A red mud slurry residue from a bauxite processing plant is to be pumped from the plant
Question:
A red mud slurry residue from a bauxite processing plant is to be pumped from the plant to a disposal pond at a rate of $1000 \mathrm{gpm}$, through a $6 \mathrm{in}$. ID pipeline that is $2500 \mathrm{ft}$ long. The pipeline is horizontal, and the inlet and discharge of the line are both at atmospheric pressure. The mud has properties of a Bingham plastic, with a yield stress of $250 \mathrm{dyn} / \mathrm{cm}^{2}$, a limiting viscosity of $50 \mathrm{cP}$, and a density of $1.4 \mathrm{~g} / \mathrm{cm}^{3}$. The vapor pressure of the slurry at the operating temperature is $50 \mathrm{mmHg}$. You have available several pumps with the characteristics given in Appendix $\mathrm{H}$.
(a) Which pump, impeller diameter, motor speed, and motor horsepower would you use for this application?
(b) How close to the disposal pond could the pump be located without cavitating.
(c) It is likely that none of these pumps would be adequate to pump this slurry. Explain why, and explain what type of pump might be better.
Step by Step Answer:
Chemical Engineering Fluid Mechanics
ISBN: 9781498724432
3rd Edition
Authors: Ron Darby, Raj P Chhabra