The Dragflow dredging and slurry pump has a very simple design making it easy to use and service. The agitator picks up materials which are too coarse for pumping and puts solids in suspension; the pump which is positioned above then sucks them in easily. All wear parts are made of long life high chromium content. The action of agitator rejects material that is too large, thus preventing it from blocking the filter. The maximum solid handling capacity of Dragflow Dredging and slurry pumps is 4.72 inches (120 millimeters) and largest discharge in the range goes up to 13.78 inches (350 millimeters).
[h2]VARIETY AND DURABILITY[/h2]
Euroflo supply these pumps to a wide variety of applications. In deep foundation works Dragflow hard Iron submersible slurry pumps are used for pumping a CM10 bentonite mix as part of the construction process. These pumps are very tough and abrasion resistant, traditionally standard pumps have been used for these slurry pump applications, but with foundation depths that exceed 98.43 feet (30 meters), the standard slurry pumps are put under extreme pressure that can cause premature failures.
Dragflow hard iron submersible slurry pumps offer a variety of HD (high depth) versions of these pumps for hire or sale to work in deep foundation works that exceed 98.43 feet (30 meters), more typically the working parameters of these pumps is between 131.23 to 213.26 feet (40 to 65 meters) deep, but in more extreme application these slurry pumps can be put to work in applications that exceed 328.08 feet (100 meters).
[h2]POWER WHERE YOU NEED IT[/h2]
Dragflow dredging and slurry pumps can be supplied in both electrical and hydraulic powered formats. They are used for the dredging of canals and harbours, clean- up of locks, extraction of gravel or sand, emptying of caissons and bulkheads. In mining Dragflow feature in the clean-up of settling tanks, extraction of coal, minerals and foundry sand. For industrial applications Dragflow slurry pumps are used for the extraction of slag, forge scale, calcines, sludge’s, settling sludges, petroleum, and tar residues.
Dragflow hard iron submersible slurry pumps have been selected on a variety of projects because of their ability to pump very abrasive bentonite slurries charged with sand and gravel with a density of 1.3 kg/dm3 at these operating depths. Euroflo have supplied pumps to carry out a variety of trials for the recovery of submerged aggregate, as well as many other applications throughout the quarrying process for mixing and pumping abrasive materials.
[h2]PROGRESS REPORT[/h2]
For one of our customers in the republic of Ireland, Euroflo supplied 6-inch (152.4 millimeter), 50 horsepower, 37.5 kilowatt hard Iron dredging pump, that was used to recover submerged aggregate. This aggregate which is made up of 60 percent sand, 30 percent gravel, and 10 percent stone with a maximum diameter of 2.36 inches (60 millimeters). The pump extracted 100 tons (90.72 tonnes) of solids per hour at a depth of 49.21 feet (15 meters).
[h2]TAKING ON CORROSIVE FLUIDS[/h2]
Using a Dragflow hard iron submersible dredging pump gives you an advantage, as they can handle slurries including stones at higher depths than horizontal surface pumps. It is also very important to verify the percentage of stone and their diameter when selecting the pump to ensure a correct selection is made.
Pumping abrasive slurries with low pH is very challenging as conventional pumps fail in highly corrosive environments. Euroflo are able to offer effective solutions in a large number of these applications using specialist pumps. Euroflo supplied an African copper mine with 6-inch (152.4 millimeter) Dragflow submersible hard Iron slurry pumps which were constructed from cast 316 stainless steel, which made them a unique special build. These pumps were produced to work in these extreme environments, typically working in liquids with a pH value of between 2 and 3 which is highly acidic.
[h2]SAND RECOVERY[/h2]
Sand recovery / winning are applications Euroflo have been very successful in providing a suitable long term solutions, using Dragflow hard iron submersible dredging pumps with agitators. Euroflo conducted trials initially to prove the ability of the pump to recover a high concentration of sand in suspension. Euroflo for this project used an 8-inch (203.2 millimeter), 50 horsepower, 37.5 kilowatt submersible hard iron dredging pump with agitator which after successful trials was subsequently purchased. This submersible dredging pumps was then attached to its permanent position on a ladder at the front of a self-propelled vessel for dredging with 656.17 feet (200 meters) of floating discharge pipe. This submersible pump was powered initially by one of Euroflo’s 80KVA portable rental generating sets, before a unit was eventually purchased and mounted on the vessel. After eighteen months it had produced in excess of 200,000 tons (181,436.95 tonnes) of high quality silica sand, which is equates to approximately 500 tons (453.59 tonnes) per day. Pumping high concentrations of sand takes its toll on the pump over time, so every six months the pump is returned to Euroflo’s service center.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Daniel Langrish is the digital marketing executive for Euroflo Fluid Handling Ltd., who has been providing expert industrial and submersible pump services for more than fifteen years, and specialize in the electrical submersible pump industry. Euroflo exclusively represents Dragflow submersible slurry pumps. For more information, visit www.euoflo.com.


MODERN PUMPING TODAY, May 2014
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