Slurry Pumps vs Sewage Pumps:What are their Differences

What are the differences between slurry pumps and sewage pumps? What are their functions and applications? Pansto will introduce you to the differences and comparisons between slurry pumps and sewage pumps.

Sewage pumps and slurry pumps play an indispensable role in controlling wastewater and water treatment processes by aspects of moving liquids from one position to another. Although they both perform the functions of handling fluids, sewage pumps and slurry pumps have very different applications and functions.

What is a slurry pump?

The  slurry pump  is a centrifugal pump that is used to transfer high-density and abrasive slurries, including mining, mineral processing and industrial applications during the processes of pumping slurry. Meanwhile, this machine is also capable of mining operations, oil drilling rigs and construction sites for pumping viscous liquids containing solids including gravel, sand and clay. 

This machine is committed to conveying abrasive materials to improve working efficiency. In order to work in harsh environments, the slurry pump is made of hardened materials, compact construction and high-performance components.

Slurry is one of the most challenging fluids to move. It’s highly abrasive, thick, sometimes corrosive, and contains a high concentration of solids. No doubt about it, slurry is tough on pumps. But selecting the right centrifugal pump for these abrasive applications can make all the difference in the long-term performance.

Slurry Pumps can be used:

• -To pump a medium where abrasive particles are present
• -To transport solids, hydraulically
• -To pump the end product in a process
• -To keep clean up sumps clean from solid

How to Choose a Slurry Pump

• -Wear parts with high chrome content is essential when pumping abrasive slurries. But more is not always better – much over 25 percent and the impeller becomes brittle.
• -Hydraulic efficiency is as important as the material since efficiency correlates to wear. A swept-back design of the impeller vanes minimizes the separation of solids from the carrying fluid for a more homogenous flow. This results in a slower rate of wear.
• -By increasing the size of the volute, the speed at which the medium moves is reduced. This lower velocity translates into lower wear.

Pansto AH Slurry Pumps

Pansto HH Slurry Pumps

What is a Sewage Pump?

Because  sewage centrifugal pumps  can reliably pump wastewater, they are widely employed. The revolving impeller of a centrifugal pump transforms the motor’s electrical energy into kinetic energy. The kinetic energy is subsequently transformed into pressure, causing the sewage to flow through the pump. 

Sewage Pumps can be Used:

It is mainly used to manage liquids and solid waste that pass through sewage systems, which convey sewage in septic tanks, wastewater treatment, commercial and industrial contexts.

Sewage pumps are constructed to handle the harsh and corrosive nature of sewage and wastewater. Additionally, sewage pumps often have impellers with special designs to effectively break down solid particles present in the sewage, ensuring smoother flow through the system.

Classes of Submersible Sewage Pump

Small-scale  sewage pumping  is normally done by a submersible pump.

Three classes of submersible sewage pumps exist:

• Smaller submersible pumps, used in domestic and light commercial applications, normally handle up to 55 millimetres (2.2 in) spherical solids and range from 0.75 to 2.2 kilowatts (1.01 to 2.95 hp).
• Larger submersible pumps, handle 65 millimetres (2.6 in) and larger solids and normally have a minimum of 80 millimetres (3.1 in) discharge. They are generally used in municipal and industrial applications for pumping sewage and all types of industrial waste water.
• Submersible chopper pumps, which are used to handle larger concentrations of solids and/or tougher solids that conventional sewage pumps cannot handle.Chopper pumps are generally used in municipal and industrial waste water applications and provide clog-free operation by macerating those solids that might clog other types of submersible pumps.

Submersible pumps are normally used in a packaged pump station where drainage by gravity is not possible.

Vertical type sewage pumps have also been used for many years.

Pansto Sewage Pump

Difference between Slurry pump and Sewage pump

The key difference between sewage pumps and slurry pumps is handling distinguished materials. On the one hand, the sewage pump is designed to manage organic waste and fluids that are frequently encountered in wastewater. On the other hand, the slurry pump is designed to manage heavy slurry and abrasive materials in construction applications.

In industrial and municipal engineering, slurry pumps and sewage pumps are commonly used equipment for the treatment of liquid media.Although both fall into the category of pumps and are used to transport fluids containing solid particles, their design, performance and application vary significantly.The following will introduce the difference between slurry pumps and sewage pumps in detail to help users make appropriate choices based on actual needs.

First, let’s learn about slurry pumps.Slurry pumps are mainly used in mining, metallurgy, electricity, coal and other industries, and are used to transport abrasive or corrosive slurries containing solid particles, such as ore slurry, coal slurry, sand and gravel.

Slurry pumps are designed to focus on wear resistance and corrosion resistance, because the media they convey usually have strong wear and chemical activity.The impellers and housings of slurry pumps are usually made of high chromium alloys, rubber or other wear-resistant materials to extend their service life.

In addition, the slurry pump has a wide flow path designed to pass through larger solid particles and has a relatively low rotational speed to reduce wear on the impeller. In contrast, sewage pumps are mainly used to remove urban sewage, industrial wastewater and rainwater.

The design of sewage pumps focuses on sealing and anti-blocking ability, because the medium it conveys may contain a large amount of fiber, plastic bags and other debris.

The impellers of the sewage pump are mostly open or semi-open to facilitate the passage of solid substances.In addition, the material of the sewage pump is usually made of cast iron or stainless steel to deal with corrosive media.

The speed of the sewage pump can be adjusted according to the specific application needs to achieve efficient and energy-saving operation.From the perspective of performance parameters, slurry pumps and sewage pumps are also different.The flow rate and head of the slurry pump are usually large because it needs to deliver high-density slurry.

The flow rate and head of the sewage pump are relatively small because it mainly treats a mixture of water and low concentrations of solids.When selecting the model, in addition to considering the performance parameters of the pump, factors such as the nature of the conveying medium, working conditions and maintenance costs need to be considered.

For example, if the medium contains a large amount of solid particles and has some wearability, a slurry pump may be a better choice.If the medium is mainly water, contains a small amount of solid impurities, and has high requirements for the sealing of the pump, a sewage pump may be more suitable.In summary, although slurry pumps and sewage pumps have similarities in some aspects, they have their own characteristics in design, material, application occasions and performance parameters.

When choosing a pump, users should comprehensively consider the specific characteristics and working conditions of the conveying medium to select a suitable pump type to ensure efficient operation and long-term stability of the pump

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Taxonomy

• Sewage Treatment
• Sewage
• Slurry Pumping