The Performance of Water Jet Pumps and Their Application in Slurry Transportation

Abstract

This present work is focused firstly on an experimental investigation for the optimum design of water jet pumps to be used in the hydrotransport of solid particles through pipeline systems. Experiments were conducted in a closed test loop using five types of jet pumps with various dimensions of the driving nozzle, suction nozzle, mixing chamber, and diffuser employing water as driving and suction fluid. The efficiency of each water jet pump element was analyzed and interpretations of results related to each water jet pump were made about the parts to be considered in the optimum design of a water jet pump. From the experimental results, the water jet pump having the optimum mixing chamber, suction nozzle, driving nozzle location, and cross-sectional dimensions produced a maximum efficiency of about 33%. In the second part of the study, the solid particle carrying capacity of water jet pumps in a pipeline system was studied under saltation, moving bed, and heterogeneous flow regimes by introducing seven different types of solid particles having various concentrations into the closed test loop. The effect of jet pumps on separating solid particles from flow in a region was investigated. A curved form of a by-pass system called the 'flow division unit' was added to the main pipeline system and through the flow division unit, then most of the solid particles in the flow were forced to flow towards the suction pipe of the jet pump. As a result of this, only water with very small particle concentrations passed through the centrifugal pumps, and in this way, the wear risk of the centrifugal pump was reduced considerably.