priming slurry pump is available with a power range of 2.5–2000-HP. These pumps can generate a flow up to 12,000 GPM with a head of up to 350 feet.
The diesel-powered self-priming slurry pump is a great combination of power and portability. It is ideal for heavy-duty applications in challenging environments, such as remote mining zones, flood-hit areas, and disaster response operations. The diesel self-priming slurry pump is available with an engine output of 20–2000-HP. Their flow rate can reach 12,000 GPM with a head of up to 350 feet.
EDDY Pump Slurry Pumps vs. Traditional Pumps
Slurry pumps from EDDY Pump stand out for their patented open-rotor technology. While traditional pumps operate with semi-open or closed impellers that typically have tight clearances, EDDY slurry pumps use a non-clogging rotor design. This unique design allows wider clearance between the rotor and valve, enhancing reliability and durability in harsh pumping conditions.
As a result, while traditional pumps become prone to clogging, slurry pumps from EDDY Pump can easily allow solids measuring up to 15 inches in diameter or 30%–70% solids by volume. This technology in the EDDY Pump reduces the contact between the moving parts and abrasive slurry, minimizing wear and maintenance requirements.
Thus, while traditional pumps often break down or require repairs, EDDY Pump slurry pumps operate seamlessly, reducing maintenance costs. With EDDY Pump, there is no frequent repair, downtime, or low efficiency.
All EDDY Pump slurry pumps are self-priming by design, construction, and nature. Meaning they can run dry for more extended periods, enabling easy startup and operation in challenging conditions. On the other hand, traditional centrifugal pumps require constant priming and are highly prone to damage if they run dry for long.
EDDY Pump also stands out for the materials used in its slurry pumps. Unlike traditional slurry pumps, EDDY slurry pumps are constructed from premium materials, including chrome, polyurethane, and stainless-steel alloys. The metals used in these pumps are engineered to withstand the most abrasive conditions and resist the corrosive nature of the toughest industrial wastes and slurries. This results in extended pump life, reduced downtime, and almost zero maintenance costs.
Mining Industry Use Cases
EDDY Pump slurry pumps play an essential role in mining by keeping the production line moving. Be it an open-pit or an underground mine, these slurry pumps keep transferring slurries and other materials that could halt the entire production line. The mining slurry pumps from EDDY Pump are designed to handle challenging conditions and ensure continuous operations and sustainability.
- Ore transportation: The mined ore is transported from the mining site to processing facilities using mining slurry pumps. These pumps further help remove abrasive particles from the ore mixture and maintain a continuous flow of the extracted ore.
- Tailings management: Once the valuable minerals are extracted from the ore mixtures, the remaining waste materials are discharged as a slurry foam called tailings. Mining slurry pumps from EDDY Pump help significantly transfer tailings to the tailings pond and other designated sites.
- Hydro transport: Mines that require transferring extracted materials across long distances use the mining submersible slurry pumps for hydro transport.
- Coke slurry handling: Since coke is an important component in the steel industry, especially in iron production, it requires careful handling and transportation. The mining slurry pumps handle these coke slurries, enabling efficient transport.
- Dewatering: EDDY Pump slurry pumps are designed to remove excess water from mining pits, excavation sites, and other areas, facilitating optimal working conditions.
Conclusion: The EDDY Pump Promise
With an innovative line-up of slurry pumps, EDDY Pump redefines slurry pumping across all heavy-duty industries and applications. Their pump harnesses the fluid dynamics of eddy currents, enabling their slurry pumps to outperform any other pumps in the market. Their open-rotor design has pioneered the transfer of slurries over long distances or in highly challenging environments.
EDDY Pump's range of slurry pumps has redefined slurry pumping and transfer through continued innovation and R&D. As industries today face both operational and environmental challenges, they are shifting towards EDDY Pump to stay ahead by adopting its technology and slurry pumps.
What EDDY Pump Promises
- Non-clog, high viscosity, high specific gravity, high abrasives, low pH pumping design
- 40%–70% solids pumping by volume
- Ability to pump objects of up to 15 inches in diameter
- 100% American made
- State-of-the-art research and development facilities
