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SEALING TIPS – PROPER FILLING OF PLAN 53C SYSTEMS

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Chemical (https://empoweringpumps.com/blog/category/pump-topics/chemical-abrasives/)

October 11, 2018

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Sealing Tips – Proper Filling of Plan 53C Systems (/blog/category/industrial-flow-
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By: Empowering Pumps & Equipment Staff (https://empoweringpumps.com/author/amber/) Optimize Performance of Food
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Arrangement 3 seals contain two mechanical seals in a cartridge assembly with a pressurized barrier fluid in the Food & Beverage
cavity between the seals. This arrangement, also known as a dual pressurized seal or double seal, provides a (/blog/category/food-beverage)
range of benefits including eliminating process leakage to the environment, greater tolerance for upset
conditions in the pump, and the ability to monitor seal performance (see Figure 1 above). Best Practices for Pump & Seal
Maintenance to Extend the
There are a number of standardized strategies (or piping plans) to provide the pressurized barrier fluid and these Lifetime of Your Mechanical
are defined in API 682. One of these strategies, a Plan 53C, utilizes a piston accumulator to pressurize the system. Seals
The bottom of the accumulator is connected to a reference pressure in the pump. This is most often the process
(https://empoweringpumps.com/se
best-practices-for-pump-seal-
fluid in the seal chamber since it provides the most relevant pressure for the seals. The top of the accumulator is maintenance-to-extend-the-
connected to the Plan 53C barrier fluid system. lifetime-of-your-mechanical-
seals/)
Maintenance & Reliability
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Figure 2 Piston accumulator Chemical

(https://empoweringpumps.com/blo
topics/chemical-abrasives/)
The piston accumulator operates on a principle of pressures and areas. The accumulator has differential areas on Engineering & Design
the reference pressure side and the barrier fluid sides of the piston. The ratio of these areas produces a (https://empoweringpumps.com/blo
correspondingly higher pressure in the barrier fluid. design/)
Flowserve
There are several benefits of a Plan 53C system. The piston accumulator is self-energizing and will automatically (https://empoweringpumps.com/blo
pressurize the barrier fluid as the pump is commissioned. The system is self-tracking and will allow the barrier articles/flowserve/)
fluid pressure to compensate for changing pressures in the pump. Finally, the system can be designed so that it Fluid Sealing
does not require any external utilities which makes it ideal for remote locations. (https://empoweringpumps.com/blo
sealing/)
The piston accumulator also introduces a few disadvantages. The connection to the seal chamber introduces Oil & Gas
process fluid into the accumulator. The piston in the accumulator must also be free to slide in the bore of the (https://empoweringpumps.com/blo
accumulator to track pressure and compensate for barrier fluid leakage. This makes this piping plan most topics/oil-gas/)
appropriate for clean fluids which are free from solids or contamination which cause the piston to hang-up. Pumps & Operations
(https://empoweringpumps.com/blo
Another problem seen in the field with this system is caused directly by the operators maintaining the barrier
fluid level in the system. As barrier fluid leaks past the seals, the piston will slide upwards to compensate for the
fluid loss. Before the piston reaches the top of the accumulator, the system will alarm on a low barrier fluid level.
The operator must add barrier fluid to replenish the lost fluid and allow the system to continue operating. The
volume between the minimum and maximum barrier fluid levels represents the working volume of the
accumulator.

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 (https://empoweringpumps.com/wp-
content/uploads/2018/09/Figure-3-Working-Volume-
of-Accumulator.jpg)
Figure 3 Working volume of accumulator

Problems can occur when the operator adds fluid. If too much barrier fluid is added to the system, either at initial
commissioning or during maintenance, the piston can be forced down to the bottom of the accumulator. When
the piston bottoms out, it will no longer be free to slide and maintain the correct pressure. If the temperature of
the barrier fluid increases, the thermal expansion of the fluid will create a runaway pressure increase which will
result in seal failure, damage to the piston accumulator, or rupture of the system.

(https://empoweringpumps.com/wp-
content/uploads/2018/09/Figure-4-Overfilled-
Accumulator.jpg)
Figure 4 Overfilled accumulator