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ISSUES WITH PROGRESSIVE CAVITY PUMPS

Progressive cavity pump

Progressive cavity pumps are often used in slurry pumping within waste water treatment plants, anaerobic digestion facilities and recycling plants. They tend to be selected for their energy efficiency, good pumping pressure and consistent flow.

Progressive Cavity Pumps

(Above) Animation of a progressive cavity pump. Shows the pump's rotor, stator and the containing pipe. Above the pump there is an illustration of the cavities between the rotor and the stator.

Key issues that will be experienced include….

- Worn stators and rotors leading to much reduced efficiency and ultimately failure
- They will act as a grinder if any grit is present, rapidly reducing pressure available
- Pulsation issues reducing consistent flow
- High running costs due to frequent replacement of spares, both stators and rotors

Lobe pumps and Screw pumps (pictured top left) will often experience very similar issues.

Suggested solutions include:

- Reduce grit and high wear items in the slurry using a degritting process
- Introduce a macerator to reduce particle size. This does however tend lead to a more aggressive slurry.
- Consider using a peristaltic pump (pictured top right) which will often deliver better efficiency, good pressure and consistent flow.

SlurryPro pumps will also often provide superior wear-life and a reduction in lifetime costs. Mainly used in the mining and quarry industry, these pumps are known for their ability to pump highly-abrasive, high-density slurries and have now been proved in many waste and recycling applications. An example case study is Viridor Glasgow where significant costs savings have been made consistently.

Related Pages

Industries & Applications: Anaerobic Digestion

Industries & Applications: Recycling

Case Study: SlurryPro pumps provide significant cost savings for Viridor

Case Study: Irish site reaps the benefits of an LSM 100