News Items
For Immediate Publication
May 26th, 2006
Centrifugal Pump with Peak-Flo™ Feature
Townley Engineering and Manufacturing Co., Inc. has been awarded a U.S. Patent No.
6,921,242 B2, for a specialized large scale centrifugal matrix pump design, with a clear benefit
to the mining and aggregate industries pumping abrasive and corrosive slurries.
Background: Non-uniform impeller, shell and suction plate wear along with degrade
hydraulic efficiency has long been a problem in the severe conditions experienced when
pumping slurries of phosphate matrix, metal ore, coal, sand and oil sands. Typical problems
include cavitation and recirculation of solids, resulting in significant non-uniform wear and
premature service cycles.
Peak-Flo™ Recessed Design: Urs Blattmann, Townley’s Director of engineering, who
designed the pump, engineered a unique closed impeller which nests in a precision doublesided,
360° recessed channel in the volute cast in the shell on the drive side and in the suction
liner on the other side. These features, coupled with new impeller vane profiles and a
hydraulically clean suction port, improve the NPSHR characteristics (net positive suction head
required) and minimize internal recirculation, resulting in extended nominal operational peak
efficiency. Customers report the ability to pass large particles through the clean impeller vanes,
very uniform wear patterns, much longer maintenance intervals (MTBM).
Alloy or Urethane Lined: Townley, well known for their use of high-alloy white metal castings to resist wear and
corrosion, use CM22 white iron conforming to ASTM A532, class II, type B, with a final heat
treating to 700 brinell. For certain slurry applications, such as silica sand, Towniprene™
urethane lined pumps and impellers are available, designed with all the same unique features
and durability.
Application: This complete wet-end assembly has been in field service for six years meeting
and exceeding all the design claims and more importantly; exceeding expectations of the
customers by providing more than 1.5 times existing performance. Noting the clear advantages,
Townley reports a rapid conversion of older designs to this pump in mining and jet booster
pump applications. Available in a variety of common large sizes, with impellers up to 62/70”.
For more information call:
Marty Harris
Business Development
1(800) 342-9920
