Progressive cavity pumps are widely used for handling all types of slurries and sludges and can

handle
small solids. Where significant quantities of grit are present in the sludge, operating speeds must be kept
below 350 rpm to minimise wear on the components.

A recent development in the pumping of sludges and slurries is the peristaltic pump. This is a simple
design and comprises a semicircular chamber housing a rubber hose A system of rotating rollers
progressively squeezes the hose, pushing along any fluid in front of the rollers and sucking more fluid in
behind it. A sufficient number of rollers are provided to maintain a constant flow through the hose. This
type of pump is used in wastewater plants overseas but has not yet found general application in South
Africa. It is self-priming, can be run dry and can handle a certain amount of solid matter. It is vulnerable to
damage to the hose by sharp objects, although the hose can be easily and quickly replaced when
necessary.

A variation of the reciprocating pump uses a flexible diaphragm in place of the piston This form of
construction eliminates the wear between the piston and cylinder but still has the problem of suction and
delivery valves becoming fouled or jammed. Various patterns of diaphragm pump are in use and these
include mechanically driven versions for dewatering excavations, compressed-air operated versions for
sludge handling and a diaphragm dosing pump for metering duties.

12.4 COMPRESSED AIR OPERATED PUMPS

These are of particular use in the pumping of sludges and have the advantage of being adjusted to suit
the rate of sludge flow, by varying the length of stroke and the number of strokes per minute. The need to
provide a supply of compressed air makes this pump expensive to purchase and to operate

Compressed air is also used to operate several other types of pump used in the wastewater industry.
These include the airlift pump, which is comprised of a tube with a supply of compressed air, immersed in
the liquid. The mixture of air and water is less dense and the pressure outside the tube forces this lighter
mixture to the top of the tube where it is discharged. Airlift pumps can be used for activated sludge return
where heads are lower than about 2.0 m and they have no moving parts requiring maintenance. They
have limited flexibility in operation and are low in efficiency.

Another compressed air device is the air ejector lift station to lift fairly small quantities of raw sewage to
the main outfall sewer. This device comprises a steel vessel arranged to collect the raw sewage. When
the vessel is full, a supply of compressed air is blown into it to force the collected sewage up a rising main
to the main sewer. These units were in regular use some years ago but have tended to be replaced by
small submersible pumps in lift stations. Compressed air can also be used to power ejectors for pump
priming or for emptying sumps.

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