MECHANICAL

SEALS
II -- TECHNICAL
TECHNICAL ASPECTS
ASPECTS
OF
OF MECHANICAL
MECHANICAL SEALS
SEALS

2
 PUMPING
PUMPING SEALS
SEALS

PACKING
PACKING SEALS
SEALS --11

MECHANICAL
MECHANICAL SEALS
SEALS --22

3
 Packing
Packing seals
seals -1

4
PACKING
PACKING THROAT BUSH
LANTERN RING
WITHOUT
WITHOUT
PACKING
SLEEVE
SLEEVE
FOLLOWER
GLAND

Equipment

• Wear is
directly on shaft
5
PACKING
PACKING THROAT BUSH
LANTERN RING
WITH
WITH
PACKING
SLEEVE
SLEEVE
FOLLOWER
GLAND

SLEEEVE

Equipment

Wear is on *
the sleeve
6
Horizontal Surface wear Shaft wear

Equipment

Now it essential to find a solution to avoid shaft wear,

Such as finding another surface of another parts to be
worn but easy and cheap to be replaced, It is the
MECHANICAL
7 SEAL
 Mechanical
Mechanical Seals
Seals --22

8
 Vertical surface wear Scarifying
elements

Equipment

9
 Single
Singlemechanical
mechanicalseal
seal
Rotary Elements Stationary Element
Carbon ring -1
Snap Ring -2 Tungsten Carbide ring
O” Rings“ -3 Or
Silicon Carbide ring
Springs -4
Sleeve -5

Equipment

10
SINGLE IMPELLER PUMP

MECHANICAL SEAL

HANGED
HANGEDBEAM
BEAM
11 IMPELLER
IMPELLER
 MULTI STAGE PUMP

MECHANICAL SEALS

DRIVE END NON-DRIVE END

IN-BETWEEN
IN-BETWEENTWO
TWO
12 BEARINGS IMPELLER
BEARINGS IMPELLER
 Mechanical
Mechanical seal
seal and
and bearings
bearings arrangement
arrangement

oil

Equipment

13
14
 Mechanical
seal

Mechanical
seal
Thrust
15
Bearing
Bellow
Bellow Type
Type Mechanical
Mechanical Seal
Seal

16
Bellow
Bellow Mechanical
Mechanical Seal
Seal

BELLOW

Rotary ring Stationary ring

17
 Double
Double Mechanical
Mechanical seal
seal Bellow
Bellow type
type

BELLOW BELLOW

18
Bellows Bellows
–Uniform uniform stress distribution

– 45° tilt for enhanced

fatigue strength

–Three sweep radius

19
Bellows
Bellows Benefits
Benefits
• For high temperature applications
>260°C/500°F

• For higher pressure

• Generally have light spring loads

–Less heat
–Low power consumption
–Longer seal life
• 20Pressure balanced by design
Split
Split Type
Type Mechanical
Mechanical Seal
Seal

21
 Split
Split Seals
Seals

22
Cartridge
Split Seal

23
 Plant
Plant Operations
Operations
• Rotating equipment maintenance
costs can be about 20 % of the
total maintenance budget.

• Rotating equipment is taken out of

service 70% of the time due to a
leaking Mechanical seal.

24
Split
Split Seals
Seals
• Benefits Over Mechanical Seals :
– No Dismantling of Equipment
– Fast maintenance / high equipment
availability
– Reduced man hours / improve productivity

– Reduced complexity
25
Split
Split Seals
Seals merits
merits

Production

Manpower

Maintenance Budget

Time
26
Rival
Rival Sealing
Sealing Technology
Technology
Mechanical seals
Are the dominant technology in many
industries.

Split Seals
-All the advantages of mechanical seals.
-Plus, they are easier and quicker to
27
 Cost
Cost Benefit
Benefit Analysis
Analysis

28
Split
Split Seals
Seals
• Target Applications
– Shaft size greater than 3” / 76 mm
– Vertical pumps
– Side entry agitators

• Limitations of Split Seals

– Not recommended for applications where
emissions will be a dangerous to the
29
environment or humans
 Hydraulic
Hydraulic Balance
Balance

30
Balanced mechanical seal

Carbon ring Stationary

Product +Springs Contact face pressure

Product +Springs Contact face pressure

31 PRESSURE P > STRESS S

Unbalanced mechanical seal

Carbon ring Stationary

Product + Springs Contact face pressure

Product + Springs Contact face pressure

32
PRESSURE P < STRESS S
 FACE AND SEAT AREA EQUAL 100% BALANCE

Carbon ring Stationary ring

A = Contacted P A
S
A
Surface area

S = Contacted
Surface stress

+P = Product
Spring pressure

F = Acting force
F=P*A F=S*A

S P*A = S*A
= % 100
P
33 P = S
HYDRAULIC BALANCE OF SEALS 50 % BALANCE

P P

P
A1 A 0.5 S
A = Contacted
A
Surface area

A1 = Projected area
of P

S =Contacted
Surface stress

+ P = Product
Spring pressure

F = Acting force
F = P * A1 F=S*A
P * A1 = S*A
S
34P
= % 50 S
=
A1
P A
HYDRAULIC BALANCE OF SEALS 75 % BALANCE

P S
A1 A 0.75 A
A = Contacted
Surface area

A1 = Projected area
of P

S =Contacted
Surface stress

+ P = Product
Spring pressure

F = Acting force
F = P * A1 F=S*A
P * A1 = S * A
S
P
= % 75
35
S
=
A1
P A
 OPTIMUM HYDRAULIC BALANCE

: Balance percentage is a compromise

Below 65 % ------------- LEAK

Above 85 % ------------- WEAR

36
.Optimum Balance 75% for medium pressure seals
:Mechanical seal has the following data
A = contacted surface area = 230 cm2
A1 = ( projected area of P) = 120 cm2
Calculate the hydraulic balance Percentage
SOLUTION

S )contacted surface stress( A 1 ( projected area of P) cm2 120

= =
P )product + spring pressure( A ( contacted surface area) cm2 230

% 52 = 100* 0.52 =

% Hydraulic balance % is less than 65

37 This Mechanical is prone to leak
:Mechanical seal has the following data
A = contacted surface area = 200 cm2
A1 = ( projected area of P) = 180 cm2
Calculate the hydraulic balance Percentage
SOLUTION

S )contacted surface stress( A 1 ( projected area of P) cm2 180

= =
P )product + spring pressure( A ( contacted surface area) cm2 200

% 90 = 100* 0.9 =

% Hydraulic balance % is more than 85

38
This Mechanical is prone to wear
:Mechanical seal has the following data
A = contacted surface area = 30 cm2
A1 = ( projected area of P) = 24 cm2
Calculate the hydraulic balance Percentage
SOLUTION

S )contacted surface stress(

= A1 ( projected area of P)
cm2 24
=
P )product + spring pressure( A ( contacted surface area) cm2 30

% 80 = 100* 0.80 =

This Mechanical is hydraulic balanced

% as it is in between 65 % and 85
39
Hydraulic
Hydraulic Balance
Balance -- Benefits
Benefits
•Reduced heat generation
–ideal for unstable and low SG fluids
–less heat to be dissipated - less cooling required
•Reduced wear rate
–longer life
•Reduced power required to drive the seal
–lower running costs
• Increased pressure range for the seal
– this simple modification allows much higher
40
pressures to be sealed.
II-OPTIONAL
II-OPTIONAL FEATURES
FEATURES

41
 Quenching
Quenching

Flushing
Flushing

Circulation
Circulation

Ancillaries
Ancillaries
42
Quenching
Quenching
PREVENT
PREVENTPRODUCT
PRODUCTTO
TOBUILD
BUILDUP
UP
PRESSURE ONATMS.
PRESSUREON ATMS.SIDE
SIDE

1. Block Valve
2. Pressure Gauge PI L.P.
L.P.STEAM
STEAM OR
OR WATER
WATER
3. Check Valve
3
Plant Steam
“ IN " 0.1 - 0. 2 bar

“ OUT "
To Drain ATM

43
 Flushing Quenching

ATMOSPHERE

44
Flushing
Flushing P1

Flushing liquid :
Flushing Liquid
T1
*Filtered Product
*Solvent
*Water
*Compatible liquid

BUT NOT
Gas
Pump product Flushing
FlushingLiquid
LiquidPressure
Pressure
Steam ==SStuffing
tuffingBox Pressure++ 11bar
BoxPressure bar min
min
45
 Flush
Flushfluid
fluid Quench
Quenchfluid
fluid

46
 Flush
Flushfluid
fluid Quench
Quenchfluid
fluid

47
• Quench
– low pressure (0.5 bar g)
– low flow (0.5 litres/minute)
– external to main seal
– no contamination
– no dilution
•Flush
–high pressure ( > 1.0 bar above seal pressure)
–injected into seal chamber
–cools pumped product
–dilutes pumped product.
48
Circulation
Circulation

CYCLONE

49
 Heat control / removal

API Plan 21

50
Thermosyphon
Thermosyphon Cooling
Cooling

• System must be above,

and within 3 metres of
pump.
• Fluid circulates by
thermosyphon.
• May need small pump
or pumping scroll to
assist flow.

51
Circulating
Circulating Barrier
Barrier
liquid
liquid fluid
fluid

Quench
Quench
fluid
fluid

52
Multiple
Multiple
Seals
Seals
• Two common arrangements
- Tandem
- low pressure barrier fluid

- Inboard seal lubricated by product

- Double ( Back-to-Back )
- Pressurised barrier fluid

- Inboard seal lubricated by barrier fluid

• Other arrangements
53
- Concentric; Face-to-Face; etc.
Tandem Seal Outboard Seal
Clean barrier
fluid lubricates
this seal

Barrier fluid is
at low
(atmospheric)
pressure.

Inboard Seal
Use API Plan 52
Product fluid
lubricates this
54 seal
Double seals: Back-to-back
Pressurised
barrier fluid
is circulated

barrier fluid
lubricates
both sets of
seal faces.
Use API Plan 53

55
 Double seals: Face-to-face

Rotating
Mating Stationary
Ring seals

56
Tandem Seal
Product Barrier fluid
Circulation Circulation

Equipment

57
Tandem Seal PBF
PBF = 1 bar max

Barrier fluid
Product Barrier fluid
Circulation Circulation
Circulation
Pp
Equipment

58
Double Seal
Product Barrier fluid Flushing
Circulation Circulation Liquid

Equipment

59
Double Seal PBF
PBF = 1.1 Pp )Min(
Not less than ( 2+Pp ) bar Barrier
fluid
Circulation
Product Barrier fluid Flushing
Circulation Circulation Liquid
Pp
Equipment

60
 BALANCING DRUM
Balancing
BALANCING LINE Pressure
Room
P1 P2 P3 P4

P4 P0
P0

P4 P0

P4 – P0 P4 – P0
61
Barrier
Barrier fluid
fluid Type
Type

Temperature Range Barrier fluid

0
to - 90 C Propanol 120 -
0
to - 30 CMethanol 90 -
0
to + 20 Kerosene
C or Hydraulic oil 30-
0
.to + 200 C L.G.O. or H.G.O 20 +

62
Ancillarie
Ancillarie
ss
Coolers for circulating liquids

Flow controllers for circulating liquids ( adjustable orifices )

Cyclones for circulating liquids

Strainers for circulating liquids

Magnetic filters for circulating liquids

63
 MULTI STAGE COMPRESSOR

DRIVE END NON-DRIVE END

IN-BETWEEN
IN-BETWEENTWO
TWO
64 BEARINGS IMPELLER
BEARINGS IMPELLER