Several used, deeply grooved shaft sleeves along with empty packing material spools lay about the pump. I was invited to visit a sick dredge and as we approached it I noted that the deck was divided into fore and aft sections by a sheet of water spewing out of the packing gland. If air is allowed to enter the pump under high-vacuum conditions it is likely that the pump will cavitate and may, ultimately, lose prime. Maintain the gauges in operating condition and check them occasionally to make sure that the service water pressure is adequate.ĭeficient service water pressure at the packing gland will result in excess leakage out of the packing gland, increased shaft sleeve wear and allow air to enter the pump. That means that two pressure gauges should be installed to assure that this condition is being met-one for service water and one for the dredge pump discharge. You probably cannot go wrong following one major dredge pump manufacturer who recommends that service water pressure at the dredge pump packing gland always be at least 10 psi higher than the dredge pump discharge pressure. The most important-I would call it critical-service water requirement is to supply the dredge pump packing gland. Additional uses may require a larger pump with greater flow capacity, however, the pressure (head) rating should always be at least 125 psi (290 feet of head). The simplest dredges may require service water only for the pump packing gland and if that is the case a pump that will flow 150 gpm at a pressure of 125 psi will probably be adequate. Service water requirements vary widely and must be determined for each dredge.
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