What Is a Desander and How Does It Work?

A desander is an auxiliary solids control device widely used in pile foundation construction and drilling operations. Its main function is to remove sand and other solid particles from slurry or drilling mud, thereby controlling sand content and particle size during construction.
By efficiently separating solids from liquid, a desander improves slurry quality, reduces slurry consumption, enables mud recycling, and enhances pile formation efficiency while lowering overall construction costs.
 

Main Components of a Desander

A desander system mainly consists of five core components:

1. Electrical Control System
The electrical control system manages the operation of the desander, including start-up, shutdown, monitoring, and fault protection. It automatically adjusts operating parameters such as flow rate and running time to ensure stable performance. Safety functions such as alarms and automatic shutdown protect both equipment and operators.

2. Vibrating Screen
The vibrating screen performs preliminary and final solid separation. Driven by a vibration motor, materials move continuously across the screen surface, allowing coarse solids to be discharged while liquid passes through for further processing.

3. Cyclone (Hydrocyclone)
The cyclone is the key separation unit. Pressurized slurry enters tangentially and forms a high-speed swirling flow. Under centrifugal force, heavier sand particles move to the cyclone wall and are discharged through the underflow outlet, while finer particles and clean liquid exit through the overflow pipe.
Key advantages: include compact size, simple structure, no moving parts, low maintenance, and long service life due to wear-resistant materials such as polyurethane.

4. Slurry Pump
The slurry pump is a heavy-duty centrifugal pump designed to transport high-concentration, abrasive slurry. It provides sufficient pressure to feed the cyclone and ensures continuous, efficient separation. Slurry pumps are widely used in construction, mining, and oilfield applications.

5. Slurry Storage Tank
The slurry storage tank temporarily holds slurry and allows sand particles to settle naturally by gravity. Sediment is discharged periodically, and clarified slurry is supplied to the pump for further separation.

Working Principle of a Desander

The desander operates through a multi-stage separation process:

 * Slurry enters the vibrating screen for coarse particle removal.
 * Screened slurry flows into the storage tank, where sand settles by gravity.
 * The slurry pump transfers slurry from the tank to the cyclone.
 * The cyclone separates sand and liquid using centrifugal force.
     * Sand is discharged through the vibrating screen
     * Clean liquid is partially recycled and partially discharged

Importance of Desanders in Construction

Desanders are essential in pile foundation and drilling projects because they:

 * Reduce sand content in slurry
 * Improve slurry reuse and recycling
 * Enhance pile formation quality
 * Lower operational and material costs

Features and Benefits of Drilling Fluids Desander

 * Wear-resistant PU or high-chromium cast iron cones
 * Clamp-type design for easy maintenance
 * Compact structure with small footprint
 * Configurations with 1–3 cones (10″ or 12″) for different capacities
 * Flexible fast connections for easy installation