Mechanical Seal Replacement

Engro Asahi Polymer & Chemicals Ltd.

Overview
 Introduction
– Background of Study
– Objective
 Mechanical Seal System
 Seal Design and Operation Parameters
 Replacement of Seal
 Conclusion

Engro Asahi Polymer & Chemicals Ltd.

Introduction
 Background
– Polymerizers mechanical seals have been
leaking for last 4 years
– Seal condition will drive the seal replacement
job in T/A 2006
 Objectives
– Present some facts about mechanical seal
– Maintenance team’s capability to replace the
seal

Engro Asahi Polymer & Chemicals Ltd.

Mechanical Seal System
 Purpose
– To seal the vessel pressure
 Dual Mechanical Seal
– prevent a dangerous product from leaking to the atmosphere
– Control environment to prevent sealed product to open the seal faces or
damage the seal component
 Flushing Water System
– Flushing water enters the vessel at a higher pressure than the vessel
pressure
 Oil Circulation
– Lubricate and seals the seal faces
– Seal box environmental control
– Barrier fluid
 Telltale Hole

Engro Asahi Polymer & Chemicals Ltd.

Cross-section View of Mechanical Seal System

Vessel inside
Po = 8 kgf/cm2

Shaft

O-ring
Vessel

Mating Stationary Carbon

Ring (SS) Face

Flushing Water,
Pf = 10 kgf/cm2 Sealant oil
,telltale hole Outlet

Sealant oil
Seal Box Inlet
Ps = 15 kgf/cm2

Telltale Vessel outside

hole

Engro Asahi Polymer & Chemicals Ltd.

Seal Life and Seal Failure
 Seal Life
– A good seal last until the sacrificial carbon
face is worn out, such a seal is called
Worn Out Seal
 Failed Seal
– If a seal leaks before the carbon face is worn
out because of misalignment, high vibration,
high temperature or FP, it’s called Failed Seal
– 85% of Seals fail before wearing out

Engro Asahi Polymer & Chemicals Ltd.

Seal Fails for Two Reasons
 Seal Face Open Prematurely
– Scoring or wearing of hard
face
– Seal is not hydraulically
balanced
– Loss of environmental control
• Temperature Effects
• Pressure Effects
– Shaft Vibration
– Seal faces go “out of flat”
– Foreign Particle
 Damage to a Seal Component
– Problems at installation
• This includes mishandling,
setting at the wrong
compression
– Thermal expansion of the shaft
or sleeve can break a stationary
seal face
– The elastomer or rubber part
can swell and breaks the face
– Fatigue of the springs caused
by misalignment.
Engro Asahi Polymer & Chemicals Ltd.
What is hydraulic balance?
 There are at least two forces
closing the seal faces:
– The mechanical spring force.
– The hydraulic force caused by the seal Stationary face
box pressure acting on the seal face
area.
 There are at least three forces
Barrier fluid
trying to open the seal faces:
– A hydraulic force is created any time
there is fluid between the seal faces. Rotary face
– A centrifugal force created by the action
of the fluid being thrown outward by
Spring Force F
the rotation of the shaft.
– A hydrodynamic force created because
trapped liquid is non compressible.
 A Seal is considered as
Balanced when the opening and
Closing forces are equal

Engro Asahi Polymer & Chemicals Ltd.

Environment control is essential for an extended seal life.
 Temperature
– Heat can cause liquid to vaporize,
blowing the lapped seal faces apart
– Heat will affect the elastomer in
the seal reducing it’s life
– Lapped faces can go "out of flat"
and critical tolerances change at
elevated temperature
 Pressure
– Seal box pressure must not rise
above recommended,
• It will create higher differential
pressure across the seal faces and
thus seal face will wear out more
rapidly
• It will disturb the hydraulic
balance of the seal
• Generate high stresses on seal
faces
Engro Asahi Polymer & Chemicals Ltd.
What will happen if the Seal Fails ?
 Bottom Seal Failure
– Oil leakage will increase causing a pressure drop in the
seal box depending upon the amount of leakage
 Upper Seal Failure
– Flushing water and oil will be visible in the transparent
bottle at the seal box upper telltale
 Seal Failure + O Ring Failure
– This may cause slurry to flow out of the vessel

Engro Asahi Polymer & Chemicals Ltd.

Four parameters were considered
for seal condition monitoring
 Seal Box Oil Levels/ Oil Leakage

 Seal Box Pressure

 Sealant Oil Temperature

 Vibration Data

Engro Asahi Polymer & Chemicals Ltd.

Sealant Oil Leakage
 Only Outer seal is leaking Polymarizer Seal Leakage Rate
– This is because it is 20

Avg. Leakage rate

subjected to higher
15

(ml/day)
differential pressure Poly A
10
– dPdesign= 5 Kgf/cm2 5
Poly B

– dPactual = 10 Kgf/cm2 0
Feb Apr Jul Aug Oct Nov Jan Feb Mar
 Is the seal system at risk? 05 05 05 05 05 05 06 06 06

– Yes. If the leakage is Months

high enough to cause

pressure drop in the seal
box.
 Current Oil Leakage Rate
– Poly A: 5.6 ml/day
– Poly B: 16.5ml/day

Engro Asahi Polymer & Chemicals Ltd.

Seal Box Pressure

 Seal box pressure is maintained Polymeriser Seal Box Pressure

at a higher value than 30

Pressure (Kg/cm^2)
recommended by the vendor. 25

– dPdesign= 5 Kgf/cm2 20
Poly A
15
– dPactual = 10 Kgf/cm2 Poly B
10
 Vendor recommends the 5
following pressure 0

configuration,

No 3

No 4
M 3

Se 4

D 5
Au 4

M 5
06
0

0
0

0
0

0
v

v
g

g
ay

ar
ec
Au
Ps > P f > P o
Where,
Po: Vessel pressure
Pf: Flushing water pres. = Po+ 1~2 Kgf/cm2
Ps: Seal box pres. = Pf + 2~5 Kgf/cm2

Engro Asahi Polymer & Chemicals Ltd.

Vibration Data
 Vibration values are on the lower side Vibration Data (Polymeriser A)


2.5
Vibration data implies that mechanical

Displacement (um)
2
seal and the agitator assembly are 1.5
x
y
aligned properly. 1 z

 This also means that rotary faces of the 0.5

seal are balanced 0

Oct Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov
04 05 05 05 05 05 05 05 05 05 05 05

Vibration Data (Polymeriser B)

3.5
Displacement (um)

3
2.5
x
2
y
1.5
z
1
0.5
0
05
05
M 5

Au 5
Se 5
M 5
Fe 5

05

05

5
04

No 5
0

l0

0
r0
0

v0
0
ar
b

g
ay
n

pt
ct

ct
Ju
Ap
Ja

Ju
O

Engro Asahi Polymer & Chemicals Ltd.

Sealant Oil Temperature
Seal Box Temperature (Poly A)
 Oil temperature data is
40
available for Polymerizer A’s 35

Temperature (C)
30

seal only 25
20

 Temperatures are within limits

15
10
5
0

04

06
03

03

04

05

05
04

6
4
03

05

r0
v0

b
g

g
ay
c

c
ly
ct

ct

Ap
No

Fe
Au

De

Se

Au

De
Ju
O

O
M

Engro Asahi Polymer & Chemicals Ltd.

Seal Replacement frequency at similar plant sites is
4 ~ 6 years
 Seal replacement
frequency at similar
plant site
S.No. Plant Site Seal Replacement Frequency

1. P.T. Ashai Mass 4 yrs

2. Thai Plastic 6 yrs

3. AGS (Indensia) 6 yrs

Engro Asahi Polymer & Chemicals Ltd.

Maintenance team is capable of
Replacing the seal
 Skilled Technicians
– MAF has worked with Japanese Engineers at a similar job
 Seal Replacement of Recovery Tank
– AnA supervised the job of Seal Replacement
 Polymerizer Gear Box Overhauling
– AAA/MAF supervised the job of gear box overhauling
 Seal replacement procedure is available

Engro Asahi Polymer & Chemicals Ltd.

Conclusion
 Bottom seals are leaking for last 3~4 years
 Mechanical Seal of Polymerizer B has completed six years of
operation.
 Benchmark period for seal replacement at other plant sites is 4~6 yrs
 Seal box pressure is maintained at 22 Kgf/cm2 instead of 15 Kgf/cm2
recommended by the vendor
 One seal was already serviced by Shinko Pantec
 Seal failure would cause a downtime of 6 days

Based on above maintenance team recommends seal

replacement during T/A 2006.

Engro Asahi Polymer & Chemicals Ltd.

Skill Certification Plan
 Develop skill certification checklist as per
our requirements for all the crafts
 Prepare test procedures based on the
checklist for skill evaluation
 Develop a plan to test and certify contract
employees
 Develop a scheme to implement skill
certification plans in subsequent years

Engro Asahi Polymer & Chemicals Ltd.

What are we doing different this year?
 Last year maintenance training performance was 85%. Goal for 2006
is 100% compliance
 Invite only relevant people to training in order to increase training
effectiveness
 Distribute training assignments equally to all the Engineers and Asst.
Engineers for equal load sharing
 Not more than two trainings in a month
 Training section will prompt the trainer couple of months prior to the
training and will facilitate the trainer to prepare his training
documentation
 Training performance assessment will be done every quarter of the
year
More organized approach has helped Maintenance in increasing training
hours.

Engro Asahi Polymer & Chemicals Ltd.

Maintenance Training
 Maintenance Training Plan
 TNA of Employees
 Skill Certification Plan
 Steps Taken to Enhance Training
Performance

Engro Asahi Polymer & Chemicals Ltd.