A mining submersible pump runs with its motor immersed in water, so its service life comes down to the life of its submersible motor. Our SZBQ submersible slurry pump is built around protecting that motor.
It pumps media containing solid particles, such as ore powder, ash, iron oxide scale, coal slime, mud, sand and gravel, below 70 °C. It is suited to mining, metallurgy, power, coal, river dredging and sand dredging. The solids concentration can reach 45% for ash slurry and 60% for ore slurry.
Why a submersible motor fails
The motor is the weak point. It burns out when it runs without water and overheats, when a seal leaks and the medium gets inside, when the pump works outside its range and overloads, or when the bearings run too hot.
Four devices on the SZBQ are there to catch those faults:
- An overheat element in the wiring cavity stops the pump when the windings reach its set temperature.
- A leak probe raises an alarm and keeps the pump switched off when water gets into the seal oil chamber or the wiring cavity.
- A float switch beside the lower bearing stops the pump if the motor-side seal fails or water enters the motor cavity.
- A bearing temperature device stops the pump before the bearings burn.
The protection runs through a PLC, so operators can start, stop and watch the pump from the control room without going out to it.
Wet end and seals
The pump casing and impeller are high chrome alloy, and the impeller and volute design runs at more than 80% efficiency.
The shaft is sealed by two mechanical seals in series, with tungsten carbide faces. One sits in the oil chamber, the other faces the pumped medium. The oil lubricates, cools and cleans the seals, and if the outer seal fails, the inner one still keeps oil and water out of the motor. In normal use the seals run more than 15,000 hours without trouble.
Once the pump is in service, change the oil in the oil chamber every 500 hours, and replace the seal if you find water in the oil.
The cable is heavy rubber-sheathed, sealed where it enters the motor cover, and vulcanised to its cores, so a cut sheath still does not let the medium into the motor.
Sizes and duty points
The SZBQ range covers 141 models. Outlets run from 50 to 600 mm, flows from 25 to 5,500 m³/h, heads from 9 to 135 m and motors from 4 to 630 kW, with the performance data given at 380 V and 50 Hz.
A few duty points across the range:
| Model | Outlet (mm) | Flow (m³/h) | Head (m) | Motor (kW) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50SZ(B)Q25-9-4 | 50 | 25 | 9 | 4 |
| 80SZ(B)Q57-28-11 | 80 | 57 | 28 | 11 |
| 150SZ(B)Q176-10-15 | 150 | 176 | 10 | 15 |
| 150SZ(B)Q300-135-250 | 150 | 300 | 135 | 250 |
| 200SZ(B)Q454-57-132 | 200 | 454 | 57 | 132 |
| 350SZ(B)Q2118-66-630 | 350 | 2118 | 66 | 630 |
| 600SZ(B)Q5500-20-560 | 600 | 5500 | 20 | 560 |
When you choose a mining submersible pump from the table, pick a model whose rated flow sits close to your duty. In service, the flow should stay between 0.7 and 1.2 times the rated flow.
The electrical control can be made to order for 380 to 600 V and 50 to 60 Hz.
Settled sludge and installation
For sludge that has settled but not packed, the pump can carry an agitator wheel at its base. It turns on the same shaft as the impeller and stirs the deposit up before the pump draws it in. For packed sludge, an external stirrer and cutter is hung on the pump body to break it up and build a denser slurry around the inlet.
It installs two ways. Fixed installation puts a guide rail on the foundation, so the pump can be lifted out along the rail for service and lowered back onto its quick-connect elbow. The other option is a mobile installation.
Run the pump upright, keep the whole unit well grounded, and never lift it by the cable. It can start up to 15 times an hour without shortening its life.
What to send us
To size a mining submersible pump for your site, send us the flow and head, the solids and their concentration, the liquid temperature and pH, how deep the pump will sit, and your supply voltage and frequency.
If the water is acidic or the pump will work in a hazardous area, say so at the start. We don’t have standard figures for those duties, so we confirm each one case by case.
The full submersible slurry pump range is on one page. For sump duty with a vertical pump instead, see our vertical slurry pumps for sump duty.
FAQ
What protects a mining submersible pump’s motor?
On the SZBQ, an overheat element, a leak probe, a float switch and a bearing temperature device. When one of them trips, it raises an alarm through the control cabinet and stops the pump.
What sizes does the SZBQ come in?
The range runs from 50 to 600 mm outlets, 25 to 5,500 m³/h and 9 to 135 m of head, with motors from 4 to 630 kW.
Can a submersible slurry pump handle settled sludge?
Yes. An agitator wheel at the base stirs up sludge that has settled but not packed. For packed sludge, an external stirrer and cutter is fitted to the pump body.