High Volume Pump Clutch

In the dredging job at Contrecouer, 750,000 cubic yards of clay and rocks were removed from the St. Lawrence. In this work, the Hydraulic Dredge "John Holden", owned by the McNamara Construction Company Limited of Toronto, utilizes a BLM Clutch Coupling, type DTM-51-A between the diesel engine and pump. The advantages of using this clutch are three-fold: (1) it protects both the engine and the pump rotor by slipping if excessively larger rocks enter the pump casing, (2) it couples the engine to the pump and has a self-aligning spherical roller pilot bearing to maintain alignment, (3) it provides an automatic idle to 200 rpm so that the engine does not have to be shut down to discontinue pumping. This last feature was probably the most important on because repeated starting of this engine would cause undue and excessive wear on the starting motor. (This pump drive was started up for the original test run on August 3, 1954.) The dredge is now operating on the St. Lawrence Seaway project.

SPECIFICATIONS

• GM Diesel Model 12-567C Industrial Engine (Nominal rating: 1,000 H.P.)
• H.P. Developed at 600 RPM: 900 H.P.
• Idling Speed: 200 RPM
• Pump capacity: 8,000 gal per minute
• Discharge: 15" pipe line. 6,000 feet long