Engineering News and Mining Weekly
New dewatering pumps enhance mine water management
Although effective pump systems for water drainage are available on the market, the high sediment load of up to %, varying acidity value of mine water and the considerable energy consumption of dewatering pumps, continue to pose a challenge to Australian plant manufacturer Murray Engineering.
To address its heavy-duty requirements, the company has enlisted NEMO SY progressing cavity pumps, from German supplier NETZSCH Pumpen and Systeme, for their dewatering systems. NETZSCH Pumpen and Systeme reports that the mining industry faces a perpetual struggle against the ingress of rain and groundwater into operations.
The NEMO SY progressing cavity pumps are e cient in pumping mine water that is rich in sediments, at a running speed with a consistent ow and pressure, thereby ensuring that energy consumption in mine water management operations is reduced.
In addition to a metal lter screen, which lters larger solids before they pass into the pump, the NEMO SY unit is equipped with paddles – blades mounted on the coupling rod, keeping stones as well as slurry in the intake housing suspended, thus preventing blockages.
As such, the drainage system achieves a ow of, for example, m/h at a pressure of -bar, and an operating speed of rpm. This lowers the energy consumption of the pump to just kW.
To work with the local geological conditions, as well as climatic conditions of the respective applications and to protect against abrasion, all system parts of the NEMO SY are available in dierent materials, including coated stainless steel or duplex steel, thereby reducing the negative impacts or machine damage caused by stones and slurry. nd
This new system also boasts an increased service lifespan of up to ve times compared with older, or more traditional, systems.