John Crane Gas Seals

Gas seals and their application for maximum

reliability
John Crane Turbomachinery
Products & Operation
 DGS Application Range

John Crane DGS

Operating Range

 Temp: -140 to +315°C

 Pressure: to 450 Barg
 Speed: to 200m/s
 Shaft: to 330mm
 Type 28AT Seal Design Features
Compliant stationary face design providing
• maximum flexibility
• Optimum slow roll capability
Logarithmic spiral or
bi-directional design.

Tungsten carbide or silicon carbide rotating seat

Type 28 AT for duties to 82 bar

Carbon seal faces

Elastomeric ‘O’ Ring

Secondary seal
Type 28 XP for duties to 200 bar

Carbon seal faces

Keyed Balance dia.

polymer
Type 28 EXP for duties to 350 bar

Cranite seal faces

ADC Balance dia.

polymer
 John Crane
Range of Standard gas seals

350

John Crane T28

300 Gas Seal
Standard Application Envelope
Max Pressure (barg) - Static or Dynamic

250 Re-injection Duties

Type 28 EXP
200

150

100
Core business

50 Type 28 XP

0
High Speed LNG type Duties
50 100 150 200 250 300

Shaft Diameter (mm)

Type 28 AT
John Crane dominate High Technology Market sectors
Type 82 Barrier seal

 Benefits
 Proven / reliable design
 >15 years field experience on
a wide range of applications
 Excellent protection against
Oil ingress into DGS
 limited N2 Consumption
 No explosive mixture risk
 No process gas to bearing
housing
 Environmentally Friendly
Control Panels & SEPro Systems

Complex Gas Seal control panel SEPro system for BP

& booster for BP Horn Mountain
 Gas seal performance progress

450
400 m
a d n de
Qu Ta

&
350 XP

C nit e
P
EX

A D ra
300

)
Pressure (Bar)

(C
le
Trip
250 XP

200 nde m
T a
XP
150 le
T rip
AT
100
dem
n
50 Ta
AT
0
1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
John Crane Turbomachinery
Seal design for maximum
reliability
 John Crane Turbomachinery
System design for maximum
reliability
80% of seals fail prematurely because of
contamination
Ensure the gas is clean and dry

EXTERNAL
GAS  For extended reliability
FILTER Filtered Process Gas clean / dry seal gas is the
MODULE
MOST important
PROCESS
GAS • Gas should be filtered
FI FI
to around 1 micron
• Coalescing filters can
be used to dry the gas
• Heaters can be used to
provide superheat
• Heat tracing should be
used to prevent heat
loss
• SEPro type systems
can be used to provide
Process Gas static gas flow
 Phase Diagrams
180
 Check adiabatic expansion
160 AF 15256 Gas Composition
 Check hydrate formation
140

120
Pressure (bar)

100

80

60

40

20

0
-180 -160 -140 -120 -100 -80 -60 -40 -20 0 20 40 60
Temperature (C)

dew line bubble line Adiabatic Expansion Hydrate Curve (1% H2O)
Using a thermocouple to measure seal
temp

 Specify a Thermocouple to
monitor seal temp
 OEM will need to provide
exit gland

•End User in Alaska •325 bar working pressure

•5.687” Seal on Suction End •350 bar max pressure
•6.929” seal On Discharge •11753 rpm
•Reinjection duty with H2S •Operating since August 2000
Field Gas Analysis
- Plot operating conditions
180

160 AF 15254
-59°C Dew Point
140

120
Pressure (bar)

100

80

60

40

20

0
-200 -150 -100 -50 0 50 100 150
Temperature (C)
dew line bubble line Adiabatic Expansion Hydrate Curve
Gas from Skid Seal Gas DE Seal Gas NDE
Field Gas Analysis
- Plot operating conditions
180
Predicted worst case
expansion line
160 AF 15254
-59°C Dew Point
140 Measured operating
points from Data capture
system
120
Pressure (bar)

100
Actual worst case
80 expansion line passing
through liquid region

60

40

20

0
-200 -150 -100 -50 0 50 100 150
Temperature (C)
dew line bubble line Adiabatic Expansion Hydrate Curve
Gas from Skid Seal Gas DE Seal Gas NDE
 Review gas properties

Element Wt%

CK 09.62

OK 09.40
White deposits found across IB seal faces
Caused seat and face to stick together AlK 00.11

SiK 00.32

SK 80.55

Area analysed

White deposits identified as deposition of elemental sulphur

Clear evidence of liquid contamination
 John Crane Turbomachinery
- Create a clean environment for the
seal under all conditions
Clean seal gas injection
– Normal operation

EXTERNAL
GAS Flow path of
Filtered Process Gas
FILTER
MODULE
seal gas under
PROCESS normal dynamic
GAS
FI FI operating
conditions

Process Gas
No seal gas flow at settle out conditions

Filter No differential pressure

= no flow
FI FI

Seal contaminated
Settle- out Conditions
by process gas
(Pressurised standstill)

Can Lead to Seal

hang up on start-up

SEPro - Superior by design
• Application developed gas circulator
• Inbuilt safety and monitoring features
• Plug and play operating philosophy
• Auto start / stop functions
• Onboard logic and control
Seal environment solutions from
SEPro - Heated filtered seal gas on demand during
shutdown and periods of low differential pressure
ensure the seal is constantly maintained in optimum
condition and readiness for re-start.
 When the unit is statically pressurised
there is no seal gas flow
 JT expansion causes cooling
 Any liquids or heavy ends are deposited in
the seal
 This results in serious contamination and
premature seal failure
 The SEPro system provides flow to keep
the seals clean and dry
 Provides major increase in seal life
 Seal environment solutions from

SEPro Flow diagram

MONITORING OUTPUTS

FIT

FROM MAIN SEAL GAS FILTERS FEED TO DRY GAS SEALS

STATUS
PI PANEL

PI

NC CONTROL
N2 PURGE MODULE

NC
VENT

HEATER
MODULE

PI PI S VENT

FILTER
AIR PI
SUPPLY NC

TE

NC
VENT

GAS BOOSTER
 Seal environment solutions from

Experience has proven that process contamination is the

biggest single contributor to premature gas seal failure

Maintain optimum seal condition

Increase compressor availability

Prevent liquid contamination at seal faces

Prevent process debris contamination

Increase dry gas seal MTBF

NACE material compatibility

ATEX and PED options

SEPro - More than just another filtered gas package

John Crane Turbomachinery
Ensure the OB seal is
adequately alarmed
Ensure the OB seal is adequately alarmed
EXTERNAL Filtered N2 Secondary Gas N2 SECONDARY
GAS FILTER MODULE
PCV
FILTER Filtered Process Gas
MODULE

PROCESS
GAS
 Ensure OB seal is alarmed
FI FI FI FI • LP in PV = OB seal failure
• HP in PV = IB seal failure

Process + N2
Gas to Flare

PI PI

FO FO

FI FI
FLARE

Process Gas
John Crane Turbomachinery
Ensure adequate separation
from bearing oil
Type 82 Barrier Seal - Function
Ensure adequate Barrier Seal Supply
EXTERNAL Filtered N2 Secondary Gas N2 SECONDARY
GAS FILTER MODULE
PCV
FILTER Filtered Process Gas
MODULE  Ensure Barrier gas
PROCESS
GAS
supply pressure is
PI FI FI FI FI PI adequately controlled
• Should be controlled
to 0.3 to 0.5 bar
Barrier seal pressure
controlled with PCV’s • Barrier Seal leakage
changes
Process + N2 with time
•Gas to Flarewith
Interlock
bearing oil
PI PI

FO FO

FI FI
FLARE VENT

Process Gas N2 to Atmosphere

 Improved Product - Type 83 Barrier Seal

Type 82 Bushing Upgrade - the Type 83 Barrier Seal

Wave Spring

Garter Spring

Carbon Segments
New Development - Type 83 Barrier Seal

Type 83 Barrier Seal

Dry Oil
Gas side
Seal
side
Type 83 Barrier Seal
John Crane Turbomachinery
Ensure The OEM’s test with
job seal system
Ensure the compressor is tested with
job panel

 The OEM’s often provide a

temporary seal system for the
compressor testing.
• Complex systems are left untested
• SD conditions left unchecked
• Lead to ‘prototype’ trials on site

 If there is a problem with the seal it is

often not picked up
• Catastrophic failure
Complex Gas Seal control panel • Impossible to diagnose
& booster for BP Horn Mountain
Specification for maximum reliability
- Summary

 Use polymer seals in place of O rings

• Even at low pressures XP seal show benefits
 Ensure the gas is clean and dry
• Use coalescing filters to remove liquids
• Ensure adequate draining
• Heat trace lines + insulate
• Use SEPro system to provide seal gas under shutdown
• Protects the seal from process gas when the machine is shutdown
• Use heaters to increase margin over liquid formation
• Use a thermocouple within the seal to monitor temp
Specification for maximum reliability
- Summary
 Ensure adequate OB seal failure sensing
 Confirm test conditions reflect duty
• Axial movements
• Transient movement Vacuum testing
• Temperature transients
• Confirm seal vendor test conditions reflect duty
 Leakage monitoring
• Ensure flowmetres are correctly sized
• Check shutdown flow rates
 Barrier seal gas system
• Ensure adequate barrier seals are provided
• Adequate pressure control (0.3 to 0.5 bar)
• Confirm failure sensing
• Provide bearing oil interlock
• Consider explosive mixtures / including failure condition
John Crane Gas Seals Offer:-

 Experience
• More experience than the other gas seal vendors put
together

 Global service
• Local experience and support
• Local repair service
• All to a guaranteed global standard

 Technology
• Proven high performance products specially selected for
specific requirements
John Crane – World leaders in Dry Gas Seal
Technology