Wanner positive displacement pumps boost slurry transportation for Alberta pipeline

The Wanner Hydra-Cell D35 series is available from John Brooks Company.

John Brooks Company Limited has a long history of customer success stories. In one case, an oilsands plant in northeast Alberta needed a new pump solution for slurry transportation through a pipeline, one that eliminated downtime to boost efficiency and lower costs, especially with changing economic conditions.

An application expert from John Brooks Company helped this customer with Wanner positive displacement pumps, which streamlined the gland flush pump systems.

Efficient operation at lower flows

The plant used enormous pumps to transport abrasive slurry in high volumes, and the packing needed constant flushing. Multi-stage centrifugal pumps were used to feed water to the flushing points due to the application’s high-pressure needs. Several massive pumps operated in multiple locations, and each required different duty points. Sometimes, seals or glands did not receive the correct flow, leading to inadequate flushing and seal issues. Other times, flow on the low end of the centrifugal pump range caused pumps to fail prematurely. A new solution was needed to keep operations viable, so the customer contacted John Brooks Company.

The application expert recommended Wanner Hydra-Cell D35 positive displacement pumps as an alternative. Smaller and less costly than the customer’s previous pumps, these units produced the necessary flow regardless of changes in process pressure. The D35 series has dry-run capabilities, is self-priming, and operates efficiently at lower flows with no risk of shortened lifespan. Using the same model for all applications would reduce store inventory and create redundant spares to minimize downtime.

The customer installed the D35 series and saw significant improvement. Results included higher Glandwater pump reliability, no leaks, consistent flow, easier pump maintenance in the field, higher mechanical efficiency than from the previous units, less maintenance and lower replacement costs due to fewer parts, and fewer models representing less store space, lower cost, and lower stress on support services. The plant saw overall improvement in the maintainability and efficiency of the system, and John Brooks Company offered onsite training and technical support to ensure long-term success.

To learn more about this case story and others, visit the website.

To learn more, contact John Brooks Company.

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