Mud Hopper

MW008

User manual

Code: 00AMV13012.00
Revision: 00
Date of creation: 26/05/2008
Last revision: N/A
Validity S/N: N/A
Copyright
All rights reserved. Reproducing, adapting or translating this manual without prior written authorization is
expressly forbidden, except for the cases envisaged by copyright laws.
 CONTENTS C
CHAPTER 1 - General information................................................................................................................................ 5
1.1 Using the manual ........................................................................................................................................................................ 5
1.1.1 Keeping the manual ............................................................................................................................................................. 5
1.1.2 Glossary............................................................................................................................................................................... 5
1.2 Receivers of the manual.............................................................................................................................................................. 6
1.3 Manufacturer’s data..................................................................................................................................................................... 6

CHAPTER 2 - General description ................................................................................................................................ 7

2.1 General description of Apparatus................................................................................................................................................ 7

CHAPTER 3 - Unit description and technical data ..................................................................................................... 9

3.1 Mud hopper working principles.................................................................................................................................................... 9
3.1.1 Adding dry chemicals........................................................................................................................................................... 9
3.1.2 Providing mud flow............................................................................................................................................................... 9
3.1.3 Dry solids feeding ............................................................................................................................................................. 10
3.1.4 Positioning in the Mud System........................................................................................................................................... 10
3.1.5 Suggestion for the best performances ............................................................................................................................... 10

CHAPTER 4 - Part specification and Hopper handling............................................................................................. 11

4.1 Part specification ....................................................................................................................................................................... 11
4.1.1 Main components listing .................................................................................................................................................... 11
4.1.2 Hopper ............................................................................................................................................................................... 11
4.1.3 Butterfly Valve.................................................................................................................................................................... 11
4.1.4 Mud Venturi........................................................................................................................................................................ 12
4.2 General dimensions .................................................................................................................................................................. 12

CHAPTER 5 - Demolition ............................................................................................................................................. 13

5.1 Demolishing the machine .......................................................................................................................................................... 13
5.2 Disposal and scrapping ............................................................................................................................................................. 13
5.3 Environment care ...................................................................................................................................................................... 13
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 C CONTENTS

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 GENERAL INFORMATION 1
1 General information

1.1 Using the manual

This manual is an integral part of the line and provides all the information
necessary for:
• the correct instruction of the operators on problems of safety;
• the correct installation of the machine;
• the in-depth knowledge of the machine operation and limits;
• the correct use in safe conditions performing maintenance
jobs in a correct and safe way;
• performing maintenance jobs in a correct and safe way;
• dismantling the machine in conditions of safety and in the respect of the regulations
in force on the health and safety of workers and the protection of the environment.

The manual, drawn up by the manufacturer, is considered as an integral part of the

machine. Therefore it must be kept until the same is disposed of. In case of transfer of
title, this manual must be supplied to the new owner together with the machine.
The purchaser is responsible for transposing and implementing any local and national
safety regulations.
The machine supervisors must carefully read the contents of this and all other
manuals enclosed with the machine and make sure they are read also by
transporters, installers, users and service technicians in the parts of their
competence.

1.1.1 Keeping the manual

The manual must be kept in a safe place within reach so that it can be consulted by the
machine operators, installers or service technicians at any times.
The manual must be handled with care and with clean hands avoiding leaving it on dirty
surfaces.
It should also be kept away from sources of humidity and heat.
The parts must not be removed, ripped off or arbitrarily modified.

1.1.2 Glossary
In this paragraph you can find a list of the technical terms which may have a
different meaning with respect to common use, as well as the abbreviations used
in the text.
• DANGEROUS AREA
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any zone within and/or around machinery in which an exposed person is subject to
a risk to his health or safety (Annex I, 1.1.1 - Directive 89/392/EC, EN12100/1-2);
• EXPOSED PERSON
any person wholly or partially in a danger zone (Annex I, 1.1.1 - Directive 89/392/
EC, EN12100/1-2);
• MAN-MACHINERY INTERACTION

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 1 GENERAL INFORMATION

any situation during which an operator interacts with machinery, during a single
operation phase or the lifetime of the machine;
• NUMBER OF OPERATORS
the number of operators needed for performing the operation described in the
best way, as a result of the detailed assessment; therefore using fewer
operators could make it impossible to obtain the expected results, or put the
personnel involved in danger;
• STATE OF THE MACHINERY
means:
the operating mode,
the condition of the safety devices on the machine;
• RESIDUAL HAZARD
a hazard which it has not been possible to eliminate or reduce sufficiently in
the design, against which the protection systems are not (or not wholly)
effective. The manual provides information on the existence of these hazards
and the instructions and steps to be taken to overcome them (see 5.5.1 of
European standards EN 12100/1 and EN 12100/2 respectively);
• SAFETY COMPONENTS
all those parts used to protect the machine operator, the failure or malfunctioning of
which can endanger the safety and health of exposed persons (e.g. hoisting
equipment, fixed guards, mobile guards, adjustable guards etc., electric,
electronic, optical, pneumatic or hydraulic devices that serve or interlock a
guard etc.).

1.2 Receivers of the manual

Operator
The person who is technically qualified and suitably trained to correctly use the
machine.
Carrier
The persons with a professional qualification and a level of training on safety that
authorises them to handle the machine in a way that does not create risks to
persons or things and the machine itself.

1.3 Manufacturer’s data

Name: Mantovani & Vicentini S.r.l.
Address: via Bellaria, 228 - 44033 Berra (FE); ITALY
Tel. +39 0532 831010
Fax. +39 0532 831650
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 GENERAL DESCRIPTION 2
2 General description

2.1 General description of Apparatus

Mud Hopper definition as following:
A mud-flow device, also called a jet hopper, in which materials are put into the
circulating mud system. The mud hopper is powered by a centrifugal pump that flows
the mud at high velocity through a venturi nozzle (jet) below the conical-shaped hopper.
Dry materials are added through the mud hopper to provide dispersion, rapid hydration
and uniform mixing. Liquids are sometimes fed into the mud by a hose placed in the
hopper.
The Venturi nozzle mentioned in the last paragraph is an apparatus (see fig.2.1) that
physically generates a vacuum in the middle of the inlet hopper that such the dry
material and mixes it with the flowing mud.

Fig. 2.1 - Detailed overview on Venturi effect; A=cross section; P=pressure; V=speed
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 2 GENERAL DESCRIPTION

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 UNIT DESCRIPTION AND TECHNICAL DATA 3
3 Unit description and technical data

3.1 Mud hopper working principles

3.1.1 Adding dry chemicals

The mud hopper is a manually operated apparatus used to add dry chemicals to the
active surface mud system.
The operator adds dry chemical dropping them into a cone- shaped hopper (inverted)
located over a 6” -125# screwed tee. A manual operated butterfly valve can be used to
regulate the mixing rate or prevent back flow when the centrifugal pump is shut down.
A bushing in the upstream run of the tee contains a jet nipple with restricted bore of 1
1/2” to 2” diameter extending within the tee to a point just beyond the bend of the tee.
Piping downstream of the tee is a full 6” size.

Fig. 3.1 - Overview of the complete system

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3.1.2 Providing mud flow

Usually mud hoppers do not include in their any flow generatig device. Therefore to
make this units work it is necessary to provide in line mud pump to generate the
required flow to the mud hopper venturi pipe.
The most commonly used pump for such equipment is the open impeller centrifugal
pump.

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 3 UNIT DESCRIPTION AND TECHNICAL DATA

Although it is shaped to be the extremely flexible in application, the Mud Hopper

recommended feed pump solution is the 6”x 8”centrifugal pump with 11” - 12” impeller
and 55-75kW motor (preferably electric) depending upon specific gravity of the mud.
This pump could provide up to 270 cubic meters per hour of mud flow and a NPSH of
40 meters. Despite this, the Mud Hopper could work properly even if coupled with
smaller pumps, up to 3”x4” with 8” - 11” impeller but lighter fluids. The choice of using
Mud Hopper even with small pumps and small mixing flow rate, is anyway suggested
because of its intrinsic property of being self protecting against solids build up.
In operation the Mud Hopper could lift the mud-solid mixture up to 3 - 4 meters,
assuming there are no restriction and no bends in the hopper outlet pipe. By the means
of its internal Venturi jet, it is able to guarantee a proper pre mixing to the mixture even
before any mud gun or mud agitator has been involved.

3.1.3 Dry solids feeding

The allowable dry solids feed rate of the Mud Hopper highly depends on the flow rate
the centrifugal pump is providing to the hopper. With a 2” diameter restriction in the
centre of the Venturi pipe, the fluid speed could overlap 3 meters per second (the
higher the flow rate, the higher the speed). The suction generated in this scenario is
high enough to require two bags at a time to fill the hopper.
Piping before and after the mud hopper is influent in the performance of the unit. In
hopper installation it is necessary to avoid as much as possible diameter restrictions,
bends, T joints and generally all what is causing flow loss among the line

3.1.4 Positioning in the Mud System

The positioning of Mud Hopper in a mud system is never a problem, since its working
principle allows installer to freely choose the best position for the hopper. Mud Hopper
could be place on the ground level as well as on the tank roof. It could be placed within
the system as well as beside it. The positioning of this kind of Mud Hopper is always a
matter of piping more than a matter of performances, indeed generally performances
are not heavily modified by modifying hopper position.
Since the pumping force in the venturi pipe could generate an axial force that could act
on the mud hopper basement, it is recommended to install the equipment on a
basemen strong enough to sustain the reaction force. For a sheet metal base, a
thickness of 5 millimeters [1/4 inch] is more than enough.

3.1.5 Suggestion for the best performances

For a better installation and performance of the Mud Hopper, some basic rules might be
followed.

• Anything that causes a flow loss after venturi pipe (such as elbows, tee, diameter
reductions, U - pipes, etc.) might be avoided.
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• Provide a proper flow of mud to optimize the Venturi effect.

• Try to locate the hopper as close as possible to the hopper discharge in the system.

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 PART SPECIFICATION AND HOPPER HANDLING 4
4 Part specification and Hopper handling

4.1 Part specification

4.1.1 Main components listing

The Mud Hopper is mainly splittable into 3 major components. These components are
listed in the following figure.

Fig. 4.1 - Mud Hopper main components

4.1.2 Hopper
The hopper is weldment of flat metal sheet that allows the user to feed the mud line with
the selected material. The hopper dimensin are illustarted in the picture below.
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4.1.3 Butterfly Valve

The standard Mud Hopper is supplied with a 3” butterfly valve had hoperated. The
valve is secured to the Hopper and the venturi flanges by the means of 8 M8x50 nikel
plated studs and nuts.

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 4 PART SPECIFICATION AND HOPPER HANDLING

The butterfly valve allows the operator to partialize the hopper flow and consequently
the suction power. This operation allow the user to reduce mixing turbolence for finer
and easy mixable products that do not require or do not allow high mixing forces.

4.1.4 Mud Venturi

The venturi pipe is composed by a 3” male theraded inlet section and a 6” ANSI B16.5
flange outlet section. Both endings are included in the hopper supply.
The venturi pipe is welded on a support sheet metal that allows the customet to easily
install the unit in any position. Following som referring dimension for a proper mud
hopper houseing preparation.

4.2 General dimensions

406
559

406

750
203

203

438 750
658

1043
326
25.7

138 800

1613
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 DEMOLITION 5
5 Demolition

5.1 Demolishing the machine

When finally demolishing the machine, follow the steps described below:
• Get permission to demolish from the person responsible for the machine.
• Destroy the identification plates and all other documents.

5.2 Disposal and scrapping

Dispose of the machine in accordance with any local and national regulations.

The following list has to be intended as guide line on the correct disposal of the Mud
Hopper but is not a role or a standard in any case.
• The hopper, the Venturi pipe and the basement are manufactured in plain carbon
steel epoxy painted.
• The hopper grid is manufactured in fiberglass
• The butterfly valve body is made by cast iron.
• The butterfly valve is stainless steel lens and nitrile rubber gasket.

5.3 Environment care

This product may not be threated as household waste; Instead it shall be handed over
to an applircable collection point. By ensuring this product is disposed of correctly,
you will help prevent potential negative concequences for the environment and
human health, which could otherwise be caused by inappropriate waste handling
of this product.
For more detailed information about recycling of this product, please contact your local
city office or the shop where you purchased the product.
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