Medium Consistency

MC Pumping Systems

REIJO VESALA
SULZER PUMPS

The pumping of liquids with a high dry-solids content

is a matter of great importance for the pulp and paper
industry. The MCE pump from Sulzer Pumps
achieves a previously unattained level of performance
with regard to the consistency, temperature and
pressure of the pumped medium, as well as to the
efficiency of the pumping system.

The manufacture of pulp and

paper entails the pumping
of stock in numerous process
stages. Sulzer Pumps Finland supplies MC medium consistency
pumps and other MC equipment
which do handle stocks with consistencies of up to 18%. When
stagnant, stock with such a high
consistency is so thick that you
stand on it without sinking in
(Fig. 1). It has to be fluidized for
pumping, i.e., the fiber network
has to be disrupted so that the
stock becomes to flow like water.
For maximum efficiency, air present in the pulp suspension must
also be removed during fluidiza-

4065

tion. With Sulzer pumps employed in the pulp and paper industry, this is realized with the aid
of a specially designed impeller
and pump hydraulics (Fig. 2).
MC pumping and chemical mixing systems are the most important stock transfer equipment in
the modern O2 delignification and
bleaching processes, in recycled
fiber and in mechanical pulp lines
(Fig. 3).

Third Generation of MC Pumps

The first commercial centrifugal
medium consistency (MC) pump
in the world with degassing was
delivered by Sulzer Pumps Fin-

SULZER TECHNICAL REVIEW 3/2002

land and started in a Finnish

chemical pulp bleaching application in 1980. In the meantime, a
third generation, MCE, has been
introduced into the market with
deliveries already well into triple
figures. MCE is designed for larger capacity ranges, higher pumping heads, higher pumping consistencies and remarkable lower energy consumption.

1 Medium consistency stock is a

fiber/air/water suspension where the
dry-solids content is
between 8 and 18%.
When stagnant, this
will even support significant weight.

Outstanding Performance
Latest Complete Sulzer MC Pumping System
Deliveries
Customer
Bowater Inc., Catawba SC, USA
Willamette Industries, Kingsport TN, USA
Willamette Industries, Port Wentworth GA, USA
Westvaco Corp., Covington VA, USA
VCP, Jacarei, Brazil
Aracruz Celulose S.A., Rodovia Mill, Brazil
Stora Enso Oyj, Imatra Mill, Finland
Oy Mets-Botnia Ab, Joutseno Pulp, Finland
Shandong Rizao, China
M-real Oyj, Joutseno Mill, Finland
M-real Oyj, Simpele Board Mill, Finland
PT. Kiani Kertas, East Kalimantan, Indonesia (exp.)
Riau Andalan Pulp and Paper, Indonesia

Start-up
2003
2003
2002
2002
2002
2002
2001
2001
2001
2001
2001
2001
2000

2 MCE pump arrangement for the

818% consistency range most
favored by the process.

Dropleg

Fluider impeller
MDS degassing system

MCE pump

SULZER TECHNICAL REVIEW 3/2002

With the MCE pump, a new record

level of performance over a wide
consistency, temperature and pressure range is provided by the
unique Fluider impeller, having
effective multifunctional turbulence generation, gas separation,
pumping hydraulics, and degassing combined with a widepassage gas removal system of
high capacity. Furthermore, MCE
pumping system products provide
production rates of 20 to 5000
ADMT/d (air-dry stock metric
tons per day), a head pump range
up to 220 m, as well as the highest
efficiency on the market.

Three Clever Degassing

Alternatives
Sulzer Pumps new MCE pump
products guarantee that an ideal
high-performance pump is available for the prevailing pumping
conditions and applications, also
giving optimum reliability and
interchangeability with existing
pumps.
The MCE pump is provided with
a separate external MDS degassing
system or with a built-in degassing
system. Both these alternatives
have a high-capacity vacuum
pump running with or in the MCE
pump. The unique Fluider impeller with MCE hydraulic design

has made it possible to provide a

new, third type of effective degassing without any vacuum
pump. This is an effective solution
for a wide range of applications
making the pump free of sensitive
components and extra controls or
drives.

MCE Pumping Application

Examples
The new MCE pumping performance level (up to 5000 ADMT/d)
has eliminated the need for parallel pumping and mixing applications in high-production bleaching
sequence designs. Furthermore,
the retrofit of earlier generations of
existing MC pumps with MCE
pumps results in improved
process economy and increased
production rate. MCE retrofits are
possible with only minor mechanical modifications, often requiring
no piping or drive changes.
The MCE pump can typically
reach a head increase of 30 m in an
existing application with the existing drive unit arrangement. This
minimal modification allows for a
variety of process improvements,
including increased operating
pressure levels, higher consistencies, or increased production rates.
Benefits have ranged from lowered operating costs (chemicals,
steam, energy, etc.) to increased
production (Fig. 4). Customers
have reported paybacks in as little
as 23 months.
The most common application of
MC pumping is to pump stock
from washers and thickeners. The
stock falls into the dropleg and is
then transferred to the subsequent
process stage by the MCE pump.
All the stock falling into the dropleg can be pumped further at the
highest possible consistency and

D0

EOP

D1

D2

MCE
pump

3 Applications of medium consistency pumps in a bleaching line. D0, EOP, D1 and D2 represent different bleaching stages.

temperature. As an example: with

the new MCE pump innovations,
stock with a consistency of 1416 %
and temperature of +95 C and
more can now be pumped from a
low-level pumping vessel. This is
Head
120 m

400 kW

Power consumption
ADMT/d

1700

2500

MCE pump
Earlier installed pump

4 Due to a higher efficiency of the

MCE pump, the output could be
stepped up by almost 50% without
increasing the power consumption.

a significant saving in process

costs (steam) and a layout advantage.
A wide range of other Sulzer MC
pumping process applications has
also become a standard in the pulp
and paper industry. These are tower discharge pumping systems
(Fig. 5), long-distance and highpressure booster pumping systems
and controlled flow splitting applications.

result, Sulzer Pumps has several

patented inventions today and a
growing number of pending applications relating to the MC technology. At the full-scale R&D center in Karhula (FI), the equipment
is tested and developed under
process conditions.
The foundry of Sulzer Pumps Finland and its deep metallurgical
know-how are also considerable
strengths in developing equipment for these applications where
special corrosion and wear resistance are often required.
Sulzers experience, process
knowledge and commitment to
the pulp and paper industry have
made it a leader in stock pumping,
transfer and mixing technology.

Sulzer Pumps as the only original

MC pump manufacturer covers
the biggest share of running applications globally with more than
2500 delivered MC pumping systems.

CONTACT
Sulzer Pumps Finland Oy
Reijo Vesala
P.O. Box 18
FI-48601 Karhula
Finland
Phone +358 (0)5-224 31 32
Fax
+358 (0)5-224 22 13
E-mail reijo.vesala@sulzer.com

5 The MCE pump

(here at a tower
discharge) is
designed for larger
capacity ranges,
higher pumping
heads, higher
pumping consistencies and lower
energy consumption than the previous generation.

Many Patented Inventions

Research and development receive
top priority at Sulzer Pumps. As a

SULZER TECHNICAL REVIEW 3/2002