mud pump flush procedure in stock

Drilling consumables such as mud pump systems and their components can drastically increase your uptime while reducing costs and health/safety/environmental (HSE) risks. To support your drilling needs, Forum’s patented P-Quip® mud pump system offers a single-source solution that integrates high-quality fluid end components for maximum longevity and performance.

With more than 20 years of successful operation in severe environments, P-Quip offers a proven track record for the lowest cost of ownership in the industry. As part of our commitment to quality, our mud pump parts use patented Banded Bore™ technology that significantly reduces stress concentrations and leads to longer module life.

Cavitation is an undesirable condition that reduces pump efficiency and leads to excessive wear and damage to pump components. Factors that can contribute to cavitation, such as fluid velocity and pressure, can sometimes be attributed to an inadequate mud system design and/or the diminishing performance of the mud pump’s feed system.

When a mud pump has entered full cavitation, rig crews and field service technicians will see the equipment shaking and hear the pump “knocking,” which typically sounds like marbles and stones being thrown around inside the equipment. However, the process of cavitation starts long before audible signs reveal themselves – hence the name “the silent killer.”

Mild cavitation begins to occur when the mud pump is starved for fluid. While the pump itself may not be making noise, damage is still being done to the internal components of the fluid end. In the early stages, cavitation can damage a pump’s module, piston and valve assembly.

The imperceptible but intense shock waves generated by cavitation travel directly from the fluid end to the pump’s power end, causing premature vibrational damage to the crosshead slides. The vibrations are then passed onto the shaft, bull gear and into the main bearings.

If not corrected, the vibrations caused by cavitation will work their way directly to critical power end components, which will result in the premature failure of the mud pump. A busted mud pump means expensive downtime and repair costs.

To stop cavitation before it starts, install and tune high-speed pressure sensors on the mud suction line set to sound an alarm if the pressure falls below 30 psi.

Although the pump may not be knocking loudly when cavitation first presents, regular inspections by a properly trained field technician may be able to detect moderate vibrations and slight knocking sounds.

Gardner Denver offers Pump University, a mobile classroom that travels to facilities and/or drilling rigs and trains rig crews on best practices for pumping equipment maintenance.

Severe cavitation will drastically decrease module life and will eventually lead to catastrophic pump failure. Along with downtime and repair costs, the failure of the drilling pump can also cause damage to the suction and discharge piping.

When a mud pump has entered full cavitation, rig crews and field service technicians will see the equipment shaking and hear the pump ‘knocking’… However, the process of cavitation starts long before audible signs reveal themselves – hence the name ‘the silent killer.’In 2017, a leading North American drilling contractor was encountering chronic mud system issues on multiple rigs. The contractor engaged in more than 25 premature module washes in one year and suffered a major power-end failure.

Gardner Denver’s engineering team spent time on the contractor’s rigs, observing the pumps during operation and surveying the mud system’s design and configuration.

The engineering team discovered that the suction systems were undersized, feed lines were too small and there was no dampening on the suction side of the pump.

Following the implementation of these recommendations, the contractor saw significant performance improvements from the drilling pumps. Consumables life was extended significantly, and module washes were reduced by nearly 85%.

Although pump age does not affect its susceptibility to cavitation, the age of the rig can. An older rig’s mud systems may not be equipped for the way pumps are run today – at maximum horsepower.

It may be impractical to flush system piping during drilling operations. However, strainer screens should be checked daily to remove any debris or other flow restrictions.

Mud pump is mainly used for geological drilling, geological engineering construction and foundation treatment of low and medium pressure grouting pump, etc. Mud pump is a machine that sends mud or water to the borehole during the drilling process. Mud pump is an important part of drilling equipment. All major businesses have mud pump parts for sale.

The main function of mud pump is to inject mud into the well along with the bit during the drilling process. It plays the role of cooling the drill bit, cleaning the drilling tool, fixing the well wall, driving drilling, and bringing the cuttings back to the surface after drilling.

In the commonly used positive circulation drilling, the mud pump sends the surface flushing medium-- clean water, mud or polymer flushing fluid to the end of the drill bit through the high pressure hose faucet and the center hole of the drill string under a certain pressure. Therefore, the purpose of cooling the drill bit and removing and conveying the cuttings to the surface is achieved.

Petroleum drilling mud pump is a kind of volumetric mud pump. Its basic working principle is that the volume of the sealed working chamber (mud pump cylinder liner) is periodically changed to convert the original mechanical energy into the pressure energy of the liquid to complete the operation.

The specific process relies on the reciprocating motion of the mud pump piston in the cylinder liner to make the volume of the working chamber in the cylinder liner change periodically. The mud pump cylinder liner is isolated from the outside world by means of a sealing device such as a seal ring, and communicates or closes with the pipeline through the pump valve (suction valve or discharge valve), which shows the importance of the mud pump cylinder liner. The three-cylinder mud pumps currently on the market are equipped with three cylinder sleeves.

{"links":[{"url":"https://www.graco.com/us/en/contractor/support/education-center/reactor-support/reactor-shutdown-cleaning-storing/how-do-i-maintain-the-clearshot-gun-manifold-and-clearshot-prime.html", "anchor_text":"How do I properly shut down, flush, and store my electric Graco Reactor?"},{"url":"https://www.graco.com/us/en/contractor/support/education-center/reactor-support/reactor-shutdown-cleaning-storing/how-do-i-store-my-pneumatic-graco-reactor.html", "anchor_text":"How do I properly shut down, flush, and store my pneumatic Graco Reactor?"},{"url":"https://www.graco.com/us/en/contractor/support/education-center/reactor-support/reactor-shutdown-cleaning-storing/how-do-i-shut-down-my-fusion-cs.html", "anchor_text":"How do I shut down my Fusion CS?"}]}

Gearboxes and bearing housings periodically need a thorough flushing rather than a simple drain and fill. Several signs point to this requirement, such as overheating of the sump, gross liquid or solid contamination, and development of a severe wear pattern.

Material evidence in the form of sludge, rust, moisture, wear metals, gel or other viscous residue that is present at the beginning of the drain should confirm to the technician that a flush is in order. A thorough flush is also useful for removing construction and assembly contaminants from equipment sumps prior to commissioning.

With these factors in mind, what constitutes a thorough sump flush? Are there any particular problems that the operator should be careful to avoid? What equipment can or should be used for this purpose? Finally, what items should be included in a detailed flushing procedure?

Flushing is a clean fluid circulation process designed to remove water, chemical contaminants, air and particulate matter (not fixed to surface) resulting from construction, normal ingression, internal generation or component wear.

For in-service machinery after an oil change due to heavy fluid contamination, component failure, extremely degraded lubricant (oxidation), or if a system flushing has not been performed in the past three years.

For gearboxes and bearing housings that are not fitted with filtration, flushing is required to remove contamination and sediment. Water, rust, excessive wear debris, sludge, varnish or lacquer, and hard-to-open drain ports suggest system contamination and indicate the need for a thorough flush.

Soils may be mechanically or chemically removed. Flushing is a type of high-pressure, high-flow fluid circulation used to generate physical movement of contaminants. As the pressures/flow is used for flushing, circulating clean fluid in the system cannot clean rust and scale from the piping, deburr machined elements or remove flux or weld slag.

Three levels of system flushing are practiced, depending on the machinery internal conditions and type of contaminants compromising the system. Figure 1 provides a summary of different flushing approaches that may be used and various circumstances and criteria associated with each method.

Power flushing - A variation of recirculation, where the oil level in the sump is reduced and a high-velocity fluid is applied to mechanically dislodge, lift and entrain particulate debris. Power flushing suspends and transports particles; absorbs air, chemical products and water from the system; and releases the contaminants to a filter.

Wand flushing - A wand attached to one of the cart hoses is used to discharge at high pressure (kicking up adherent debris). The flow is then reversed and the wand vacuums the sediments.

Regardless of the flushing compound/fluid selected, unless it is identical to the lubricant used following the flush, it is important that all of the flushing fluid be removed from the sump prior to final fill. Some petroleum solvents with a concentration of five percent can create an appreciable thinning effect on the lubricant viscosity.

Fluid Properties. Fluid solubility and hygroscopic characteristics influence removal efficiency of water, air and chemical contaminants. Most oil companies supply special flushing fluids (rust-inhibited oils with good solvency power) that demonstrate the following desirable properties:

Fluid Turbulence. To remove particles, the flushing process depends on the lift forces, drag forces and the depth of the laminar sublayer in the stagnant fluid next to the conduit wall.

As seen in Figure 1, turbulence can have a significant influence on loosely attached solid debris lingering in crevices or in the sidewall perimeter low-flow area. Turbulence in the system shortens the time and improves the quality of the flushing activity.

There is some risk associated with the high-velocity flush. Circulation of a fluid at high velocity with particulate contaminants can damage sensitive components (pumps, heat exchangers and valves). Also, such high pressures and flow can affect system filters. It is necessary to bypass flow- or contaminant- sensitive components.

Filter housings can be left in place if filter elements are removed. Components that restrict the flow rate, and thereby increase the pressure drop, should be isolated from the flushing circuit and cleaned individually.

The flushing equipment required depends on the size, location and installed devices on the machinery. A mobile filtration unit is helpful if the pumps are capable of providing a flow rate at least twice that normally used in the fluid system or the flow requirements for the proper Reynolds number. An air breather is required to prevent dirt ingression during flushing.

Use large duplex filters (Beta 3= 200 or higher) with differential pressure indicator to allow filter changing without interrupting flushing. If water removal is desired, include a filter with water-absorbing capabilities.

A heater should be required in case of low ambient temperature to maintain or reduce fluid viscosity and achieve the flow requirements. Permanently installed quick-connectors are beneficial for flushing or filtration if the connector and piping are large enough to facilitate flow. In some cases, a reservoir other than the machinery sump is needed to contain the high volume of fluid required for the appropriate flushing.

The flushing procedure depends on the specifics of machinery, plant conditions and flushing equipment. To obtain the best results, follow these guidelines:

If drain port is not located at the lower point, heavy solid particles, water and/or emulsions will stick to the bottom of the reservoir. Wand flush is required.

For gearboxes and bearings, the target cleanliness level for flushing should be at least one number below the cleanliness level for the operating fluid. A maximum of 16/14/12 (ISO 4406.99) is recommended for critical gearboxes and element bearings.

The flushing process may be perceived to be an expensive, complicated and time-consuming extra task for an oil change. However, some conditions justify the effort. Highly contaminated reservoirs on critical systems warrant additional attention to assure a high state of reliability.

Flushing is justified for new and rebuilt equipment prior to commissioning to sustain high levels of reliability. A proactive maintenance approach of deploying flushing for in-service bearings and gearboxes helps to increase lubricant life and equipment durability. Generally, the flushing efforts and costs are well compensated with increased reliability related to system cleanliness.

Flushing is the process of using the scouring action of moving water to help rid a water supply of contaminants, and it is an essential part of the disinfection process. Flushing normally takes place several times during the disinfection process.

Install the pump as close to the bottom of the well as possible during the flushing stage. For fractured or very porous rock formations, it may be necessary to move the pump up and down the length of the exposed borehole to assure water movement into the entire well bore.

Generally, the longer the flushing time, the better. A suggested minimum is to pump until at least 20 casing volumes have discharged from the well. For example: A 100-foot deep 5-inch well has a casing volume of 100 gallons. A minimum of 2,000 gallons of water (20 casing volumes times 100 gallons) should be flushed from the well.

In some cases, flushing without further chlorination has been effective in correcting contamination problems. Some local health departments have found that allowing water to discharge from a garden hose continuously for a period of at least 24 hours or more has corrected the contamination problem without the need to treat with chlorine. The hose is discharged into a roadside ditch or into the yard away from any on-site sewage disposal system. Open the sill cock valve all the way during the flushing stage.

A water sample should be collected from the water supply after the flushing period to determine if the flushing process has corrected the bacterial contamination problem. If coliform bacteria are not present in the water sample analyzed, the flushing may have successfully disinfected the water supply. However, a second water sample is recommended approximately one week later to verify that the bacterial contamination problem has been corrected.

The initial discharge of water from a recently chlorinated well may contain elevated levels of chlorine and chlorination byproducts. Do not run the water into a surface water body. Avoid flushing for long periods if discharge water will flow onto neighboring property or roadways, or otherwise create a nuisance condition.

The Liberty Process LL8 Progressive Cavity Pump is ideal for abrasive pumping applications such as drilling fluids with sand and grit common in fracking operations. As a Mud Pump, the LL8 Series is a popular model on many mobile pumping rigs in use today. Replacement mud pump parts are available as well from our stock and work on other popular manufacturers models.

The Liberty LL8 is a standard flanged pump design manufactured with cast iron or 316 stainless steel pump casings designed in 1, 2, and 3 stages for 75, 150 and 225 psi discharge pressures and a flow rate of 18 up to 100 GPM.

The LL8 is a modular design with simple hardened pinned joint drive assembly. LL8 Rotors are typically hardened tool steel or 316 stainless steel with a hard chrome plating for long life in abrasive pumping applications.

All other wetted parts are either carbon steel or 316 stainless steel. Stators are available in many elastomer materials such as Buna Nitrile, Natural Rubber, EPDM and Viton. The standard seal design is a set of gland packing with a lantern ring set and flush connections. Mechanical seal options for this progressive cavity pump are readily available.

The LL8 represents one of the most popular progressive cavity pumps available for the transport of drilling mud with easily replaceable in-stock parts.

There are many different ways to drill a domestic water well. One is what we call the “mud rotary” method. Whether or not this is the desired and/or best method for drilling your well is something more fully explained in this brief summary.

One advantage of drilling with compressed air is that it can tell you when you have encountered groundwater and gives you an indication how much water the borehole is producing. When drilling with water using the mud rotary method, the driller must rely on his interpretation of the borehole cuttings and any changes he can observe in the recirculating fluid. Mud rotary drillers can also use borehole geophysical tools to interpret which zones might be productive enough for your water well.

The mud rotary well drilling method is considered a closed-loop system. That is, the mud is cleaned of its cuttings and then is recirculated back down the borehole. Referring to this drilling method as “mud” is a misnomer, but it is one that has stuck with the industry for many years and most people understand what the term actually means.

The water is carefully mixed with a product that should not be called mud because it is a highly refined and formulated clay product—bentonite. It is added, mixed, and carefully monitored throughout the well drilling process.

The purpose of using a bentonite additive to the water is to form a thin film on the walls of the borehole to seal it and prevent water losses while drilling. This film also helps support the borehole wall from sluffing or caving in because of the hydraulic pressure of the bentonite mixture pressing against it. The objective of the fluid mixture is to carry cuttings from the bottom of the borehole up to the surface, where they drop out or are filtered out of the fluid, so it can be pumped back down the borehole again.

When using the mud rotary method, the driller must have a sump, a tank, or a small pond to hold a few thousand gallons of recirculating fluid. If they can’t dig sumps or small ponds, they must have a mud processing piece of equipment that mechanically screens and removes the sands and gravels from the mixture. This device is called a “shale shaker.”

The driller does not want to pump fine sand through the pump and back down the borehole. To avoid that, the shale shaker uses vibrating screens of various sizes and desanding cones to drop the sand out of the fluid as it flows through the shaker—so that the fluid can be used again.

Some drillers use compressed air to blow off the well, starting at the first screened interval and slowly working their way to the bottom—blowing off all the water standing above the drill pipe and allowing it to recover, and repeating this until the water blown from the well is free of sand and relatively clean. If after repeated cycles of airlift pumping and recovery the driller cannot find any sand in the water, it is time to install a well development pump.

Additional development of the well can be done with a development pump that may be of a higher capacity than what the final installation pump will be. Just as with cycles of airlift pumping of the well, the development pump will be cycled at different flow rates until the maximum capacity of the well can be determined. If the development pump can be operated briefly at a flow rate 50% greater than the permanent pump, the well should not pump sand.

Mud rotary well drillers for decades have found ways to make this particular system work to drill and construct domestic water wells. In some areas, it’s the ideal method to use because of the geologic formations there, while other areas of the country favor air rotary methods.

To learn more about the difference between mud rotary drilling and air rotary drilling, click the video below. The video is part of our “NGWA: Industry Connected” YouTube series:

Water waste is often deemed an unwanted, but inevitable by-product of mining processes. Yet modern pump sealing technology exists which can virtually eliminate this waste while conserving energy, improving pump reliability and achieving long term operational savings.

However, it is also one of the most unnecessarily squandered resources in mining operations. And while the industry has begun to embrace efficiency and sustainability-led advances such as automation and renewable energy, it remains steadfastly set in its ways when it comes to slurry pump technology.

Three approaches are routinely specified by pump manufacturers to seal slurry pumps: mechanical packing, expellers (also known as ‘dynamic’ seals’) and single mechanical seals. All come with significant limitations, including poor reliability, reduced mean times between failure (MTBF), intensive maintenance requirements and higher operational costs.

These factors alone should give mine managers cause for a re-evaluation of the sealing methods used on slurry pumps. However, any company with a commitment to the International Standards Organisation ISO-14001 Standard for environmental management systems and ISO-50001 Standard for energy management systems should pay attention to the excessive water waste and high energy consumption that results from opting for these traditional sealing methods.

Inefficient sealing When used to seal the process pumps in a mine’s scrubber and floatation circuits, gland packing, single mechanical seals and expeller seals all demand one of the most wasteful aspects of slurry processing which is seal flush water injection.

On gland packed pumps it’s essential that packing is flushed with clean water to keep it cool and lubricated, while both single slurry seals and expellers require a supply of cool, clean flush water to be injected into the process at high pressure, maintaining a stable fluid film between the delicate seal faces to keep them cool and lubricated, while forcing the damaging slurry away.

The flush water required in all three sealing approaches is supplied from an external source and injected into the process at a higher pressure than the stuffing box pressure, in line with the industry standard American Petroleum Institute (API) Piping Plan 32. Water which doesn’t leak onto the ground or into the process is sent to the tailings dam. This also has an effect on the water balance of the plant.

This approach constitutes a loss of clean water amounting to billions of gallons a year globally. One large, conventional slurry pump typically consumes 10 US gallons (37.8 litres) per minute, amounting to 5.2 million US gallons (19.6 million litres) of water every year – a shocking statistic by any measure.

As the mechanical seals generate heat, the hot water in the barrier space rises to the tank and is radiated to the atmosphere, allowing the cooler, denser water to sink back down to provide cool lubrication to the seal faces. Most importantly, the flush water is constantly recycled, flowing across the seal faces in a continuous loop and reducing leakage to the absolute minimum, roughly a teaspoonful a day.

While API Plan 32 is unsuitable for servicing multiple slurry pumps in a ‘series train’ without the need to install special pump systems, pressurised barrier tanks offer ratings up to 435 psi (30 bar), making them ideal for these applications. Self-topping and self-pressurising, they are also almost maintenance-free.

Wide-ranging benefits The benefits of upgrading to modern sealing solutions and support systems were felt by a coal mine in Poland using a slurry pump to supply coal mud at 9 bar (135 psi) to filter press. Flushed packing resulted in huge dilution of product, resulting in greatly increased filtration times and costs. The pump was sealed with a double mechanical seal designed to meet the arduous requirements of the process.

The mining industry must deal with a tough and costly challenge when it comes to maintaining rotating equipment. But the planning, processing and disposal of flush water constitutes an operational and financial burden which is entirely avoidable.

The positive displacement mud pump is a key component of the drilling process and its lifespan and reliability are critical to a successful operation.

The fluid end is the most easily damaged part of the mud pump. The pumping process occurs within the fluid end with valves, pistons, and liners. Because these components are high-wear items, many pumps are designed to allow quick replacement of these parts.

Due to the nature of its operation, pistons, liners, and valve assemblies will wear and are considered expendable components. There will be some corrosion and metallurgy imperfections, but the majority of pump failures can be traced back to poor maintenance, errors during the repair process, and pumping drilling fluid with excessive solids content.

A few signs include cut piston rubber, discoloration, pistons that are hard to remove, scored liners, valve and seat pitting or cracks, valve inserts severely worn, cracked, or completely missing, and even drilling fluids making their way to the power end of the pump.

The fluid end of a positive displacement triplex pump presents many opportunities for issues. The results of these issues in such a high-pressure system can mean expensive downtime on the pump itself and, possibly, the entire rig — not to mention the costly repair or replacement of the pump. To reduce severe vibration caused by the pumping process, many pumps incorporate both a suction and discharge pulsation dampener; these are connected to the suction and discharge manifolds of the fluid end. These dampeners reduce the cavitation effect on the entire pump which increases the life of everything within the pump.

The fluid end is the most easily damaged part of the mud pump. The pumping process occurs within the fluid end with valves, pistons, and liners. Because these components are high-wear items, many pumps are designed to allow quick replacement of these parts.

Additionally, the throat (inside diameter) can begin to wash out from extended usage hours or rather quickly when the fluid solids content is excessive. When this happens it can cut all the way through the seat and into the fluid end module/seat deck. This causes excessive expense not only from a parts standpoint but also extended downtime for parts delivery and labor hours to remove and replace the fluid module. With that said, a properly operated and maintained mud recycling system is vital to not only the pump but everything the drilling fluid comes in contact with downstream.

In most cases, the product to be used as a pump preserver only needs to be used in the pump if the airless hose is going to be removed. Running the material through the hose and gun too is the easiest, but will require more preserver.

We recommend; mineral spirits or mineral spirits & oil or Pump Armor (use full-strength to protect down to -30 F, Titan Liquid Shield is NOT freeze proof).

You can use a "pump preserver" such as Graco Pump Armor or just plain, clean mineral spirits. A quart of ready to use product is usually sufficient for most paint sprayers. Larger sprayers such as the Graco Mark IV or Mark V may require more.

When the storage fluid begins to come out the return (prime) tube, switch the power off. Some paint sprayer storage fluids, such as Pump Armor, are colored so you can see it come out of the return tube thereby eliminating guess work.

Same procedure as short instructions above except use Pump Armor or mineral spirits with some 30wt oil added to it - a couple capfuls per quart of mineral spirits.

Same procedure as short instructions above except use Pump Armor or mineral spirits with some 30wt oil added to it. A few cap-full"s per quart of mineral spirits.

Same procedure as short instructions above except use Pump Armor or mineral spirits with some 30wt oil added to it. A several cap-full"s per quart of mineral spirits.

Fresh, clean mineral spirits is considered a storage fluid for this time span, use it or another pump preserver such as Graco Pump Armor. A quart of ready to use product is usually sufficient for most sprayers. Larger sprayers such as the Graco Mark IV or Mark V may require more.

When the storage fluid begins to come out the return (prime) tube, switch the power off. Some paint sprayer storage fluids, such as Pump Armor, are colored so you can see it come out of the return tube thereby eliminating guess work.

Same procedure as short instructions above except use Pump Armor or mineral spirits with some 30wt oil added to it - a couple cap-full"s per quart of mineral spirits.

Same procedure as short instructions above except use Pump Armor or mineral spirits with some 30wt oil added to it. A few cap-full"s per quart of mineral spirits.

Same procedure as short instructions above except use Pump Armor or mineral spirits with some 30wt oil added to it. A several cap-full"s per quart of mineral spirits.

Fresh, clean mineral spirits is considered a storage fluid for this time span, use it or another pump preserver such as Graco Pump Armor. A quart of ready to use product is usually sufficient for most sprayers. Larger sprayers such as the Graco Mark IV or Mark V may require more.

When the storage fluid begins to come out the return (prime) tube, switch the power off. Some paint sprayer storage fluids, such as Pump Armor, are colored so you can see it come out of the return tube thereby eliminating guess work.

Same procedure as short instructions above except use Pump Armor or mineral spirits with some 30wt oil added to it - a couple cap-full"s per quart of mineral spirits.

Same procedure as short instructions above except use Pump Armor or mineral spirits with some 30wt oil added to it. A few cap-full"s per quart of mineral spirits.

Same procedure as short instructions above except use Pump Armor OR mineral spirits with some 30wt oil added to it. A few to several cap-full"s per quart of mineral spirits.