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Equipment in Mud Circulating Systems 5

Figure 1.3 A triplex pump. (Courtesy of TSC.)

Figure 1.4 Pump liners. (Courtesy of TSC.)
pressure pulsations are not as great, and they are cheaper to operate. For
these reasons, the majority of new pumps being placed into operation are
of the triplex design. Normally, duplex pumps can handle higher flow
rates, and triplex pumps can provide higher working pressure. However,
for a given pump of fixed horsepower, the flow rate and working pressure
can be adjusted by changing the sizes of the liners inside the pump. Some
types of pump liners are shown in Figure 1.4. Changing the speed of the
prime mover can also affect the mud flow rate in a certain range.