Pulp pumping efficiency I – A critical review on loss and its estimation

Abstract

Abstract With growing demand of paper products, the electric consumption in pulp and paper industry is increasing globally where a share of 30 % is attributed to the pulp pumping system. The efficient designing and running of pumping system are critical for energy efficiency. The incomplete information on pulp flows and the oversized designs are the major causes of low efficiency. In the first part of this research, the fiber level models and rheological properties covering a series of unit applications are examined. A loss model of pulp pump is set up by considering different factors influencing pumping performance. The efficiency improvement opportunities in pulp pumping are systematically investigated. The drag-reducing feature at low consistency pulp pumping is highlighted which will be further applied in energy optimized sizing and dimensioning of a pulp pump in the second part of this research.