mono pump saves the day

[julianf]

I was foolish - i had too much oil knocking about, so i loaded the reactor a while back, without processing.

Its colder now.


Irritatingly, i cant work out where the air leak on the suction side of my mono is, however, even pumping feebly (although theyre self priming, they dont pump at all well with air in the flow), i managed to rid the reactor of the 80ltrs or so of sludge in the bottom of it.


One day im going to have a reactor with a load of those quick release couplings, that oily bits do, for adventures like this one.  They would make coupling up emergency pumps / pipes etc. so much simpler (no spanners needed).  Either that, or im going to fit some air line couplers, and just pressurise the whole thing!

(before the H&S crew get on the case, my reactor was a pressure vessel in its former life : )

[Jamesrl]

(before the H&S crew get on the case, my reactor was a pressure vessel in its former life : )

Ah, may be it was but it was a tested and certificated pressure vessel, it ain't now.

Unless you've kept its legal status up to date and could you produce a current test cert? 

[nigelb]

Quite right Mr Leach. Quite right.

[Jamesrl]

Quite right Mr Leach. Quite right.

I ain't very often wrong but I'm right again. 

[Julian]

Irritatingly, i cant work out where the air leak on the suction side of my mono is, ...

Julian, when you say on the suction side, do you mean on the pump it's self?

If so there are only a very limited number of possibilities ...

1)  The threaded inlet connection
2)  Where the stator forms a seal between the end cap and the body
3)  The stator has split just behind the flange which is clamped between the end cap and the body (most common failure of the stator)

 

[julianf]

I dont know where the air is coming in.  It could be on the flexible suction pipe somwhere, or any of the joints.  I need to pressurise the setup and check for leaks, however, you are aware how long it takes me to even upload some photos...