What is a Slurry Pump and How Does it Differ From Other Pumps?

When it comes to handling challenging fluid transfers in industries like agriculture, biogas, construction, and mining, slurry pumps play a crucial role. Unlike conventional pumps, slurry pumps are designed to handle abrasive, viscous, and solid-laden fluids that would quickly wear out standard equipment. In this guide, we'll explore what a slurry pump is, the different types of slurry transfer pumps, and how slurry characteristics impact pump performance and selection.

Understanding Slurry Pumps

A slurry pump is engineered to move mixtures of fluid (typically water) and solid particles, commonly known as slurry. These pumps are built for durability and performance in highly abrasive and corrosive environments. Slurry pumps are essential in operations where standard pumps would fail or degrade quickly due to the harsh properties of the media being pumped.

Types of Slurry Transfer Pumps

There are three main categories of slurry pumps used across various industries:

1. Centrifugal Chopper Pump

These are selected when the media to be pumped needs to be processed at the same time as being transferred, helping the organic waste to break down.

2. Heavy-Duty Contractor Pumps

These are typically used when the slurry to be transferred contains large quantities of grit or sand. Made from hard-wearing materials such as high chromium cast, to give better longevity.

3. Positive Displacement Pumps (PD Pumps)

PD pumps are usually recommended where the total solid content exceeds our standard 12%, these units can offer up to 20% solid handling capabilities across a wide range of pumped media

Industry Applications of Slurry Pumps

The term "slurry" encompasses a wide range of fluid mixtures depending on the industry:

• Agriculture and Biogas: Slurry often consists of livestock waste, fibrous materials, and organics. AD (Anaerobic Digestion) biogas systems benefit from pumps that manage both slurry transfer and breakdown simultaneously.
• Construction and Mining/Dewatering: Here, slurry is usually aggregate-based, containing abrasive materials like sand and stone. The high total solid content in these slurries poses significant challenges for pump durability and performance.

How Slurry Characteristics Affect Pump Selection and Performance

The characteristics of the slurry determine what power is required to complete the task.

It will also be taken into consideration when recommending pipe sizes, our team will calculate the friction loss generated through the pipe based on the characteristics of the pumped media.

Performance Capabilities of Our Slurry Pumps

Pumping slurry brings with it a variety of challenges, ranging from power/HP shortage to foreign objects present within the media.  Our technical team will look at all aspects of the application and offer the best product for the site conditions.

Our range of submersible chopper pumps is capable of handling up to 12% raw slurry with a cutting power of up to 170 cuts per second. Options are also available for heavily laden sandy liquids, utilising our contractors range of submersible pumps and surface-mounted piston pumps for liquids exceeding the standard 12% solid content. 

All our options give an unrivalled performance when dealing with most organic slurries. 

Looking for expert advice or a custom slurry pump solution? Contact our technical team today to discuss your requirements and let us help you select the ideal pump for your application.