Slurry Pumps

What Is Slurry?

A slurry is made up of any material that is suspended in a liquid. Whether it is a thin small amount or a very thick substance, a slurry can be abrasive, corrosive, and range in temperatures. The types of slurry are endless. Peanut butter and soups, wastewater, paints, and mine tailing are all classified as slurries. Pond muck with underwater vegetation, cement, liquified chocolates, and gelatin can all be categorized as slurry. Here are some common types of slurries:

Types of Slurry Pumps

There are many types of slurry pumps for many types of industries and applications. Each industry has its different uses, types of slurries, and names for their slurries and pumps. In some industries, a slurry pump is referred to as a sludge pump, trash pump, process pump, and multiple other terms. Regardless of the name, slurry pumps are built to move the mixture of liquids with suspended solids that make up a slurry. They are designed for solids handling.

Heavy-duty slurry pumps and sludge pumps provide a quick and easy way of moving a combination of a wet mixture of liquids and solids. The slurry can take on many different forms and consist of many different materials like muck, sand, ash, lime, gypsum, bentonite, pulp, paste, food, wastes, oils, solvents, and other solids. With various types, thicknesses, and temperatures of slurries, the handling of the slurry is different from one application to the next. Not all slurry can be handled the same way. How wastewater and soil slurry are handled is different than food and pulp slurries, slurry oils, or other abrasive slurries.

DAE Pumps offers a robust selection of the best pumps for a variety of industries and applications. These heavy-duty pumps performing to the industry’s best standards. The variety of pumps we offer allows for the right pump for every application. We provide centrifugal pumps that are submersible, self-priming surface, flooded suction, and dredging pump. Our positive displacement pumps provide controlled part-driven technology in reciprocating styles like a piston, plunger, and diaphragm pumps, and the rotary styles offer, gear, lobe, vane, and screw pumps.

Centrifugal Pumps

A centrifugal pump contains one or more impellers that move fluid by rotation and draw fluid into the suction end of the pump. Then through centrifugal force, the fluid is forced out the discharge end. This design allows the pumps to be used for a wide range of applications and is preferred for processes that handle dirty material and low viscosity liquids at high flow rates. Many low-end centrifugal pumps are not capable of handling fluid containing air, vapors, or too heavy amount of solids. However, DAE Pumps centrifugal slurry pumps can process heavy abrasive solids and work through everything that would normally shut down other pumps.

DAE Pumps make top-of-the-line centrifugal pumps in our submersible pumps, self-priming pumps, dredge pumps, and flooded suction pumps.

Positive Displacement Pumps

Positive displacement pumps (PD pumps), in contrast to centrifugal pumps, do not use impellers to move the fluid. Instead, they utilize rotating or reciprocating parts to push and transport liquids and slurries into an enclosed volume. This design creates pressure, which drives the liquid to its destination. A positive displacement pump is ideal for higher viscosity liquids that transport at a lower flow rate but at a higher pressure.

Screw Pumps

The DAE Pumps positive displacement slurry pumps are capable of moving a variety of fluids like slurry and sludge, muds, oils, chemicals, pulps, pastes, wastes, foods, and other liquids. Because of the mechanisms they use, the PD pump creates a suction or vacuum that draws in and captures the fluid in its chamber before passing it through.

We provide the best reciprocating positive displacement pumps and rotary positive displacement pumps on the market for high and low volume and consistency. Our high-quality line of rotary positive displacement pumps includes gear pumps, lobe pumps, vane pumps, screw pumps, and twin-screw pumps. The reciprocating positive displacement pump performance line includes piston pumps, plunger pumps, and diaphragm pumps. Contact our DAE Pumps customer service for help selecting the type, size, and volume of pump for your requirements.

List of Slurry Pumps

Submersible Pumps:

Ideal for moving underwater sludge, abrasive slurries, and rocks, the submersible slurry pumps sit at the bottom of a tank, lagoon, pond, well, or another water-filled environment. Submersible pumps suction out solids and liquids right at the pump itself. The materials are taken in at the intake and pass through a hose connected to its discharge valve. DAE Pumps submersible pumps include a watertight enclosure with the industry’s best o-rings seals for worry-free operations.

Self-Priming Surface Pumps:

With the hose head in the water and the other end connected to the pump, self-priming slurry pumps suction the material to the pump, then out through the discharge valve. Self-priming pumps get prime at the pump by electric or diesel motors drawing water to it. They mount to a portable trailer for easy transportation or on a stationary skid.

Flooded Suction Pumps:

The flooded suction slurry pump is located outside of a tank or hopper, typically below or as low as possible. Gravity forces the sludge and liquids to the pump, then passes the materials out through the pipe or hose on the discharge end. The flooded suction pump does not require priming because it uses gravity to prime, and it doesn’t use as much power to operate as the other types of slurry pumps because it does not have to draw the material to it. However, a flooded suction slurry pump can get corrosion and require more repairs because there is always liquid filling the pump.

Gear Pumps:

Gear pumps are one of the most common types of positive displacement pumps. They provide a constant volume of fluid that passes between the teeth of two meshing gears and the casing. Rotating gears and separation of teeth create a suction that pulls fluid in through the inlet. The gears then trap the liquid and move it around the casing to the discharge or outlet. Each revolution creates consistency in the flow of fluid.

Lobe Pumps:

Lobe pumps are like gear pumps in that fluid flows around the interior of the casing, but they use lobes instead of the gears with teeth. The lobes do not touch each other, thus reducing wear, and they are driven by external timing gear that allows the lobe pump to operate in either direction.

Vane Pumps:

Vane pumps use blades, know as vanes, that slide in and out of rotor slots to move fluids. This action creates a suction that pumps fluids. The vane pumps use multiple sets of vanes that mount on an off-center rotor that sits close to the cam wall creating a crescent-shaped cavity on the other side. These blades, which are always in contact with the cam wall, turn with the rotor. With the spinning of the rotor, the vanes slide out when they reach the cavity, trapping fluid. As the vanes reach the end of the open space, they slide back in, and the trapped fluid thus moves to the outlet or discharge valve.

Screw Pumps:

Screw pumps and twin-screw pumps use rotating screws to move liquids and solids from one end of the pump to the other. Because of the rotating, turning action, the spinning motion is what pumps the material. The twin-screw pumps are identical to the screw pump, but with a dual screw for more power. Screw pumps are capable of high flow rates with very little to no vibration. They provide excellent usage in irrigation, oil production, fuel injection, and fuel transfer applications.

Piston Pumps:

The piston pump uses a piston or pistons to draw in liquids and solids by creating a vacuum in the chamber to suction in the materials, then pushing them out the other end. Pistons repeatedly moves up and down inside the pump chamber to pump the material. DAE Pumps piston pumps use high-quality O-rings to ensure reliable performance. These pumps are used for high-pressure washing, oil production, paint spraying, and other low viscosity liquids.

Diaphragm Pumps:

Diaphragm pumps use a flexible membrane that expands the volume of the pumping chamber bringing in the fluid by opening the inlet valve, then compresses to push out the materials through the outlet valve. The hermetically sealed diaphragm pumps are safe for pumping hazardous and corrosive liquids.

Slurry Pump Applications

DAE Pumps slurry pumps are used in many different industries and applications. The type of pump depends on the industry, application, and type of slurry. Food slurries, abrasive slurries, mud, and sludge can be found in a variety of industries. Here are just some of the most common industries and application using DAE Pumps slurry pumps

Wastewater Treatment Plants

Grit Chamber / Sand Trap
Pumps installed after primary screening for pumping the sediment solids for disposal.

Mining Operations

Cleaning Pump Basin from Settled Solids
Uses slurry pump to clean the basin from settled solids.

Pumps for Mill Scale Transportation
Water from the cooling process is collected in sumps. This water has a high content of mill scale, which is normally very abrasive. These particles are often separated and the water reused in the cooling process.

Pumps for Cooling Water
Cooling water may have a high content of abrasive particles from earlier use.

Pumps for Cooling Oil in Machining Processes
Cooling oil containing metallic waste from grinding or similar machining processes.

Pulp & Paper

Collecting Tanks and Overflow Sumps
Black liquor from recovery boilers containing sand, fly ash, boiler grit, pine knots, etc.

Oil & Gas

Pumping Drilling Mud
Return mud with a high content of abrasive materials. A pump is normally used for transporting the mud from a supply ship to a mud recycling plant. Normally drilling mud should be considered to be homogeneous slurry.

Selecting a Slurry Pump

Selecting a slurry pump can be a challenging effort. With the variety of centrifugal pumps, positive displacement pumps, and vortex pumps on the market, where do you start? How do you know what type of pump will work? Once you identify the pump how do you know what size and speed? What does head mean? What does specific gravity, viscosity, and pH mean, and why does any of that matter? Research can provide some answers, but those new to slurry pumps have a long road in front of them unless they consult with a pump expert like ours at DAE Pumps. 

In selecting a slurry pump the first thing to know is how is the pump going to be used. This depends on the application. Your situation or setup most likely is different than the next. It can be an open outdoor waterway, open or enclosed tank, or facility processing waste. How it is set up can help narrow down the type of pump to a submersible, self-priming surface pump, flooded suction, or some type of vacuum pump. Some applications can use multiple types. You may need a suction hose for the pump to reach the slurry location or for easier use. Can the pump handle that?

Next, you need to identify the material being pumped and the size of the solids, if any. All slurry pumps can move water. In fact, a pump curve is generated off of pumping water, but not all pumps can pump sludge and slurry. A specialty slurry pump can pump water, but it would be an expensive water pump. This is where knowing the material is important. Some pumps are capable of pumping sludge, others pump slurry, while others can pump sand. If you are pumping sand, you can most likely pump everything else. The last thing you need is clogging up the pipe or hose with material because the pump does not generate enough velocity to move the heavier material. Knowing the size of the solids also important because the passageway is not the same as the pump size. It is smaller and if you need to pass larger solids, then you need a different designed pump or a larger pump.

Head on a pump is extremely important. It is a calculation of height, distance, weights, and friction. In a perfect water pumping scenario, a pump curve represents how much water per minute will flow through the pump at a given vertical head straight up. The type of pipe or hose can affect the head. Add horizontal distance to head and you reduce the gallons per minute. Put a bend on the pipe and it is another reduction. Now start pumping sand which is twice the weight of water and you really reduce the amount of material moving through the pump and pipeline. The specific gravity of the material has an effect on the flow. Specific gravity is the ratio of the mass of a unit to the density of water at a specific temperature. Speaking of flow, the viscosity of the material is the measurement of the resistance of the fluid to flow. These all affect the head and these numbers also help identify the speed and size of the pump. This is why access to a DAE Pumps expert is essential for helping determine the right pump.

A DAE Pumps expert is available to help. You can tell us how much volume you want to move and how fast and we will get you the right pump for you. 

Dredging (lower capacity)

Quarry Sumps
For pumping solids containing groundwater or flood drainage, or for transfer of slurries comprising of sand and gravel products.

Sump Pumping in a Concrete Recycling Plant
Suitable for pumping slurries of sand and cementitious solids for recycling of returned concrete.

What Is The Difference Between Sludge and Slurry?

It can be hard to tell the difference between sludge and slurry. They are both a combination of wet mixtures of liquids and solids. At no point is there an exact consistency that makes one or the other. However, where they differ is in the thickness of the material, their consistency, and their texture. Sludge is a much thicker substance and is typically soft. Slurry on-the-other-hand is thinner and sloppy. Even though sludge is a thicker material than slurry, they both can consist of the same types of solids that have different shapes, sizes, and abrasiveness.

Both slurry and sludge contain liquids and solids that make up their consistency, and they are in many of the same types of locations. Sludge can be material at the bottom of a wastewater pond or along a river that consists of thick mud or clay containing large rocks. The same wastewater treatment plant can consist of tanks containing less dense slurry. The slurry can be in lagoons and mine tailings ponds, and slurry can be abrasive sand, jello, or hazardous waste. In addition, a slurry can be peanut butter, animal wastes, or pulp material for processing. 

Commercial, Industrial & Heavy-Duty Slurry Pumps

Choosing the right pump for your project is more than just selecting a size with the most power. What you intend to move can be more important than how quickly you want or need to move it. DAE Pumps offer a variety of commercial, industrial, and heavy-duty pumps that get the job done.

Don’t overpay for a pump that will outperform your needs. Make sure you get the right pump that can move the material you need without clogging and stopping operations. Let our team help match the pump to your project. Give us a call today! 760-821-8112

Slurry and Sludge Pump Sizes

DAE Pumps provides a variety of pumps in various sizes. We offer slurry pumps that range from 1-inch to 16-inches and are continually adding more pump sizes to our pump lines. The pump size is determined by the discharge end of the pump. All pumps have an intake and discharge. We supply pumps with intakes that are the same size or larger than the discharge side. Please contact us for information on selecting the right size slurry pump for your application.

• 10-inch Pumps
• 12-inch Pumps
• 14-inch Pumps
• 16-inch Pumps