Slurry Pump Impeller

Abstract

A pump impeller which includes: a back shroud having an inner main face with an outer peripheral edge and a central axis, the impeller in use being rotatable about the central axis in a direction of rotation, a plurality of pumping vanes extending from the inner main face of the back shroud, the pumping vanes being disposed in spaced apart relation, and each pumping vane including: opposed first and second side faces, a leading edge in the region of the central axis and a trailing edge in the region of the outer peripheral edge of the back shroud, and with a passageway between adjacent pumping vanes, wherein the first side face at the leading edge is in a plane which is at an acute angle with respect to a plane of the inner main face of the back shroud, and the first side face at the trailing edge is in a plane which is at an obtuse angle with respect to the plane of the inner main face of the back shroud.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD[0001]This disclosure relates generally to impellers for centrifugal slurry pumps. Slurries are usually a mixture of liquid and particulate solids, and are commonly found in the minerals processing, sand and gravel and / or dredging industry.BACKGROUND ART[0002]Centrifugal slurry pumps generally include a pump casing having a pumping chamber therein which may be of a volute configuration with an impeller mounted for rotation within the pumping chamber. A drive shaft is operatively connected to the pump impeller for causing rotation thereof, the drive shaft entering the pump casing from one side. The pump further includes a pump inlet which is typically coaxial with respect to the drive shaft and located on the opposite side of the pump casing to the drive shaft. There is also a discharge outlet typically located at a periphery of the pump casing. The pump casing may be in the form of a liner which is encased within an outer pump housing.[0003]The impeller typically incl...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

The vane in the device is designed to prevent wear and tear at the point where it meets the back shroud. This is achieved by using a force called the Coriolis force, which splits particles across the vane's surface, reducing friction and wear there.

Problems solved by technology

Although the vanes are twisted along their length, they would not be suitable for use in slurry pumps.

A consequence of this flow of concentrated particles along the root of the vane is high and uneven wear due to grooving of the impeller at that point, which can prematurely render the impeller ineffective.

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