Unpumpables

[mmmumuw]

Hi there,
What is the definition of Unpumpable? I mean, what is the limitation of a fluid to be determined as "unpumpable". A piston pump like Putzmeister can pump the solid. Or in the Hidrostal brochure they said that they can pump fresh fish.
What can be pumped, what can not be? Do you have any experience how much is the highest viscosity of fluid to be pumpble. Or that sort of things.Thanks.
Cheers.
Muwardi

 

[d23]

mmmumuw

A company named disk-flow had a display for years that pumped goldfish to an aquarium without even damaging the fish scales in the USA. Some special interest group got involved and the aquarium ended. The problem with pumping fish or any unpumpable liquid (or fish) is the pump efficiency or (e-fish-ency.) The larger the solids are the lower the efficiency will be. You will need to make a gaps in the pump to accommodate the solids.

D23

 

[BrianatLiquiflo]

Unpumpable is defined as a substance which can not be "induced" to flow through a pipe.

You can pump solids - such as powders as they act just like a fluid when in motion. The key is how do you get the supply into the pump. What happens to the solid after it is pumped.

Diaphragm pumps can pump liquids with over a million cps, it just takes 4 or 5 hours to make one cycle. At some point the economies of scale dictate that pumping is not an option.

I use this test... Take a laddle of the material and place it on a flat surface at the temperature to be pumped. If it remains in the shape of the laddle, or you can't get it out of the laddle - don't try to pump it. If it cold flows then you can pump it. If it maintains it shape like jello, then you need another mechanism to help pump it, an auger, a pusher plate. If it can flow - you can pump it, it becomes a question of economics.

Brian Atherton at LiquifloInc.com