CSIRO DRAG REDUCTION TECHNOLOGY FOR IMPROVED SLURRY PUMPING - AN INDUSTRIAL TRIAL AT GLENCORE's MURRIN MURRIN OPERATIONS PTY. LTD.

摘要

Thickened slurry materials with elevated viscosities are increasingly being pumped through pipelines in mining and mineral processing industries because of the need for reduced water consumption, reduced water dilution in processing circuits (e.g. Leach) and at tailings disposal sites. Paste thickeners are expected to be increasingly used to achieve a higher concentration than achievable with conventional thickeners. The reason we do not simply make slurries denser is the rapid increase in energy demand for pumping as the viscosity rises. The solution is apparent -reduce the friction between the walls of the pipe and the slurry. The CSIRO has developed two patented concepts to introduce water (or any other reagent) more selectively into the slurry pipeline between the walls of the pipe and the slurry. The technology has been proven under pilot conditions to produce significant and long lasting reduction in drag. This paper describes CSIRO's Drag Reduction Technology and the successful full-scale trial at major mining company Glencore's Murrin Murrin Operations.