mud pump flush procedure factory

I was recently asked about a procedure for flushing hydraulic systems in order to change from one type of fluid to another. Among the ideas mentioned involved using brake cleaner, diesel fuel or some type of acid cleaning.

For these reasons, it"s important to understand flushing properly or to use an experienced oil flushing service provider who can help you get the job done right.

In his article for Machinery Lubrication titled “Cleaning and Flushing Basics for Hydraulic Systems and Similar Machines,” Tom Odden outlines the procedure for thoroughly cleaning a hydraulic system. This would be the only “one-size-fits-all” solution and an example of best practices. It involves mechanical and chemical cleaning of both the components and the system.

of lubrication professionals say mechanical cleaning is the flushing method used most frequently at their plant, according to a recent poll at machinerylubrication.com

Flush the system with a lower viscosity fluid that is similar to the fluid to be used. A Reynolds number between 2,000 and 4,000 should be selected to achieve enough turbulence to remove particles from the lines. Stroke valves frequently to ensure they are thoroughly flushed. The fluid should be filtered and the flushing should continue until reaching one level beyond the system’s target cleanliness levels. For example, if the target is ISO 15/13/11, continue to flush the system until ISO 14/12/10 is reached.

Fill the system to approximately 75 percent with the fluid to be used. Bleed/vent the pump. If the pump has a pressure relief or bypass, it should be wide open. Run the pump for 15 seconds, then stop and let it sit for 45 seconds. Repeat this procedure a few times to prime the pump.

Run the pump for a minute with the bypass or pressure relief open. Stop the pump and let it sit for a minute. Close the bypass and permit the pump to operate loaded for no more than five minutes. Allow the relief valve to lift to confirm that it is flushed as well. Do not operate the actuators at this time. Stop the pump and let the system sit for about five minutes.

Start the pump and operate the actuators one at a time, allowing fluid to return to the reservoir before moving to the next actuator. After operating the final actuator, shut down the system. Keep an eye on the fluid level in the reservoir. If the level drops below 25 percent, add fluid and fill to 50 percent.

Refill the reservoir to 75 percent and run the system in five-minute intervals. At each shutdown, bleed the air from the system. Pay close attention to the system sounds to determine if the pump is cavitating.

Run the system for 30 minutes to bring it to normal operating temperature. Shut down the system and replace the filters. Inspect the reservoir for obvious signs of cross-contamination. If any indication of cross-contamination is present, drain and flush the system again.

There are a lot of different ways to flush out a machine. You want to match the flushing method to the flushing condition. Following are common tactics for accomplishing this:

High Turbulence, High Fluid Velocity, Low Oil Viscosity — Flushing is enhanced by high turbulence flushing conditions by lower flush oil viscosity and increasing oil flow rates. This usually requires specialized equipment to achieve proper turbulent flow. Talk to a service provideryou trust who offers high-velocity oil flushing services.

High Flush Oil Temperature — This reduces viscosity, increases turbulence and increases oil solvency. Temperatures in the range of 175 to 195 degrees F are generally targeted.

Cycling Flush Oil Temperature— Using heat exchangers and coolers to change temperature during flushing across a 100 degree F range helps dislodge crusty surface deposits.

Wand Flush Tool — Used for wet sumps, gearboxes and reservoirs with access hatches and clean-out ports. A wand on the end of a flushing hose is used to direct high-velocity oil flow to loosen deposits or for picking up bottom sediment.

Solvent/Detergent Flush Fluid — Various solvents and detergents have been used with different degrees of success, including mineral spirits, diesel fuel, motor oils and detergent/dispersant packages.

Some adherent machine deposits require tactics that are more aggressive than a high-velocity flush, so you must match the flushing tactic and strategy to the problem you are trying to resolve with the flush. Once you understand the problem within the machine that needs to be cleaned, you can then select the appropriate flushing tactic to remedy it. This issue was described in Jim Fitch’s three-part series on flushing for Machinery Lubrication, which can be read at www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/609/oil-flush, www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/634/oil-flushing-tactics and www.machinerylubrication.com/Read/657/flushing-oil.

At this point, it should be obvious that a fluid changeout is not just a drain-and-fill operation. Care must be taken to confirm that the system is as clean as possible prior to introducing the new fluid. Most changeover procedures suggest that some of the old fluid will need to be either drained off the bottom or skimmed off the top of the reservoir after a period of time.

Just because the changeover has been completed does not mean that you are “out of the woods.” Your system will need to be closely monitored for a while to make certain that the flushing was thorough. Taking the time to verify that the system is fully flushed and purged of the old fluid prior to introducing the new fluid will go a long way toward ensuring a healthier hydraulic system.

All slurry pumps must be flushed immediately after shutdown. Failure to do so can allow slurry to settle in the casing, build up in the suction or discharge piping and attach to the pump liners, impeller and / or seal components. Mechanically sealed pumps are especially susceptible to failure from solids build-up. Subsequent starts of the equipment can then tear liners, damage impellers, fail mechanical seals and damage piping components and their support structure.

The exact procedure required in each installation will vary. The entire flushing process may take as little as 15 minutes for a small pump, but may take hours for a large pump. The desired end result is to have the pump completely filled with clear liquid and to not have damaged the pump or pumping system in any way during the flushing sequence.

Pump should not be rotating and the liquid in the pump should be stationary, not flowing in or out of the pump, prior to starting the flush procedure. The best position for the discharge valve during flushing is dependant on site conditions.

If there is a closed discharge valve in the system the vent valve between the pump and the discharge valve must be open. If there is no vent valve the discharge valve must be open.

If the discharge valve is closed and there is no vent valve, (or if the vent valve is closed) it is possible to create a vacuum or over pressurize the pump during the flush and drain sequence that could damage or displace the liners in the pump or damage other pump and piping components.

1. With the discharge vent or discharge valve open, open the drain valve on the suction line and drain the pump until slurry stops issuing from the drain valve. This leaves the bottom of the pump casing below the suction line full of slurry.

2. With the discharge vent or discharge valve open, close the drain valve and open the flush line to fill the pump completely. Minimum liquid level should be at least past the pump discharge flange.

5. Pumps not operating for any period of time and potentially exposed to process gasses should be filled completely with water to prevent gases from attacking metal components in the pump.

6. If the possibility exists the suction valve will leak and allow solids into the pump during idle periods, filling the pump discharge with clear water up to the height of slurry in the suction tank will help minimize solids leaking into the pump.

7. Regular checks should be made to ensure the liquid in the pump does not drain off. The discharge vent should be left open to prevent vacuum creation should liquid leak from the pump during the storage/not operating period.

8. It may be necessary to change the liquid in the pump during storage periods to prevent a buildup of acids or solids in the pump. Frequency required will be site condition dependant.

Cycle times for draining and filling the pump and pipe will vary depending on pump size and the piping system. Based on site conditions this flushing procedure should be modified as necessary to achieve the end goal of a clean undamaged pump and piping system full of clear water.

Pipe flushing is the process where pipework is flushed using a pump and a specific fluid to remove impurities, flush sludge or oil from extensive runs of pipework. Pipe flushing can also be performed on new pipework which has recently been installed to ensure contaminants are removed using freshwater and foam pigs or spherical cleaning balls which scrape the walls with foam removing any dirt or particles.

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.

What is a mud pump? A mud pump refers to a machine that transports mud or water and other flushing fluid into the borehole during drilling. Types of mud pumps are an important part of drilling equipment. In the commonly used positive circulation drilling, it is to send the surface flushing medium—clear water, mud, or polymer rinsing liquid to the bottom end of the drill bit through a high-pressure hose, faucet, and drill rod center hole under a certain pressure. Cool the drill bit, remove the cut debris and transport it to the surface.

The commonly used mud pump is a piston-type or a plunger type, and the crankshaft of the pump is driven by the power machine, and the crankshaft passes the crosshead to drive the piston or the plunger to reciprocate in the pump cylinder. Under the alternating action of the suction and discharge valves, the purpose of pumping and circulating the flushing liquid is achieved.

During operation, the power machine drives the main shaft and the crank that is fixed thereon by a transmission component such as a belt, a transmission shaft, and a gear. When the crank rotates counterclockwise from the horizontal position from left to right, the piston moves to the power end, the pressure in the liquid cylinder gradually decreases and a vacuum is formed, and the liquid in the suction pool is under the action of the liquid surface pressure, and the suction valve is opened to enter the liquid cylinder. Until the piston moves to the right stop. This working process is called the suction process of the pump.

After the crank completes the above suction process, it continues to rotate counterclockwise. At this time, the piston starts to move toward the hydraulic end (left side in the figure), and the liquid in the cylinder is squeezed. The pressure rises, the suction valve closes, and the discharge valve is closed. Top open, liquid enters the discharge pipe until the piston moves to the left stop. This process is called the pump discharge process. As the power machine continues to operate, the reciprocating pump continuously repeats the process of inhaling and discharging, and the liquid in the suction pool is continuously sent to the bottom of the well through the discharge pipe.

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Mud Pump Mud Pump Mud Pump Mud Pump Mud Pump Mud Pump Mud Pump Mud Pump Mud Pump Mud Pump Mud Pump In fact, sewage pump, slurry pump and some other non-clean water pump and mud pump in the name also have universal. This entry addresses the reader to mud pumps in the field of drilling.

Mud pump, refers to the drilling process to the drilling mud or water and other flushing liquid machinery. Mud pump is an important part of drilling equipment. In common are circulating drilling, it is washing medium surface it ─ ─ water, mud or polymer rinses under certain pressure, through high pressure hose, faucet and center hole drill pipe column straight to the bottom of the drill bit, in order to achieve cooling bit, to clear the debris that cutting down and the purpose of conveying to the surface.

Commonly used mud pump is piston or plunger type, driven by the power machine pump crankshaft rotation, crankshaft through the crosshead and then drive the piston or plunger in the pump cylinder to do reciprocating movement. Under the alternating action of suction valve and discharge valve, the purpose of pressing and circulating flushing liquid is realized.

The displacement is calculated by discharging several liters per minute, which is related to the drilling diameter and the required return velocity of the flushing liquid from the bottom of the hole, that is, the larger the pore size, the larger the displacement required. The return velocity of the flushing fluid is required to flush the cuttings and rock powder from the drill bit to the bottom of the hole in time and carry them to the surface reliably. In geological core drilling, the general return velocity is about 0.4 ~ 1.0 m/min.

The pressure of the pump depends on the depth of the borehole, the resistance of the channel through which the flushing fluid passes and the nature of the flushing fluid. The deeper the hole, the greater the pipe resistance and the higher the pressure required.

With the change of drilling diameter and depth, the displacement of the required pump can also be adjusted at any time. A gearbox or a hydraulic motor is arranged in the mechanism of the pump to adjust its speed so as to achieve the purpose of changing the displacement. In order to accurately grasp the change of pump pressure and displacement, it is necessary to install a flow meter and pressure gauge on the mud pump, so that the drillers can know the operation of the pump at any time. At the same time, the pressure change can be used to determine whether the condition in the hole is normal to prevent the occurrence of accidents in the hole.

6, the pump can be reversed, the flow of liquid by the direction of rotation of the pump to change, applicable to the pipe to the reverse flushing occasions.

Reasons: insufficient infusion and diversion of water, air in the pump cannot be discharged, air leakage in the suction pipe, large clearance between the front liner and the impeller;

Solution: empty the air in the pump, adjust the clearance, adjust the friction disc clearance of the clutch, and replace the impeller or lining plate.

Before starting the mud pump, please check whether the inlet pipe and outlet pipe are blocked, whether the front and rear bearings are filled with butter, and check whether the packing is full. When the mud pump works, it should be equipped with high pressure fresh water pump, which is greater than the pressure of the mud pump, to send water to the leak-proof packing, to protect the packing, and the flushing pump should not be closed when the mud pump works, otherwise, it will make the sealing part wear quickly. Whether the clearance between the impeller and the guard plate is reasonable or not has a great influence on the service life of the mud pump. If the clearance is not reasonable, the pump will generate vibration and noise during operation, and the over-current parts will be damaged quickly. Therefore, when replacing the impeller, attention should be paid to making the clearance meet the requirements of the drawing. Clearance adjustment can be made by adjusting screws on the rear bearing body. The allowable suction distance of the mud pump is determined during the delivery of clear water.

The construction department shall have specialized maintenance personnel who shall be responsible for the maintenance and repair of construction machinery. Regular mud pump and other mechanical inspection, maintenance, early problem to solve, so as not to cause shutdown. Construction should pay attention to the size of sediment particles, large particles when often check the vulnerable parts of the mud pump, in order to timely maintenance or replacement. Mud pump vulnerable parts are mainly pump shell, bearing, impeller, etc. Adopting advanced anti-wear measures can improve the service life of vulnerable parts, reduce engineering investment and improve production efficiency. At the same time, vulnerable parts should be readily available for timely replacement.

In the construction, the mechanical, the mud pump continuous normal work can cause the mud pump to display the high work efficiency. Accordingly, want to have reasonable time limit arrangement, strict management system.

2. Before starting the slurry pump, the suction pipe, the bottom valve and the pump body must be filled with water and the upper end of the buffer of the pressure gauge must be filled with oil.

6, there are several speed of the mud pump in order to make splash lubrication reliable, should be in each shift of operation will be several speed respectively, the time is not less than 30 seconds.

Piston Of JA-3 Relief Valve, Manual Reset Relief Valve is mainly used as mud pump relief valve, with the same function as shear relief valve; but Reset Relief Valve can automatically snap to a full open position when the preset pressure is exceed. Once the pressure released, the reset was done to recover to work within several minutes when to operate the reset handle.

JA-3 Shear Relief Valve 3”-5000psi, which is popular used in BOMCO Mud Pump F1300/1600, HHF1300/1600 and 3NB1300/1600. There is Threaded and Flanged connection, union is available upon request.

The “pond” is actually a man made dam which covers an area of about 40ha and has rockfill embankments of up to 53m high along the southern side that forms the impoundment.  It initially constructed in 1959 to act as a tailings pond to take the bauxite residue (red mud) from the Ewarton Plant situated about 5km away and 300m lower.  The red mud was pumped as a slurry comprising about 20% solids to the pond over a period of about 32 years up to 1991 when the pond was replaced by the Charlemount Mud Stacking and Drying Facility.  During this period the pond embankments (referred to as dams), were raised up to 7 times providing a final crest elevation of 472m.  The pond was however never filled to its final design capacity and the mud beach level remained at about 469m and the central area about 458m leaving a concave depression which held about 1.4mil m3 of water with elevated pH and some caustic content.

The remediation plan for the pond includes the removal of the ponded water and then the regrading of the mud surface to be free draining so that it can be stabilised and vegetated.  About 500,000 m3 of mud will need to be moved over a distance of up to 1km in order to create the required profile.  Due to the very soft nature of the surface muds (shear strength of less than 3kPa) its bearing capacity is less than 20kPa hence it is not accessible using even modified earthworks equipment.  In addition, the muds are thyrotrophic and under any vibration or shear loading, rapidly liquefy resulting in significant reduction in shear strength and loss of bearing capacity.  Using conventional earthmoving equipment would therefore require extensive “floating” haul roads with a high risk of machinery getting stuck or entire plant loss and risk to personnel.  It was therefore decided to investigate the possibility of pumping the in-situ red mud.

A mud pumping trial was undertaken to assess the feasibility of using this technique to do the bulk mud moving.  Pumping red mud is not unusual and the muds were initially pumped up to Mt Rosser Pond.  However, the muds are usually pumped at a solids content of 30% or less.  Once deposited, they can take years to reconsolidate and firm up sufficiently to allow access for light earthworks and agricultural plant.

In addition to the mud pumping, the trial included infilling three small scale geotubes to assess their performance as these may be needed as part of the regrading works.

The main aim of the pump trial was to determine if the muds could be pumped in their insitu state, and if not, what amount of water is required and how the variations in water content affect pump rates.

The mud pumping trial was undertaken using a 4” EDDY Pump.  This pump was recommended due to its ability to handle variable solids and robust operating mechanism.  The pump unit incorporated a hydraulic drive and cutter head.  The unit was mounted onto the boom of a JCB 220 excavator which also supplied the hydraulic feed to power the pump for the required range of 30-40 GPM at 3,500 to 4,000 psi (2428MPa).  The cutter head was powered by a standalone hydraulic power unit capable of providing the required 30gpm at 200psi (1.9 l/s at 13.8MPa).  If mounted on a 30-ton excavator with a System 14 hydraulic system and dual auxiliary feeds to the boom, all necessary hydraulic power for the pump and cutter head can be supplied by the excavator.  This equipment was however not available at the time in Jamaica.

In addition to the pump mounted on the excavator a Long Reach excavator (CAT 325) was used to move muds towards the cutter head but also to loosen up the muds and mix in additional water to facilitate pumping.  Water was added by pumping it directly from the pond using a 3” diesel water pump.

Prior to pumping the muds, the mud pump would operate in recirculation mode in order to prime the pump.  When in recirculation (re-circ) mode, the material pumped would be diverted to a short discharge pipe mounted on the pump directed back parallel to the cutter head. This action would help agitate and stir the muds.

A geotechnical soils investigation was undertaken on the muds within Mt Rosser pond in 2004.  It showed the material to be predominantly clayey silt with approximately 13% sand, 29% clay and 58% silt using conventional sieve analysis and hydrometer.  Atterberg limits indicate that the material is an intermediate to high plasticity clay.  The muds do however vary across the lake and also vertically. This is mainly as a consequence of the deposition process and discharge location.  Close to the discharge location the courser materials would settle out first and the finer materials would disperse furthest and to the opposite end of the pond.  The results are presented in figure 4.1.

Earlier this year, additional mud samples were tested as it was evident that standard soil mechanics tests did not provide an accurate assessment of this fine material.  This was particularly evident in tests done with dry sieving which shows the material as well-graded sand (see results for samples 5300, 5301, 5302 on figure 4.2).  When dispersed in water, even with an agent, the ‘yield-pseudo-plastic’ rheology of the muds appeared to affect the hydrometer results with large variations between tests (see results of samples PFT4&5 taken during mud pumping trials on figure 4.2).

The additional testing comprised of undertaking gradings using a Laser Particle Analyzer. The results indicated that the muds are predominantly Silt although the silt % varied from 30% to 80% with the material being either more sandy or more clayey (up to 15% clay). See results of samples ending in “L” on figure 4.2 below.

Moisture content tests on the muds taken from within the mud pond but below the ponded water ranged from 100% to 150% (50% to 40% solids).  The muds at the pump test location were 137% (42% solids).

Shear strength was generally very low ranging from 1kPa to 6kPa increasing with depth.  Dynamic probes previously undertaken indicated that the muds are “very soft” to 5m increasing in strength slightly to “soft” at a depth of 9m after which they increase to firm becoming stiff.

The pH of the muds ranged from 10.3 to 11.7, (ave 11.2).  Previous testing indicated that the surface muds have the lower pH although once through the crust, the pH tends to be higher. When doing the trials, the muds up to a depth of about 2.5m was intermixed, hence any stratification in pH could not be determined.

Initially, pumping was problematic mainly due to the excavator being underpowered. This was diagnosed as a hydraulic pump problem and the excavator was replaced.  The cutter head (which also acts to protect the intake) tended to blind with mud (Photo 5.1) and was also not providing enough agitation to liquefy the muds.  This was partly resolved by adding “stirrers” (2 steel loops welded either side) to the rotating cutter head and also a “comb” (Photo 5.2) to keep the gaps within the cutter head open.

Mud pumping rates varied from 21 l/s to 52 l/s (332 – 824gpm) and it was clearly visible that the more liquid the muds were the higher the pump rate was.  Samples were taken at different discharge rates and moisture content and percent solids determined by laboratory testing.  The results are plotted in Figure 5.1 and although scattered, do give an indication of the effects of solids content on flow rates.  The natural moisture content of the muds (insitu) at the test location was 137%, or 42% solids.  This is shown in Figure 5.1 as a vertical line.  Pumping muds close to the percent solids was achieved although flow rates were low.

As mentioned previously, the long reach excavator was used to loosen up the muds.  Water was pumped from the pond using a 3” pump into the excavation and the long reach would then work the muds to mix the water in.  The mud pump would then be used in recirculation mode to further mix the muds into a more consistent state.  Even with this mixing and agitation, the water tended to concentrate on the surface. This aided the initial process of priming the pump and once primed thicker muds at 1m to 2m below the surface could be pumped.  However, it was found that the deeper muds tended to be lumpy and this would significantly reduce or stop the flow requiring the pump to be lifted into thinner muds or having to go back into re-circ mode or having to fully re-prime.  The pump discharge was therefore very inconsistent as the suction intake position constantly needed adjustment in an attempt to get adequate discharge but also pump the thickest muds possible.

Discharge of the pumped muds was through 30m of flexible hose then 60m of 4” HDPE pipe which had an internal diameter of about 87mm (3.5”).    The muds were discharged onto the original mud beach which lies at a gradient of about 9%. On deposition the muds slowly flowed down gradient.  At times the flow would stop and the muds would build up then flow again in a wave motion.  The natural angle of repose would therefore be a few degrees less than this – probably 5% to 6%.

Although the muds have very low shear strength, and on agitation liquefy, the sides of the excavation had sufficient strength to stand about 2m near vertical.  Even overnight, there was limited slumping and the bank could be undermined by about 0.5m with the cutter head/agitator before collapsing.

On termination of pumping, in order to flush the pipeline, thin watery muds were pumped until the line was clear. A “T” valve system was then used to connect the 3” water pump line and this was then used to flush the pipe with water.

Three geotubes (1m x 6m) were filled with red muds pumped using the 4” Eddy pump. Fill rates were about 30 to 40l/s although it was difficult to assess as the flow and mud consistence was not visible.

Tube 1 was filled initially with more runny mud and then thicker muds as the pump operator got a better feel for conditions.  The tube was filled until firm.  The second tube was filled with thicker muds and filling continued until the tube was taut.  These two tubes were positioned on the sloping beach in order to form a small “U” impoundment area that would later be filled with pumped muds.  Although the area was prepared, the sloping ground caused the first tube to rotate through about 20 degrees. The tube was staked and the downslope side backfilled.  A more defined bed was created for the second tube and the same rotational issue was limited.  The two filled tubes with the ponded mud are shown in Photos 5.7 and 5.8.  Other than a small leak at the contact between the two geotubes, the ponding of the muds was successful.

The third tube was positioned on level ground. It was filled with medium runny (but consistent thickness) muds and was filled until the tube was taut.

In all three cases, there was very little mud loss or seepage from the tubes.  When stood on, some red water would squeeze out around the pressure area.  Once filled taut, the entire bag would have small red water droplets form on the outside (visible in Photo 5.11) , but the seepage was in general nominal.

The tubes have been monitored and the most recent photo’s taken on 10 October 2011 (6 weeks after filling) show how the tubes have reduced in volume due to the dewatering of the contained muds.  Volume loss is estimated to be around 30%.  The anticipated moisture content would therefore be about 90% and the solids around 53%.

The muds pumped into the trial pond behind the geotubes were medium thick to thick, probably in the order of 37 – 40% solids.  After 6 weeks the mud has not only firmed-up but had dried out significantly with wide and deep surface cracks as are evident in Photo 5.14 and 5.15.

The muds can be pumped at close to their insitu moisture content and most likely at their in-situ moisture content if they were agitated more and the pipeline system was designed to reduce friction losses.

Be able to access the mud surface and move around efficiently and safely. The suggestion is to have the pump mounted on a pontoon that is positioned using high strength rope (dynema) or steel cable.  The pump system should be remotely controlled as this would limit regular movement of personnel on the muds.

Have sufficient power and volume capacity to pump the muds at close to or at in-situ moisture content and discharge them about 1000m through a flexible pipeline.

It was also evident from the trials that the muds do not slump and flow readily.  It will therefore be necessary to have an amphibious excavator to loosen up the muds in the area around the pump head.  This weakened and more liquid mud would also aid the movement of the pump pontoon.  To also limit the amount of movement the pontoon will need to do, the amphibious excavator could also move muds towards the pump location.

Using the capacity of the 4” mud pump, mud moving would take about 1.5 to 2 years, the pump will however need to be more suited to the task.  A target period of 1 year however seems reasonable.  However, prior to this, equipment will need to be procured and imported into Jamaica. The 6 and 10 inch Excavator Dredge Pump Attachments are also being considered as an option for higher GMP and a more aggressive completion timeline.  A preliminary programme is as follows:

Air and debris in a geothermal loop system can lead to system pump failure or nuisance noise in the home or building. Air and dirt elimination starts with proper flushing/purging using a professional flush cart equipped with sufficient filtering equipment. If completed properly, this flushing process should be sufficient to remove all of the air and debris in the loop system, particularly smaller residential systems. However, even with good system flushing/purging, small amounts of air or debris may remain in the system after the initial flush procedure or may enter the system during follow-up system maintenance (for example, when bumping system pressure with a tool or replacing a pump). Installing a properly designed air and/or dirt separator provides long-term protection against pump failure.

For systems with more than one heat pump, our GTK (Geothermal Trim Kit) selection provides a factory fabricated, complete solution for air, dirt, and pressure management along with internal headers to allow plumbing to each unit.