Wet prime pumps win in mining
MINES, quarries and construction sites deploy portable diesel-powered trash pumps to handle excess dirty water.
There are two types – wet prime pumps, where water is added to the pump chamber to prime the unit; or dry prime units, which use a vacuum pump to assist with pumping.
The huge advantage wet prime trash pumps have over dry prime units is their simplicity.
They do not require fancy priming apparatus in the form of complex compressors or vacuum pump systems.
Conventional dry pumps use an induction-style system, not designed for trash handling.
Wet prime trash pumps are one of the easiest pumps to set up, use and maintain.
With fewer moving parts, they are also the most reliable.
To transfer typical mine site or quarry water, experts recommend pumps capable of handling silt and sand-laden water without ‘choking.’
Wet prime trash pumps are designed to handle solids in suspension, which means big open ‘non-clog’ styled impellers.
The ability to handle solid-laden liquids including flood water, slurry, and even effluent with solid concentrations up to 25 per cent of the liquid volume differentiates them from the rest.
They can deliver flows of up to 6000 litres per minute (lpm) and heads as high as 47 metres.
Aussie Pumps manager Brad Farrugia said a lot of dry pumps are used for site dewatering because operators do not understand how simple the wet prime principle is.
Wet prime pumps require the pump cavity to be filled prior to starting for the first time.
The pump will subsequently self-prime as long as there is water above the impeller.
“Trash pumps have a lower investment cost and lower maintenance costs compared to vacuumed primed pumps,” Mr Farrugia said.
Wet prime pumps can last between 20 and 30 years with regular maintenance.
Dirty water is extremely abrasive, but Aussie’s range of trash pumps have hard-wearing internal components.
They feature high-grade SG cast iron impellers and volutes, plus silicon carbide mechanical seals for abrasion resistance.
Aussie Pumps produce an Aussie Pump Smart Guide that not only provides full technical information, weights, and dimensions on the full range of engine drive pumps, but also shows performance curves that enable the right pump for the job to be selected.
More information on Aussie’s wet prime range of Mine Boss transfer pumps and free copies of the Aussie Pump Smart Guide are available at www.aussiepumps.com.au.