EVALUATION OF THE ELECTRIC MOTOR AND PUMP EFFICIENCY IN THE TRANSPORT OF IRON ORE SLURRY

Abstract

Brazil has more than 1,600 km of mineral ore pipelines. Therefore, understanding the efficiency of the equipment involved in the pumping operation is essential to ensure the sustainability of the process. The objective of this study was to evaluate, on a bench-scale unit, the performance of the motor and the semi-open impeller centrifugal pump during the transport of iron ore pellet feed slurry at 5% vol. The tests showed that the power effectively converted into hydraulic energy by the pump was quite low — around 7–8% of the shaft’s mechanical power — indicating significant hydraulic and mechanical losses throughout the transmission. The motor operated far from its ideal condition, suggesting the need for mechanical adjustments and replacement with a more suitable model