Seal Selection

The operating conditions in all kinds of industries are ever increasing as well as more new media are found, manufactured and handled. Mechanical Seals have to handle all types of media from acid to alkalies, from water to hydrocarbons, at a wide range of temperatures and pressures. All these factors influence the mechanical seal operation and have to be considered when selecting seals. The parameters for seal selection are as follows:

Media, to be sealed or in contact Operation temperature Pressure Speed of the shaft Seal chamber/shaft dimensions

When a mechanical seal is selected all of these parameters have to be checked in view of their influence of the mechanical seal operation, the materials to be used, general configuration, and arrangement.

Media
One of the most important parameters is the media or product which is pumped or handled. The media is in contact with the seal as well as it supplies its lubrication film, therefore all properties and the behaviour of the product under process conditions should be known.

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The exact product name supported by the chemical formula together with concentration and PH value give us information on required material. The selected materials of faces, Orings and design should prevent a corrosive attack to the seal during operation. Sealface materials like silicon carbide (Buka 22), ceramic (Buke 5) and resin impregnated carbon (Buko 1) can be used. Orings of fluorocarbon rubber (V), ethylene propylene rubber (E) and the special Burgmann double PTFE enveloped Orings have given very good results. Stainless steels or special alloys, like Alloy20, HastelloyC etc. are the most commonly used metal parts. The establishments of a stable lubrication film is influenced by the boiling point, melting point (pour point), viscosity, specific gravity and some chemical reactions like polymerization or product disintegration. Insufficient lubrication can cause severe problems for the seal operation. The faces should have therefore good emergency running properties as it is given by silicon carbide (Buka 22), special cast chrome steel (Bume 5), and antimony impregnated carbon (Buko 03). Additionally cooling and lubrication can be implemented by special seal arrangements and/or flushing plans as per API standards. Solid particles or products with tendency of crystallization can destroy soft faces, hence seals with hard sealfaces (silicon carbide, Buka 22) have to be entertained, if the abrasive solids can not be removed or crystallidation prevented. For higher percentages of solids, special seal designs have to be selected. Hazardous products, which are for example explosive or poisonous, must receive special attention from the seal arrangement to avoid any contact of hazardous leakage with the environment. Multiple seals of back to back or Tandem arrangement or seals with an atmosphere side quench have to be considered.

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Operating temperature
The operation temperature is a very important factor for the selection of a mechanical seal. The temperature influences a number of points in the seal operation.

Seal design Material selection of secondary sealing elements Viscosity of the product Reaction of chemicals (e.g. aggressiveness) Lubrication effect between the sealfaces

Heat development

The most important influence is given due to the heat development of sliding sealfaces.This heat development, caused by the friction between the faces, can lead to a local overheating of the lubrication film, once the operation temperature is additionally on the high side. With the respective pressure and the temperature, the product reaches its boiling point and subsequently vaporizes. The product vapor do not have a proper lubrication property and hence the seal faces can run dry and get irreparable damaged or worn out very fast.

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Reaction of chemicals
The product reaction (e.g. aggressiveness) with any of the sealparts is also increased with the rising temperature level, due the increased speed in the molecular movements in any media. Special materials might be required or other seal arrangements have to be selected.

Viscosity
A clear relation between the temperature and the viscosity is also given. The seal is in contact with the media and a viscous product can influence the operation, for example by limiting any axial movement and/or does not supply a sufficient lubrication film to the sealfaces. For higher viscosities a special seal arrangement and other measures have to be recommended.

Materials
Special attention must be taken with the selection of the secondary sealing elements. The commonly used elastomers have a limited temperature range in which they can work satisfactorily. These limits must be considered. Elastomer Temperature limits: Nitrile Butadiene rubber -30 to + 100 Etylene Propylene Diene rubber -40 to + 130 Fluorocarbon rubber -20 to + 200 (acc. To manufacturers data and all temperatures given in oC)

Temperature levels which are beyond the range, suitable for the use of elastomers require different seal designs, such as metal bellows, who do not require flexible elastomer secondary sealing elements.

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Pressure
Mechanical seals can be used in a wide pressure range going from vacuum to approx. 250 bar for a single seal (higher pressures are possible with special designs). To meet the wide range and due to the fact that mechanical sealfaces are loaded (closed) by the product pressure with its influences to the facefriction, there are two basic types of seals available: for the low pressure range -------------- Unbalanced mechanical seals for the high pressure range -------------- Balanced mechanical seals

Unbalanced seals are used for a pressure range up to 16 bars. Balanced mechanical seals are selected in the higher pressure range when the seal chamber pressures are exceeding 16 bar and depending on the media also in the lower pressure range. When the product (e.g. hydrocarbons) requires a reduced, low heat development between the sealfaces to prevent vaporizations between the faces as well a balanced seal can be recommended. A balanced seal has by design feature a reduced faceload which results in a reduced heat generation in the sealing gap. The new API 682, therefore, recommends only the use of balanced mechanical seals for hydrocarbon applications. For better performance a balanced seal can also be used in the low pressurerange. As the pressure is influencing the faceload of the seal this is done when the product requires special attention due to vaporization in the sealing gap, as possible for example with solvents and hydrocarbons.

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Speed
The rotational speed of the shaft has an impact in many ways to the mechanical seal; it influences the sliding velocity and the power consumption of the seal as well as its configuration.

Sliding velocity
The sliding velocity of the seal faces is the speed under which the sealface are sliding on each other; hence the material selection of the faces is to be considered. The higher the speed the better must be the running behaviour of the materials to avoid any dry running of the seal faces or excessive wear. Cooling and face lubrication should be optimized for higher speeds by additional flushing arrangements or special design (e.g. Burgmann HS grooves flowguides, multipoint injection, and Burgmann pumping screw design etc.)

Power consumption
The power consumption of the mechanical seal is the sum of the face friction power and the turbulence losses of the rotating seal parts. (The turbulence losses are insignificant for a standard mechanical seal up to speeds of appr. 30m/s). The created heat (power), due to the friction in the sealing gap, has to be dissipated through the face materials to the surrounding fluid and by the lubrication in the sealing gap. For the seal selection the power consumption to determine the cooling requirement for the seal and to select the right face material. The power consumption can be calculated by measurements due to many influencing factors. The seal configuration and design is as well influenced by the speed. Above 25 m/s special designs are required which have the spring loaded seal parts arranged stationary to avoid negative influences from the radial forces (deflection of springs etc.) to the seal. The rotating parts are designed then simple with straight surfaces to minimize the turbulent losses which would add to the power consumption.

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Seal chamber / Shaft dimensions

The service life of a mechanical seal is considerable influenced by design and configuration of the mechanical seal chamber (shaft stuffingbox). In a mechanical seal design the active sealing area is concentrated on the two sliding faces where the heat generation takes place and subsequently sufficient product circulation in the seal chamber is required for its dissipation and cooling.

This fact required a seal chamber design for a mechanical seal as open as possible, different to the designs for glandpakings, where the space should be as narrow as possible to minimize the packing crossection. The dimensions are layed down in international standards, such as DIN/ISO 5199 etc. Shaft size (sleeve size) and seal chamber dimensions define the size of the seal and influences from the seal chamber design & its arrangement (horizontal, vertical, etc.) to the seal. Each type of equipment had different requirements to the mechanical seal design. Various pump designs (centrifugal, screw, gear, etc.) compressors, agitators, reactors; bead mills, etc. have special features which should be considered when selecting the suitable mechanical seal.

Conclusion
The actual seal selection considers all available information, defines the face and other suitable materials, selects a design and specifies auxiliary measures, finally an optimum solution based on application engineering know how, existing specifications and field experience from the actual enduser is chosen and recommended. Burgmann recommendations are based on more than 120 years experience in very wide field of applications.

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Burgmann Seal Nomenclature

I. M H D F L J S U G R V K N LETTERS UNBALANCED SEAL BALANCED SEAL DOUBLE ACTING PUMPING SCREW BEARING INCORPORATED ENCAPSULATED SPRING SPECIAL SEAL SPECIAL VERSION BOTTOM DRIVE SEAL SHRINK FIT. STATIONARY SEAT ROTATING COUNTER RING SUPPORTING FOR HIGH PRESSURE REVERSE PRESSURE DESIGN DIN STANDARD SEAL ACC. TO DIN 24960

COMBINED LETTERS MG MFL HR MR DGS CARTEX STD TS QFT SPA II. NUMBERS RUBBER BELLOWS METAL BELLOWS BALANCED ROTATING COUNTER RING UNBALANCED ROTATING COUNTER RING DRY RUNNING GAS SEAL CARTRIDGE SEAL READY MADE SHUT DOWN SEAL THERMO SYPHON VESSEL QUENCH FLUID VESSEL BUFFERFLUID SYSTEM

FIRST DIGIT 1 2 3 4. 7 9 = = = = = = CONICAL SPRING ROTATING CARBON CONICAL SPRING ROTATING STAINLESS STEEL CONICAL SPRING MULTIPLE SPRING WAVE SPRING, INTERCHANGEABLE FACE WAVE SPRING

SECOND DIGIT 2 4 6 7 = = = = SHRING FIT CARBON ROTARY FACE MULTIPLE SPRING CYLINDRICAL SPRING HARD SEAL FACE ROTATING (BRAZED OR SHRINK FIT)

THIRD DIGIT 7 = HARD FACE STATIONARY (BRAZED OR SHRINK FIT)