Dynamic Shaft Sealing in Centrifugal Pump and Compressor

Shaft sealing in Centrifugal pump Shaft Sealing in Centrifugal Compressor Bearing housing Sealing
Gland packing Mechanical Seal Carbon Segmented seals Gas Seal Lip Seal Labyrinth seal / Bearing isolator

Similarity Device used primarily to contain fluid within housing or control the leakage from the passage between rotating shaft and stationary casing or housing.
Controlling leakage by braided, It works on the principle of mixed lube. Small radial clearance result in lower Small (shallow) grooves on seal faces flexible lip is held against the rotating reducing the leakage by imposing
rope like material that is packed Primarily a rotary seal face with a driving leakages. commonly used in air pump the gas into the area between the shaft whilst the casing is pressed into the tortuous passages to the fluid that are
around the shaft -physically mechanism which rotates with pump shaft, a compressors and low-pressure gases, In stationary face and the rotating face, housing or bore and holds the seal in effective on dissipating the kinetic energy
stuffing the gap between the stationary seal face which mates with the rotary case of hazardous gas application a increasing the pressure between the place. The sealing lip needs some form of of the fluid from high-pressure regions to
Working Principle
shaft and the pump housing. and is retained in housing, a tension assembly barrier gas such as nitrogen is provided faces. When this pressure is greater than lubrication to avoid overheating and is low-pressure regions.
which keeps the rotary face firmly positioned to prevent leakage of process gas into the static pressure holding the faces usually energized by means of a garter Bearing isolator do have additional stator
against the stationary, and static contact area atmosphere. Also used a separation together, the faces separate by a very spring. and dynamic O ring exclude atmospheric
are sealed with elastomer. seal. thin layer of gas. contaminants
Moderate pressure High pressure range, Low pressure Entire pressure range Very low or atm. Pressure Very low or atm. Pressure
Pressure capability 40 barg, for higher pressure engineered seal 100 barg and more, Not limiting factor
option
Hazardous application High Risk Safe with proper API system High Risk Safe with proper system NA NA
Sealing type Positive sealing Positive sealing Non-positive sealing Positive sealing Positive sealing Non-positive sealing
Buffer / Barrier No / Sometimes required Most of the cases required Required / Not required Required / Sometime not required No No / sometimes required
requirement
Shaft / sleeve fretting Yes No Possible No Yes No
Friction loss Yes, Significant Yes, Moderate No Low Yes No
Operating life (Approx.) Few months 2-3 Years, 25,000 hors - API Not finite More than 5 years 8000 Hours Not finite
Considerable amount of leakage Minor leakage, Considerable amount of leakage Negligible leakage No No
Leakage rate
Several drops per minutes 1000 ppm vapor / 5.6 g/h liquid (if No barrier)
Available arrangement Multiple rows Single, Tandem, Double Multiple Single, Tandem, Double Single Single
Speed Up to 20 m/s (Low pressure) PV value - 500,000 psi-ft/minute Up to 250 m/s Up to 250 m/s Up to 20 m/s Up to 25 m/s
Direction of rotation Bi-directional Bi-directional, Uni-directional Bi-directional Uni-directional, Bi-directional Bi-directional Uni-directional, Bi-directional
Running clearance No 0.3-3 micron (Pressure, speed, Fluid) 0.2 – 0.8 mm (Speed, Shaft dia.) 3-10 micron No 0.2 – 0.8 mm (Speed, Shaft dia.)
Applicable standard ISO 5199, 2858, ANSI, API API 682 API 614, API 617, API 692 API 614, API 617, API 692 ISO 6194-2 API 610
Health Monitoring Not possible Possible Not Possible Possible NA NA
Skillset required Normal High Normal High Low Normal
Initial Cost Very low Expensive Low Very expensive Very low Low
Operating cost Very low Normal (consumption of buffer / barrier) Normal ((consumption of barrier) Low (consumption of flush, barrier) No No
Natural fiber, Flexible graphite, Blister-resistant carbon graphite Vs reaction- Carbon ring, Metallic holder Stationary: Carbon Rotating: Silicon Various Rubber like Buna-N, Viton, FEP Non-sparling metals like Bronze,
Aramid, PTFE, Carbon fiber bonded or self-sintered Sic Or both hard faces. Nitride Silicon aluminum, Non-metallic material like
TC (optional), Seal sleeve: SS 316, 316L, 316TI or Standard 410 SST for body, sleeves, and PTFE
equivalent. Gland plate: Same or better alloy as retainers. Exotic alloys are available,
used for the casing Secondary Seal: Internal: Spring
Available MOC Secondary Seal: FKM, FFKM, Flexible graphite, Energized Teflon rings FKM, FFKM
TFE, EPM

All the values are generic, and only for academic and training purpose,
Pictures are taken from known / unknown source of internet,

KIRIT DOMADIYA