Weir Minerals is currently working with the SIMEC mining project in Whyalla, South Australia by providing their GEHO positive displacement pumps. These pumps will move slurry along 67 kilometers of pipeline.
SIMEC mining produces iron ore concentrate for the Whyalla steelworks. The high pressure GEHO PD pumps ensure the material stays suspended in the pipeline throughout the journey. When it reaches Whyalla, the slurry is dewatered and converted to pellets for the steel making process.
Designing a long-distance pipeline is a complex balancing act between the rate of flow, the concentration of slurry and the size of particles. For solids in slurry to remain in suspension, they need to be moved by the liquid at a particular minimum velocity. The GEHO pumps transport the slurry about 250 cubes an hour, 300 tons an hour, all day, every day and have defined maintenance intervals to avoid the risk of breakdown. The GEHO pumps are designed to handle high-density slurry with solids up to 85%.
Image credit: Weir Minerals