Why seals ????

• To prevent a costly product from leaking.

• To prevent a dangerous product from leaking
to the atmosphere.
• To prevent a pollutant from escaping to the
atmosphere.
• To prevent high temperature and volatile
product from leaking to the atmosphere.
 Sealing System
Seals are a vital part of any pressurized/non-pressurized
systems because they are installed to prevent fluid
leakage.

A system can fail completely because of one critical leak.

By preventing or minimizing leakage seals used in the

system prevent loss of power, reduced efficiency, and the
complete breakdown or failure of components such as
pumps, valves, etc.
 Sealing Devices

Static Seals Dynamic Seals

Gaskets Sealants Direct contact

Contact Seals Clearance Seals

Labyrinth
Axial Seals Radial Seals
Bushing Seals

Ferromagnetic Seals
Mechanical Seals

Compression Packing

Shaft Seals

O-rings
 Seal

An elastomeric ring-shaped component used in a constantly

moving, dynamic application - either reciprocating or
rotating shaft - providing a near positive no leak mode in a
hydraulic cylinder, ram, mixer or gear box - as examples.

Seal rings can be u-shaped, v-shaped, o-shaped, metal

inserted, radial lipped, multiple lipped or a simple flat ring.
 Seals Operation
Effects of Flow and Speed
on Seal Cavity Pressure
SEAL CAVITY PRESSURE RISE

SEAL CAVITY PRESSURE RISE

WITH INDUCER WITH INDUCER

WITHOUT INDUCER

WITHOUT INDUCER

FLOW - GPM SPEED - RPM

TYPICAL CURVE SHAPE FOR TYPICAL CURVE SHAPE FOR

SEAL CAVITY PRESSURE RISE vs. FLOWRATE SEAL CAVITY PRESSURE RISE vs. SPEED
(FOR ILLUSTRATION ONLY) (FOR ILLUSTRATION ONLY)
.

Profile of a typical shaft seal

A. The flexible material component of the seal which produces
the lip.
B. The outer shell of the seal holds the seal in place.
C. The garter spring is a coiled wire spring that provides a
controlled radial load over time.
Mechanical Seal:
As the name suggests, Mechanical Seal is a sealing
device which mechanically controls the escape of a
pressurized fluid. It comprises of primary seal in the
form of a stationary face against which is rotated
another, which is flexibly mounted, The flexible face is
sealed to the shaft by a flexible member, when the
rotating seal face rubs against the stationary seal face,
the rubbing contact is maintained by forces acting in an
axial direction. The axial pushing force can be either
hydraulic or mechanical sum of both
Advantages of Mech. Seal over Gland Packing
• Less heat generation, requires less cooling
• Cartridge designs have solved the impeller adjustment and centering
problems.
• Split seal designs have solved the problem of dismantling the pump to
change a seal.
• Dual seals will solve the catastrophic seal failure problem.
• Balanced seals consume one sixth the power of conventional packing.
• Pollution and fugitive emission legislation prohibits the leakage of even
small amounts of many chemicals and packing does leak.
• Leakage always presents a safety and housekeeping problem.
• Sleeve damage is costly not only because of the sleeve cost, but also the
costs involved in the sleeve removal.
• Unlike packing, mech. seals do not have to be adjusted to compensate for
wear.
GLAND PACKING
LEAKAGE PATH
MECHANICAL
SEAL
G.THULASI
BASIC COMPONENTS OF A MECHANICAL SEAL
G.THULASI
PUSHER SEAL
BELLOW TYPE SEAL
 API Plan 01
Integral (internal) re-circulation from pump discharge to seal.
 API Plan 02
Dead-ended seal chamber with no circulation of flushed fluid.
 API Plan 11
Re-circulation from pump discharge through a flow control orifice to the
seal. This plan can also be used to raise the pressure in the stuffing box
when the required product vapor suppression margin is not present (suction
pressure is at or near the vapor pressure of the liquid.
 API Plan 12
Re-circulation from pump discharge through a strainer and flow
control orifice to the seal.
 API Plan 13
Re-circulation from pump discharge through a strainer and flow control
orifice to the seal. This plan is used when the primary seal chamber is at or
near discharge pressure of the pump. The product flow originates at the seal
and return to the suction of the pump or some point at lower pressure than
the primary seal chamber.
 API Plan 14
Re-circulation from pump discharge through a flow control
orifice to the seal and back to the pump suction.
 API Plan 21
Recirculation from the pump discharge through a flow control orifice and a
cooler, then into the seal chamber. A reduction in heat is usually required
when the conditions in the stuffing box are at or near vapor pressure of the
liquid being pumped. The aim is to reduce the seal flush temp by 40-60 deg
before it enters the seal chamber.
 API Plan 22
Recirculation from the pump discharge through a strainer, a
flow control orifice, and a cooler and into the seal chamber.

G.THULASI
 API Plan 23
Recirculation from the pumping ring in the seal chamber through a cooler
and back to the seal chamber. A reduction is heat is usually required when
the conditions in the stuffing box are at or near the vapor pressure of the
liquid being pumped. Recirculation of the product to and from the heat
exchanger reduced the temp. of the seal flush to 65-90 Deg.C. This reduction
is accomplished by re-cooling the same product over and over.
 API Plan 31
Recirculation from pump discharge through a cyclone separator delivering the
clean fluid to the seal chamber. Objective is to clean the process liquid going to
the seal chamber using a cyclone separator. The cyclone separator uses a vortex
action to separate solids from the process liquid. These solids are back to the
pump suction off the bottom of the separator.

G.THULASI
 API Plan 32
Flush is injected into the seal chamber from an external source. This plan is
usually found when process conditions are very dirty and a clean fluid is
needed for proper seal performance. This plan can also be used in very hot
services when vapor pressure of the pumpage is close to the seal chamber
pressure and options for increasing the margin between the two are limited.
 API Plan 41
Recirculation from pump discharge through a cyclone separator
delivering the clean fluid a cooler and then to the seal chamber.
 API Plan 51
External reservoir providing a dead-ended blanket of fluid to the
quench connection of the gland
 API Plan 52
External reservoir providing buffer fluid for outer seal of an unpressurized
dual seal arrangement. Circulation is maintained by an internal pumping ring.
The reservoir is usually continuously vented to a vapor recovery system. This
piping plan is found in variety of services, but mostly in products that are
considered flashing hydrocarbons where the vapor pressure of the product is
more that 14.7 psia at ambient temperatures.
 Plan 52
o Stripper bottom pump.
o Rerun bottom pumps
 API Plan 52
• As per this Plan there should be an external reservoir providing buffer fluid
for the outer seal of an unpressured dual seal arrangement.
• The circulation of the fluid is provided by the internal pumping ring.
• The reservoir is normally vented to the flare
 API Plan 53
Pressurized external barrier fluid reservoir supplying clean fluid to the seal
chamber. Circulation is by an internal pumping ring. Reservoir pressure is greater
than the process pressure being sealed. This is found in products that are
considered health hazards, auto-ignition/flashing, or too abrasive for acceptable
seal life. The barrier fluid must be compatible with the product since a small
amount of this fluid mixes.
 Plan 53
Lubricant Seal Failure

As per this Plan there should be a

text

pressurised external barrier fluid text

reservoir supplying clean fluid to the seal Make Up Alarm

chamber.
API Plan 53
The circulation of the fluid is provided Lubricant Return

by the internal pumping ring.

Reservoir pressure is greater than the Lubricant Supply Piston Pot Oil

process pressure being sealed.(A Reservoir

branch from Cyclohexane Feed

pressures up the reservoir for Rxr
circulating pump )
SEAL FOR
RXR CIRCULATION PUMP

CWR CWS

Cyclohexane at 70 Kg/cm2
 API Plan 54
Pressurized external barrier fluid reservoir or system supplying
clean fluid to the seal chamber. Circulation is by an external
pump or pressure system. Reservoir pressure is greater than the
process pressure being sealed. This plan lubricates the secondary
seal, dissipate the heat generated by the seal and provide a clean,
stable fluid environment for the primary seal. This is normally
found in unstable, dirty or hazardous services where dual
pressurised seals are required.
 API Plan 61
Tapped Connections for the Purchaser's Use.
 API Plan 62
External source providing a quench. The objective is to keep the
atmospheric side of the seal free of product that has solidified
after it has leaked across the seal faces fro the process side. Heavy
hot hydrocarbons tend to coke at atmosphere. Typically steam or
nitrogen will be injected in the quench port on the primary seal
flange to reduce or eliminate oxygen and create a flow under the
seal on the atmospheric side.
API 610 8th API CODE

G.THULASI
 Quenching flow rate (set us
standard)

Quenching fluid Flow rate

Water 1 to 2 lit /min

Steam 0.5kg/Hr

N2Gas 0.3kg/Hr
DRY GAS SEAL
• Dry gas seals are basically mechanical face seals,
consisting of a mating (rotating) ring and a primary
(stationary) ring.
• During operation, grooves in the mating ring generate
a fluid-dynamic force causing the primary ring to
separate from the mating ring creating a "running gap"
between the two rings.
• A sealing gas is injected into the seal, providing the
working fluid for the running gap and the seal between
the atmosphere or flare system and the compressor
internal process gas.
Advantages of Dry Gas Seal over Wet Seal

• Almost zero leakage

• Elimination of seal oil system
• No direct contact , and hence no wear
• Low power consumption
• More life and maintenance free.
G.THULASI
• Very similar in function and geometry to mechanical contact
seals.
• Use a small quantity of a clean sealing gas instead of a sealing
liquid
• Seal faces operate without actually making contact.
• The escaping seal gas separates the seal faces by a fraction of a
thousandth of an inch.
• A thin film is achieved by specially designed seal face
geometry that produces a pressure gradient across the seal face.
• Seal face groove allows gas to penetrate inwards towards
sealing dam located at the inner diameter, which restricts the
stream flow causing increase in upstream pressure.
• The resulting pressure distribution develops a thin gas layer
with a high film stiffness.
 SINGLE SEAL:
• The single seal is used mainly on non-hazardous products where
a small leakage to atmosphere is acceptable.
• These seals arrangement do always have a product leakage in
direction from inside to outside, which is routed to flare.
 DOUBLE SEAL:
• The double seal is used where leakage of the product to the
atmosphere can’t be tolerated, or where the gas is dirty, unstable
or there is a danger of negative pressure.
• A buffer gas at a slightly higher pressure than the maximum
being sealed, is supplied between the seals.
• A small leakage of buffer gas enters the compressor via the
inboard seal and a small leakage from the outboard seal.
TANDEM SEALS:
• In case of tandem seals, two identical gas seals are arranged one
behind the other.
• The first is for higher pressures above the capability of single seal,
whereby the outboard seal pressure is controlled to approximately
half the inboard. The result is that the differential pressure across
each seal is around half of that is being sealed.
• The second reason is the inboard seal takes the full process duty
with an additional labyrinth seal for secondary safety backup.
Adding an integral labyrinth between a seal, allows application of
sour gas and other aggressive gases.
• The inboard seal operates on filtered process gas or an inert gas is
injected at low pressure between the outboard seal and
intermediate labyrinth. The outboard seal therefore operates on the
injected gas, and its negligible leakage safely vented to
atmosphere.
SINGLE SEAL
Typical Tandem Gas Seal Configuration
THANK
YOU