23/03/2021 Pumps | Seal FAQs

Seal FAQs

PUMPS
It probably seems strange to consider the pump as auxiliary equipment for the seal ……..

Some seal systems do indeed include pumps but this page is actually about the pump which houses the
seal.

Seal Chamber Dimensions

Since the seal chamber is considered to be part of the pump, the dimensions are set by and included in
the pump standard API 610.  However, those dimensions were rst developed by the API 682 1st Edi-
tion Task Force and published in API 682 1st Edition.  This was not pleasing to the API 610 Committee
and subsequent editions of API 682 do not address or include pump dimensions.  API 682 seals are in-
tended to be used in the seal chamber dimensional envelope shown below.

Figure 1. Seal Chamber Dimensions

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Table 1. Seal Chamber Dimensions

Centrifugal Pump Failures

One way of looking at pump failures is to group them according to the design, application, operation or
repair functions. Since we are considering these functions as part of the “big picture”, we will group
pump failures according to the major hardware component which failed. Doing so allows us to learn
about the components used in centrifugal pumps. As a sort of gross average, the table below shows a
range of typical failure distribution.

Causes of Pump Failures

Mechanical seal 60 to 70%

Bearings 15 to 25%
Pumping rate 5 to 10%
Miscellaneous 5 to 15%.

Estimating the Pressure in Pump Seal Chambers

The pressure in the pump stuf ng box must be known before the proper seal and ush system can be
selected. For some pumps, the stuf ng box pressure is the same as the pump suction pressure; for oth-
ers, it may be near discharge pressure. The exact value depends on the uid, owrate, design and condi-
tion of the pump. Often, accurate information is not available even from the pump manufacturer; it is al-
ways best to measure the stuf ng box pressure. This procedure shows how to estimate the stuf ng box
pressure when measured data is not available.

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Single Stage, Single Suction, Overhung Process Pumps

Overhung process pumps are by far the most common type of pump used in the process industries.
These pumps can be either horizontal or vertical (inline). The stuf ng box is located near the back of the
impeller and the stuf ng box pressure can be estimated as

where Pb is the pressure in the stuf ng box

Ps is the pump suction pressure

Pd is the pump discharge pressure.

Balance holes/back wear rings. Many overhung process pumps use balance holes and back wear rings in
the impeller to decrease the thrust load on the bearings. These features also set the stuf ng box pres-
sure. The pressure is a function of the shaft speed, impeller size, wear ring size and clearance, balance
hole size and location, and uid properties. In Equation 1, use C= .2 if the impeller is maximum size but
use C = .1 for minimum size impeller if the wear ring clearance is less than twice the recommended val-
ues of API 610.

Without balance holes. Balance holes may not be needed to reduce the thrust load, especially at higher
suction pressures. For these pump designs, the stuf ng box pressure is very close to discharge pressure;
use C = 1 in Equation 1 (this estimates the stuf ng box pressure as discharge pressure).

Pump-out vanes. Some pumps use pump-out vanes instead of balance holes to reduce thrust. This is es-
pecially popular on ANSI pumps. Impeller clearance from back plate is critical to the ef ciency of these
pump-out vanes. The stuf ng box is slightly above suction pressure. Trimming the impeller also trims the
pump-out vanes. In Equation 1, use C = 0.3 if the impeller is at minimum diameter but C=.1 if the im-
peller is at maximum diameter.

Example

A single stage, single suction pump that uses balance holes and back wear rings has a suction pressure of 10 psig and a discharge pressure
of 200 psig. What is the stuffing box pressure when the impeller is mid-sized?

Use Equation 1. For an impeller midway between maximum and minimum diameters, use C = .15, then

Single Stage, Double Suction Pumps

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Double suction impellers can be provided for many different pump constructions including single stage
overhung, single stage between bearings, horizontal multistage and vertical multistage. Next to the sin-
gle stage, single suction, overhung construction, the next most common pump construction is probably
the single stage, double suction impeller placed between bearings. This design requires a mechanical
seal on each side of the impeller. The stuf ng boxes are placed next to the impeller suction eye; there-
fore stuf ng box pressure is the same as suction pressure.

Multistage Pumps

Multistage pumps can be mounted horizontally or vertically. They might use single or double suction im-
pellers. Balance holes, wear rings, balance drums, balance lines, ori ces, impeller orientation and many
other features are used to control thrust and stuf ng box pressure.

Two stage horizontal pumps. There are two distinct types of two stage horizontal pumps. Each has two
stuf ng boxes. One design has the impellers “back to back” with the stuf ng boxes located near the im-
peller suction eyes. Therefore one stuf ng box is at pump suction pressure per Equation (2). The other
stuf ng box is at second stage suction ( rst stage discharge) which is midway between suction and dis-
charge pressures, so, for this high pressure stuf ng box use

Another design has the impellers “eye to eye”. The stuf ng boxes are located near the back of the im-
peller. This means that one stuf ng box is at the discharge pressure of the rst stage, see Equation (3).
The other stuf ng box is at the discharge pressure of the second stage (pump discharge pressure).

If a balance line is used, use the method described for multistage pumps with balance lines.

Example

A two stage pump with impellers placed “eye to eye” has a suction pressure of 10 psig and a discharge pressure of 400 psig. What is the
estimated stuffing box pressure?

The low pressure box is at (using Equation 3)

The high pressure box is at pump discharge pressure, 400 psig.

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Multistage horizontal pumps with balance lines. Multistage impellers are used to develop high pres-
sures, but the stuf ng box is not necessarily at a high pressure. Most horizontal multistage pumps with
opposed impellers (boiler feedwater, pipeline) have two stuf ng boxes: a “low pressure” box at suction
pressure and a “high pressure” box at a pressure between suction and discharge. A balance line connect-
ing the stuf ng box to the pump suction chamber is used to reduce the pressure in the high pressure
stuf ng box. When the pump is in good repair, the high pressure stuf ng box is around

For multistage pumps with opposed impellers, if the balance line is not used or if the close clearance
throat bushing is not maintained, then the pressure in the high pressure stuf ng box approaches mid-
way between suction and discharge pressure per Equation (3).

Example

A multistage pipeline pump has a suction pressure of 350 psig and a discharge pressure of 1200 psig. What is the estimated stuffing box
pressure? What would the pressure be if the balance line were not used?

The low pressure box is at pump suction pressure, 350 psig.

For the high pressure box, per Equation (4)

Without the effects of the balance line, using Equation (3), the high pressure box can reach

Multistage vertical can (turbine) pumps. In these pumps even though the individual impellers may have
balance holes and back wear rings, the stuf ng box is located in the discharge nozzle. Therefore, the
stuf ng box pressure would be at pump discharge pressure except for the effects of a balance, or bleed-
off, line. When the pump is in good repair, the stuf ng box can be estimated using Equation (4).

Example

A multistage vertical can pump has a suction pressure of 350 psig and a discharge pressure of 1200 psig. What is the estimated stuffing
box pressure? What would the pressure be if the balance line were not used?

With the balance line, using Equation (4)

Without the effects of the balance line, the box can reach pump discharge pressure, 1200 psig.

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