Mechanical Seal Failure Modes and

Cause Events
A mechanical seal may fail during its service by wear,
corrosion, fracture, and so on.
In a plant, leakage from a machine or machine components is
reported as a failure mode or symptom.
A cause event that singly or in combination with other cause
events leads to various failure modes or a general failure
mode, includes, design-related, process-related, and operationand maintenance-related cause events.
The list of cause events is prepared after consultation with
design and practicing engineers.
Some of these cause events will directly influence the failure
mode of a mechanical seal, whereas, the others will be
influenced by a stage relation

Cause Event
1. Direct Cause Event
1. A problem of abrasive contaminants,
2. Improper seal material,
3.Problem of maintaining pressure velocity coefficient (PV
value),
4. Excessive fluid pressure,
5. Improper seal design,
6.Insufficient seal lubrication, excessive seal face temperature,
7. Failure of secondary seal,lead to seal failure directly.
For example, excessive seal face temperature leads to
high heat generation causing seal failure. Similarly insufficient
seal lubrication leads to seal failure because inadequate
lubrication causes high heat generation in the seal, which leads to
seal failure. These cause events are called direct cause

2. Indirect Cause Event

1.problem of misalignment,
2.improper seal assembly,
3. installation and
4. poor maintenance practices are called indirect
cause events.
For example, poor maintenance practices such as
inadequate cooling lead to an increase in the seal
face temperature, which further causes seal failure..

MECHANICAL SEAL DESIGN WITH SUPERIOR THERMAL

CHARACTERISTIC

Heat Transfer Consideration in Mechanical Seals

H= P VA f

Thermal Effects on Seal Performance

and Behavior
Thermally Induced Radial Taper
Thermally Induced Waviness
Heat Checking and Hot Spotting
Blistering of Carbon
# Effects on Process Fluid
Heat Exchangers, Surface Treatments and Coatings

Mechanical Seal Application

Mechanical seals are used to prevent
leakages in pump
Compressor
Mechanical shaft seal.
Any failure of mechanical seal
hazardus to the system.

Conclusion
A mechanical face seal is an important component of variety
of pumps used in chemical,petrochemical and process
industry. The primary function of a mechanical seal is to
prevent leakage of the process fluid from the pump housing
and shaft to the environment.The factors that affect the
performance of a mechanical seal to leak are friction, wear and
its thermal characteristics. Improving upon the thermal
characteristics of a mating ring in a mechanical seal would
enhance its performance. Implanting a heat exchanger in the
mating ring hold great promise for improving the performance
of mechanical seals from the viewpoint of reducing heat at the
interface and hence enhance the performance of the
mechanical seal.

Mechanical seals are used to prevent leakages in

pump,compressor,mechanical shaft seal.Any failureofmechanical seal
hazardous to the system