How Many Types of Pumps Are Used In Mines?
Not every pump is suitable for a mine setting – this makes it invaluable that you choose the right type for your work. They must be durable enough to get the job done, and your supplier must be able to help guide you to success even after your purchase. Here are the common types of pumps used in mining.
1. Dewatering Pumps
These mining pumps help to ensure dry working conditions for your operation – this not only keeps workers clean and dry, but dewatering also prevents flooding alongside other environmental complications. This type of pump controls everything from surface water to groundwater to mine water, and an overabundance of any can spell disaster for your mining project. You must investigate the local flood risk and calibrate your pumping around this for the best results. Dewatering an underground mine requires pumps that can achieve the pressure required to lift water to the surface, often many metres above.
2. Slurry Pumps
This type of pump does just as the name indicates – it transports slurry. Mining pump manufacturers have designed these pumps to be robust, with high tolerances that ensure minimal chance of failure. As part of this, you can replace individual components rather than the entire system should anything wear away. The top slurry pumps use high chrome metals for heavy-duty service – the substance is highly abrasive, so the slurry pump must be strong.
Slurry pumps can also have rubber liners as an alternative to high-chrome - rubber can resist abrasion well.
3. Mill Circuit Slurry Pumps
The mill circuit variety of slurry pumps powers the processing plants on mining sites - this lets them handle massive, dense slurry particles, which it also does using hard-wearing materials. Primarily, these pumps use elastomer liners which can keep pace with their metal equivalents – this makes the pump lighter, safer, and even cheaper.
4. Tailings Management Pumps
Tailings are the waste products that a mining operation leaves behind once they extract the mineral from ore; they are mainly a mixture of water, rock and trace metals. This necessitates the use of pumps to transport and deal with the tailings. They usually send it to a tailings pond where the solids and liquids can separate; this process is vital as the tailings themselves can be hazardous.
When you conduct a mining operation, there are plenty of pumps that will help you safely transport slurry and more so work can go ahead without worry. Atlantic Pumps provides high-quality water management and slurry pumps, and our sustainable approach allows us to reduce the average site’s energy use by up to 20%. For more on how we can transform your mining enterprise, get in touch today.
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