SH – Solids Handling Pumps

For difficult media at extremely high pressure

ABEL SH solids handling pumps span a wide performance range and are also suited for a large number of pumping media and applications. These high pressure pumps really prove their worth when extremely abrasive, paste-like and compact media (e.g. dehydrated sewage sludge) have to be conveyed safely at high pressure. At ABEL, this high-capacity pump has extra wall thickness and a large intake valve, which, when combined with a very good filling ratio, produce a service life that is longer than the norm.

Along with the actual pump unit (consisting of sludge, hydraulic main and valve cylinders) an ABEL SH thick matter pump comprises a total of four components: the actual pump, the hydraulic drive unit, a feed screw to fill the product cylinder, and a control cabinet with PLC. The programmable logic controller is the brain of the system and allows for integration with complex processes and control room systems.

Technical Specifications

  • Max. Flow: 110 m³/h (484 GPM)
  • Max. Pressure: 16 MPa (2300 psi)
  • ATEX design available

Housing

  • Nodular cast iron
  • Stainless steel

Applications

  • Backfilling
  • Paste Transfer

Advantages of ABEL Solids Handling Pumps

  • Hydraulically-actuated cone valves are short-circuit free, even at high pressures

  • Enclosed pipeline transfer

  • Electrical pump control as standard with modern PLC

  • Cone valves with elongated valve rods protect the hydraulic system from contamination

  • Capable of running dry

  • Fully automatic, efficient disposal and feed operations

Solids Handling Pumps for Mine Backfilling

Our customer is a large underground mining producer of precious metal, specialized in high grade silver and gold deposits.

All underground mining activities are epithermal deposits and the main extraction method used is cut-and-fill mining. The mineral extracted is processed and transformed into a silver and gold concentrate.The process of metal extraction is accompanied by the accumulation of large quantities of tailings that are sometimes used for refilling pits which are no longer in use. With increasing environmental awareness, the handling of tailings from mining processes has become a crucial issue for all mining companies. Given that they are a by-product of the mineral concentration process, tailings do not have any real economic value. They are toxic and generally comprise residues of minerals, soil, water and chemical components from the process itself. Consequently, the disposal of tailings represents a real problem in the mining industry due to increasing volumes, the need for large storage space, the risk of failure of retention basins as well as the water contained in tailings whose infiltrations can harm the environment.

Mine Backfilling as an economic Alternative

In this context, the alternative of backfilling the mine appears to be a reasonable solution for the costs, the risks and the problems related to the handling of tailings. This solution requires a lower capital expenditure as well as lower operating costs and reduces the environmental impact significantly. The reduction of water consumption in the treatment process leads to the formation of a more viscous (paste-like) product, which reduces the risk of contaminated water infiltration significantly.

In this case, the product is stored in underground locations that have already been utilized. This process is called pit backfilling. To carry out the backfilling process, the pulp must go through a concentration process in which its liquid is separated from the solids with the objective to increase the solid content and make the material more suitable for pit backfilling.

Tailings Transfer with ABEL

It is here that ABEL solid handling pumps come into play and become, thanks to their main characteristics and the advantages they can offer the mining industry, a well-suited solution for thickened tailings handling in the process of backfilling. When it comes to working under the requirements of mining applications, the equipment installed must guarantee a high degree of reliability and availability and it must also be suited for operation in challenging conditions and during long periods without interruptions.

ABEL SH solids handling pumps represent the solution for very challenging work conditions. These units are based on piston pump technology and consist of the following 3 main components: the pump, the hydraulic drive unit and the control unit with PLC.

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