What type of pump is used to pump sand out of port harbours? - Yahoo! Answers
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Roger L Roger L
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What type of pump is used to pump sand out of port harbours?

  • 2 years ago

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AndrewG by AndrewG
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Mostly, a centrifugal pump is used, in which the sand slurry enters the pump and is accelerated radially by a rotating impeller, which throws the slurry outwards (centrifugally) against the pump casing, and out a radial outlet. Such pumps made specifically for sand pumping are made of specially thickened and hard-wearing cast iron, because the sand slurry is so abrasive.

If the pump is fixed to a dredge, it may be referred to as a suction pump, and the dredge a suction dredge; where the pump is mounted at the top of a superstructure called a dredge 'ladder', which supports the suction pipe, and can be raised or lowered, depending on the dredging depth. If the sand (or sand and gravel) is hard or bound together with clay. the bottom of the suction pipe may be fitted with a hydraulically operated rotating cutter, to break up the harder material. In this case, it is called a suction-cutter dredge.

Here is a wikipedia reference to centrifugal pumps:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centrifugal…

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Used to work in the industry.
  • 2 years ago
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  • oeman50 by oeman50
    Member since:
    September 22, 2008
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    10444 (Level 6)
    The pumps are called mud pumps or dredge pumps. They are usually mixed flow pumps with special features that enable then to withstand the abrasiveness of a sand-water mixture. They have hard materials on the impeller and casing (which may be put on so they can easily be replaced), large clearances and designs to keep then from getting plugged. They do not have to develop large discharge head, so they have be designed for high volume.
    • 2 years ago
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