WHY PUMPS AND SEALS FAIL

MECHANICAL
Affects Bearings, Seals and Shafts
-EXTERNAL ENVIRONMENTAL
1. Operation off the BEP
Affects Wet End Components,
2. Coupling Misalignment
3. Insufficient NPSH Bearings and seals
4. Poor Suction and Discharge
Piping Design 1. High Temperature
5. Pipe Strain / Thermal Expansion 2. Poor Lubrication
6 Impeller Clearance / Oil Contamination
7. Foundation and Baseplate 3. Corrosion
4. Erosion
-INTERNAL 5. Abrasion
1. Pump Design and Manufacturing
Tolerances
2. Impeller Balance (Mechanical and
Hydraulic)
3. Mechanical Seal Design
CHESTERTON PUMP DIVISION RPA 4-97
 TEMPERATURE RISE
Overheating of the liquid in the casing can cause:
• Rubbing or seizure from thermal expansion
• Vaporization of the liquid and excessive vibration
• Accelerated corrosive attack by certain chemicals
Temperature rise per minute at shutoff is:
∆T oF (oC) / min.= HP (KW)so x K
Gal (m3) x S.G. x S.H.
HPso = HP (KW) @ shutoff from curve
Gal. (m3) = Liquid in casing
S.G. = Specific gravity of fluid
S.H. = Specific heat of fluid
Ex.: Pump w/ 100HP (75KW) so , 6.8 gal casing (.03m3)
w/ 60oF (16oC) water would reach boiling in 2 min.
A recirculation line is a possible solution to the low flow or shut
off operation problems....
CHESTERTON PUMP DIVISION RPA 4-97
 IMPELLER CLEARANCE
Critical for open impellers
• Normal setting .015” (.38mm) off front cover
• High temperature requires more clearance
- Potential rubbing problem causes vibration
and high bearing loads
- Set impeller .002” (.05mm) add’l clearance
for every 500 F (280C) over ambient temp.
• Important for maximum efficiency

CHESTERTON PUMP DIVISION RPA 4-97

 IMPELLER BALANCE

MECHANICAL
- Weight offset from center of impeller
- Balance by metal removal from vane

HYDRAULIC
- Vane in eye offset from impeller C/L
- Variation in vane thickness
- Results in uneven flow paths thru impeller
- Investment cast impeller eliminates
problem
- Careful machining setup can help
CHESTERTON PUMP DIVISION RPA 4-97
 BEARING LIFE

90% of all bearings will fail prematurely and
not reach their rated L10 life
- Calculated life by design over 20 years
- Actual life maybe 3 years

Failures:
-Fatigue due to excessive loads (20-50% of failure)
-Lube failure - excessive temperatures &
contaminants
-Poor installation
(L10 Life is hrs. or millions of revs. 90% of group of
brgs. will exceed)
CHESTERTON PUMP DIVISION RPA 4-97
BEARING LUBRICATION FAILURE
OXIDATION
•Chemical reaction between oxygen & oil
•New compounds produced which deteriorate the
life of oil and bearings
•Reacton rate increases with the presence of water
and increases exponentially with temperature
CONTAMINATION
•Water breaks down lube directly reducing brg.
life - .003% water in oil reduces life of oil 50%
•Oil life decreases by 50% for every 20oF (11oC)
rise in temp. above 140oF (60oC)
CHESTERTON PUMP DIVISION RPA 4-97
 SYNTHETIC OILS
• Lower change in viscosity with temp. change
-One synthetic can take place of several oils
• Provides good lube at high temps. 300oF (160oC)
-Does not oxidize (breakdown)
• At low temps.- good fluidity boosts efficiency and
reduces component wear during cold weather
• Achieves full lubrication quickly
• Offers longer life - less consumption
Lasts 1.5-2 times longer than conventional oils
• Maintains lube properties with water
contamination better than mineral oils
CHESTERTON PUMP DIVISION RPA 4-97
THE IMPORTANCE OF ALIGNMENT

Any degree of misalignment between the

motor and the pump shaft will cause
vibration in the pump
Every revolution of the coupling places a
load on the pump shaft and thrust
bearing
At 3500 RPM, there will be 3500 pulses
per minute applied to the shaft and
bearing
CHESTERTON PUMP DIVISION RPA 4-97
 MISALIGNMENT
MAY BE CAUSED BY:
 Pipe strain
 Thermal growth
 Poor foundation / baseplate
 Improper initial alignment
 System vibration / cavitation
 Soft foot on motor

CHESTERTON PUMP DIVISION RPA 4-97

 Stiffness Ratio Examples
D

D L L
3 4 3 4
1.50" 8" L /D = 8 /(1.50) = 512/5.06 = 101
3 4 3 4
1.62" 8" L /D = 8 /(1.62) = 512/6.89 = 74
3 4 3 4
1.75" 8" L /D = 8 /(1.75) = 512/9.38 = 55
3 4 3 4
1.87" 8" L /D = 8 /(1.87) = 512/12.23 = 42
CHESTERTON PUMP DIVISION RPA 4-97
 Stiffness Ratio Examples
D

D L L

3 4 3 4
38mm 200mm L /D = 200 / 38 = 8000000/2085136 = 3.84

3 4 4
40mm 200mm L /D = 200 3/ 40 = 8000000/2560000 = 3.13

3 4 3 4
45mm 200mm L /D = 200 / 45 = 8000000/4100625 = 1.95

3 4 3 4
48mm 200mm L /D = 200 / 48 = 8000000/5308416 = 1.51
L/D<2.0 is Adequate
CHESTERTON PUMP DIVISION RPA 4-97
 Stiffness Ratio Examples
D

D L L

3 4 3 4
48mm 200mm L /D = 200 / 48 = 8000000/5308416 = 1.51

3 4 3 4
48mm 150mm L /D = 150 / 48 = 3375000/5308416 = .64

L/D < 2.0 Considered Adequate

CHESTERTON PUMP DIVISION RPA 4-97

 Stiffness Ratio Examples
D

L
D L
3 4 3 4
1.87" 8" L /D = 8 /(1.87) = 512/12.23 = 42
3 4 3 4
1.87" 6" L /D = 6 /(1.87) = 216/12.23 = 17

CHESTERTON PUMP DIVISION RPA 4-97

HOW ARE FAILURES INITIATED?
Installation
Piping system & Pipe Strain
Alignment
Mechanical Seal installation
Foundation
Operational
System: cavitation, dry running, shutoff
Product changes: viscosity, S.G., temp.
Seal controls: flush, cooling
Misapplication
Pump, seal, metallurgy selection
CHESTERTON PUMP DIVISION RPA 4-97
 GOAL: IMPROVED PUMP AND
MECHANICAL SEAL RELIABILITY

Eliminate or reduce mechanical and

environmental influences that cause
pump and seal problems
Specify proper pump design criteria to
minimize the impact of mechanical and
environmental influences
Specify proper seal selection and
environmental controls to maximize seal
life

CHESTERTON PUMP DIVISION RPA 4-97

TYPICAL ANSI (or DIN) PROCESS PUMP
• Small dia. shaft with excessive overhang
• Stuffing box designed for packing
• Shaft sleeve
• Light to medium duty bearings
• Rubber lip seals protecting the bearings
• Snap ring retains thrust bearing in housing
• Shaft adjustment requires dial indicator
• Double row thrust bearing
• Cast jacket on bearing frame for cooling
• Small oil reservoir
CHESTERTON PUMP DIVISION RPA 4-97
ANSI (ISO/DIN) STANDARD PUMPS

Industry standards for dimensions based on

requirements for packed pumps
• Shaft overhang a function of # packing rings
and space for gland and repack accessibility
• Clearance between shaft and box bore based
on packing cross-section

If most pumps today use mechanical seals -

why do we continue to use inferior designs
made for packing ??
CHESTERTON PUMP DIVISION RPA 4-97