Scale Muncher
In a variety of industrial applications, pumps are required to transfer fluids that contain a collection of solid and semi solid material. Such slurries have the ability to clog the passages of impellers, thereby rendering the pump ineffective. In the alumina refinery process, bauxite is first dissolved in a hot caustic soda solution. The resulting bauxite/caustic slurry is then graded on a size fraction with the fine fraction directed to a settling or thickening stage to remove the undissolved impurities in the slurry from the alumina rich liquor. At this stage the settled mud slurry is extracted with the aid of a rake assembly, polymer addition and diluting streams via dual underflow pumps with associated scale traps. In a variety of industrial applications, pumps are required to transfer fluids that contain a collection of solid and semi solid material. The scale traps are designed to protect the underflow pumps from oversized aggregates that can block and/or damage the impeller assembly. These scale traps must be cleaned on a regular basis to ensure maximum life is achieved from the thickener tanks. To clean a scale trap the underflow pump must be first brought off line, then after isolation, the trap can be cleaned. As most scale traps are elevated at a height of approximately one metre, this involves manually pulling the basket from the trap at that height and supportingt the weight of the basket (20kg typical) as it swings to the ground. After the basket has been up-ended to remove all the scale, the clean basket is then inserted back into the trap.
The Scale Muncher™ device can be retrofitted to existing pumps that previously relied upon scale traps and aggregate screens to prevent choking of the impeller.
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