Demand for pumping system increases

By: Leandi Kolver 23rd March 2012 TEXT FROM ENGINEERINGNEWS.CO.ZA Recent increases in electricity costs and water shortages have led to higher demand for pumps manufacturer International Slurry Pumping Solutions (ISPSs) Phoenix pumping system, says MD Dr Murray Bredin. He states that the Phoenix system saves a significant amount of electricity and water, compared with normal slurry pumps, and adds that ISPS is considering larger-scale implementation of the technology. The Phoenix slurry pump has been on the market for the past year and the company is considering the potential of marketing the product internationally. There is international demand for the product but, at this stage, we are focusing on establishing the product in the South African market before expanding, Bredin notes. ISPS is currently assembling a pump unit to be installed at Anglo American Platinums Amandelbult tailings facility, in Thabazimbi. The unit will be shipped to site shortly. The pump will be used to pump tailings from the processing plant to the tailings dam, he explains. Bredin adds that a number of other companies are considering making use of the Phoenix technology in future projects. The Amandelbult installation will verify the energy, water and maintenance saving baseline. The advantages of the system include low water consumption. As the water is recycled continuously, no additional water other than the initial intake is required. The Phoenix slurry pump pumps clean water in a closed loop and transfers the energy from the water to the slurry. The slurry is kept isolated from the water by means of a highly flexible impermeable bladder housed within a pressure vessel. The water is pumped by a conventional high-efficiency (between 79% and 83%) water pump. There is negligible energy loss within the system but, overall, the slurry is pumped at just below the efficiency of the water pump. The system can be thought of as a positive displacement pump but with a water piston. Two vessels are operated simultaneously so that the water pump and slurry discharge pressure and flow rate remain constant. One vessel fills with water, while the other fills with slurry, Bredin explains. Further, he points out that, if there is a downhill slurry line, the Phoenix technology allows for the energy in the slurry line to be converted into water energy. The water energy can then be used to pump water back up the hill C an energy exchange system C or converted to electrical energy by means of a turbine C an energy recovery system. The energy exchange or energy recovery system is selected according to the overall requirements of the site. A pilot plant using this technology has been set up and tested successfully, and ISPS is currently working on the first full-size downhill unit to be shipped to Chile. Bredin notes that, in addition to the systems water- and energy-saving benefits, it also requires less maintenance than other pump technologies. We have longer inter- vals between having to do maintenance on the units, compared with centrifugal slurry pumps.