PD pumps, the modern solution for pumping high density tailings

Hydraulic transport of solids is common in mining and processing. Mineral slurry pipelines transport products in an environmentally acceptable and economically efficient manner over long distances ranging from a few kilometres to several hundred kilometres. The first piston diaphragm pumps were introduced for pipeline service in the early 70’s for mineral ore transport applications such as OEMK in Russia and New Zealand Steel. For three decades, piston diaphragm pumps have enjoyed an ever-increasing popularity as a reliable, economic and environmentally friendly method to transport slurries. The technology has now matured into the industry standard pump technology for high pressure slurry pumping, backed up by the many successful installations world-wide. From a disposal viewpoint it is no longer environmentally and economically acceptable to transport waste materials at low concentrations to large tailing ponds. Thickened tailings disposal systems and slope filling procedures are now actively sought and require much higher concentrations to be transported than can be delivered by conventional pipelines. Pumping systems for high concentration, fine particle suspension (paste) pipelines require different design than pumping systems for traditional slurry pipelines. Due to the required increase in solids concentration and transport distance, piston diaphragm pumps have gained a substantial interest for thickened tailings applications. However larges flows have occasionally required an impractically large number of piston diaphragm pumps. The development of the patented GLORES system (Geho LOad REduction System) has enabled the design of a triplex piston diaphragm pump with an unprecedented power rating of approximately 2800 kW allowing large flows. This development had enabled a tailings system design with an acceptably, small number of pumps. The development of the largest pump diaphragm in the world and the use of numerical tools for the analysis of dynamic phenomena within the pump enabled a reliable pump design for the increased flow rate from a hydraulic perspective as well. [All papers were considered for technical and language appropriateness by the organizing committee.]Non UBCUnreviewedOthe