Estudo e Concepção de Rotores de Disco para Bombeamento de Fluidos Abrasivos

Abstract

Centrifugal pumps are commonly used in mining industries, such as Vale, CBMM, Kinross, and Anglo American. However, due to the presence of abrasive particles in the mineral pulp, these pumps’ casing and impellers readily wear out. As a result, the companies have to devote a lot of their financial resources in these pumps’ maintenance and in replacing their damaged mechanical parts. To solve this issue, some researchers have been proposing novel metal alloys to improve centrifugal pumps’ properties and mechanical endurance. In an attempt to explore a new approach, this study focuses on fluid dynamics and fluid/structure interactions during mineral pulp pumping. An experimental bench was developed to simulate, in laboratory conditions, the pumping of an abrasive pulp. Based on previous reports and published Nikola Tesla’s patents, alternative impellers, called disc impellers, were designed and manufactured. These disc impellers were compatible to standard commercial pumps to facilitate their use. Laboratory trials demonstrated that disc impellers were twice more durable than conventional ones and could operate under similar conditions of flow and head height. It is expected that the findings obtained in this study motivate mining industries to invest in R&D, which is believed to be the best way to reduce pumps’ need for maintenance and costs of mineral pulp pumping.