Engineering selection guide
Selecting pumps for viscous or solids-bearing liquids
Oil, sludge and wastewater cannot be selected from a clean-water duty point alone. Describe the liquid and process before choosing between screw, diaphragm, oil-transfer and wastewater ranges.
A practical selection sequence
1. Characterize the fluid
Provide viscosity at operating temperature, density, chemistry, abrasive content, solids size and concentration. For sludge, note whether the solids settle or the viscosity changes with shear. Material compatibility must be checked for the exact fluid.
2. Describe the transfer duty
Specify normal and peak flow, discharge pressure or TDH, suction conditions, run time and any dry-running or priming requirement. State whether flow control, gentle handling or intermittent service matters.
3. Shortlist a pump principle
Progressive cavity pumps are candidates for controlled transfer of many viscous fluids; diaphragm pumps may suit particular chemical or solids-handling duties; submersible sewage pumps suit submerged wastewater transfer. Oil-transfer and sludge services need model-specific seals, elastomers and safeguards. These are application starting points, not guarantees.
4. Verify the exact configuration
Request a current model curve or capacity table, allowable solids and viscosity limits, wetted-material list, motor/air requirements, seal or elastomer specification and maintenance plan. Do not assume one photographed unit represents every configuration in its series.
Engineering background
These references explain general pump-selection principles; they do not certify a JIABO product or replace its current datasheet.
Confirm all final selections against the exact model’s latest performance curve, material specification and installation instructions.