Process Water Filtration
Process Water Filtration
(OP)
I am at a newer facility and we get our process water directly from the river. Over the last two years we have had several failures due to what I describe as wear in our process water system, i.e. progressive cavity pumps, check valves, centrifugal rotors, and other equipment. We had a analysis done in the past on a separate issue and it was found that there is a large amount of diatomaceous earth.
First question can river water have enough suspended solids that it can severely score a 316 SS progressive cavity rotor. Secondly, how do I go about spec'ing out a proper filtration system to ensure that the equipment will last an appropriate amount of time. We use at max 400 gpm and this water does go through cooling and heating loops.
First question can river water have enough suspended solids that it can severely score a 316 SS progressive cavity rotor. Secondly, how do I go about spec'ing out a proper filtration system to ensure that the equipment will last an appropriate amount of time. We use at max 400 gpm and this water does go through cooling and heating loops.





RE: Process Water Filtration
River water treatment typically consists of a clarifer followed by multimedia filtration. That treatment will produce a zero solids water.
RE: Process Water Filtration
Wear is proportional to velocity to the power 2.5 to 4.5. thus the lower the rotor velocity the less the wear.
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His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
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RE: Process Water Filtration
RE: Process Water Filtration
RE: Process Water Filtration
I always thought that a progreeive cavity pump would generally not be recommended for relatively non-lubricious fluids - such as river water. I might be wrong, since the technology may have advanced since 10-15 years ago.
If you wanted to keep a PC pump, maybe I'd try a hardened rotor and viton stator and see how that goes for a while.
Regards,
SNORGY.
RE: Process Water Filtration
Are you sure that it is diatomaceous earth and not just river sand?
You asked about water treatment. River water treatment typically consists of a clarifer followed by multimedia filtration. That treatment will produce a zero solids water.
RE: Process Water Filtration
RE: Process Water Filtration
We do have applications where product is being filtered in module filters using diatomaceous silica (slippage is very minimal). All the components are of SS316L, still found scoring of vessel impellers over a period of time.
What level of suspended silica we are talking about here?
RE: Process Water Filtration
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RE: Process Water Filtration
"Sharing knowledge is the way to immortality"
His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
http://waterhammer.hopout.com.au/
RE: Process Water Filtration
Link: http://www.harmsco.com/
RE: Process Water Filtration
This question can only answer by your self. You should take a sample and analyse it.
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You did not give a schematic of your existing system. Is the PC pump drawing water direct from the river and pumps through the cooling and heating loop and dump back to the river?
If you want to protect your process equipment,the basic arrangement would be using a low RPM centrifugal pump to draw the river water, filter it and use another pump to pump the clean water to the process. You will need a storage tank in between.
RE: Process Water Filtration
RE: Process Water Filtration
Here's a thought: Go to your local golf course......one of the nice courses. Most of the time they're getting irrigation water from a river, stream, or lake. Most of the time, they're using a trash pump to break up debris like sand, dirt, sticks, diapers, cans, etc.....before this fluid gets in the system. Then they'll send it to vertical turbines to increase pressure.
RE: Process Water Filtration