Abstract:

Submersible multi-stage slurry pumps are widely used in mining industry. A sand discharge groove is designed to accomplish sand exclusion. The leakage flow through the broken balance hub is common in this kind of pumps. Whether the sand discharge groove will work when there is leakage flow is very important. The commercial RANS solver Ansys CFX 14.0 is used to predict the cavity flow in the rear chamber. The influences of leakage flow on the cavity flow are analyzed in this paper. The sand discharge capacities of the groove with and without leakage flow are also compared with each other. The simulation results show that most of the sand is discharged out of the rear chamber even if there is leakage flow. The results from the abrasion tests indicate that the simulation results are reasonable. The sand discharge groove will work even if there is leakage flow. The service life of the pump is dramatically improved.