Specialist for Pumping Technology

Mechanical Seals and

Sealing Systems
 Mechanical Seals & Sealing Systems

Aimed at Process and Mechanical Engineers and Consultant Engineers

specifying pumping equipment as well as Applications & Sales Engineers
selecting and quoting them. Develop an understanding of the fundamentals of
sealing technology, the types of seals available and their associated sealing
support systems (piping plans).

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 Sealing the Gap:-

The pump Casing and Impeller are the means of producing the Head to drive the liquid Flow into the customers
piping system.
It was always going to be a challenge designing a pump to pressurize a liquid by rotating an Impeller using a Shaft.
This Shaft has to cross the boundary from inside the pump to outside the pump, leading to the Motor. And this has
to be accomplished in a way that prevents the liquid leaking out.
There will be a Seal Chamber gap between the rotating Shaft and the stationary Case which must be filled with
something to stop the liquid leaking out.
The gap in the seal chamber is sealed by either Packing or Mechanical Seals.

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 Sealing the Gap:-

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 Packing
Packing

Packing is a compressible Braiding that is used to fill the gap

between the stuffing box walls and the rotating shaft.

Aramid synthetic polyamide fibre impregnated with graphite or

PTFE most commonly used.

The Braiding is formed into rings that are radially split, then
compressed in the stuffing box of the pump.
As the packing is tightened, it compresses against the shaft
and Stuffing Box bore to create the seal. Yet it also needs a
leakage between the packing and the shaft to limit friction and
stop burnout and damage.

Usually there are 2 sets of Packing, and they are separated

by a Lantern Ring. Which is a metal or plastic disk with
holes, to allow the Packing Water Flushing to go through
both Packing Rings.

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 Packing
Packing

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 Packing
Packing

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 Packing
Packing

This method of sealing is low cost, economical

and good for sealing Water as a safe liquid,
and Low Pressure.

Requires lubrication either externally or by the

liquid being pumped; this means packing must
be allowed to leak slightly (weep).

Can damage the pump shaft, or the hardened

(Stellite) Shaft Sleeve if adjusted too tightly.
Needs a regular maintenance routine to
monitor leakage rates.

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 Mechanical Seals
Mechanical Seals

There are basically 2 types of Mechanical seals,

referred to by the design to be between the
rotating Face and stationary Seat:-
1. Liquid supported Mechanical Seals.
2. Gas supported Mechanical Seals.

This presentation will concentrate on liquid seals

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 Liquid Mechanical Seals
The components are:-
Liquid Mechanical Seals

1. Seal Plate or Gland to retain the stationary face or Seat, and

bolt to the casing to retain the pressure. Also provide
connections so that a pressurized liquid, like Plan-11, can pass
near the sealing faces to cool and lubricate them.
2.Stationary Face or Seat- Optically flat disc- first element of
sealing. Usually made of Carbon,Silicon Carbide or Tungsten
Carbide.
3.Rotating Face- Optically flat disc, driven by and connected to
the Sleeve. Usually made of a very hard material, such as Silicon
Carbide or Tungsten Carbide.
4.Sleeve & Drive Collar- Required for the cartridge seal
assembly.
5. Spring element- The spring element is usually located behind
the rotating face. The spring can be in the form of multiple small
spring located within pockets, or a single larger spring. In the
case of sealing high temperature liquids, the Mechanical Seal is
connected to a Metal Bellows. The Metal Bellows act both as a
pressure retaining component and a spring. The Spring element
is NOT there to push the 2 faces together. The design of the
sealing pressure areas ensure that the faces are together. The
only reason for the spring is to allow the face assemblies to
move together as they wear.
6. Various O-Rings and Gaskets are also provided to seal to the
shaft and the casing.

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 Liquid Mechanical Seals
Mechanical seals use highly polished faces (one
Liquid Mechanical Seals

stationary and one rotating) running against each

other to form a seal.
The seal faces are only in direct contact when at
rest.
When rotating the faces are separated by an
extremely thin film of the liquid being pumped, (or
barrier fluid, or gas for Double or Tandem seals).

Mechanical seals come in a wide variety of designs

and materials for nearly every application.
For dangerous, or other difficult to seal liquids,
Double (back to back) or Tandem (face to face) are
often used.

For these seals an external support vessel is usually

provided, such as Plan 52, 53 & Plan 54.

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 Single Pusher Seal
Single Pusher Seal

Image borrowed from Chesterton Seals

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 Single Bellows Seal
Single Bellows Seal

Generally used for high temperature fluids

Image borrowed from Chesterton Seals

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 Dual Pusher Seal
Dual Pusher Seal

In-Line Configuration (Tandem)

Image borrowed from Chesterton Seals

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 Dual Pusher Seal
Dual Pusher Seal

Back-to-Back Configuration (Double)

Image borrowed from Chesterton Seals

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 Dual Bellows Seal
Dual Bellows Seal

Generally used for high temperature fluids

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 Dry Running Gas Seal
Dry Running Gas Seal

Frequently used as a secondary seal

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 API Plan 11
Seal Piping Plans

 Plan 11 is the most common flush plan.

This plan takes fluid from the pump
discharge (or from an intermediate stage
for a Multi-Stage Pump) through an
orifice(s) and directs it to the seal chamber
to provide cooling and lubrication to the
seal faces.

 If the Mechanical Seal needs a pressurized

Seal Piping, then Plan-11 is effective if the
Pumped Liquid does not have Particles & is
Clean.

Image borrowed from AES Seals

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 API Plan 12
Seal Piping Plans

 Description: Plan 12 is similar to Plan 11,

except that a strainer or filter is added to the
flush line, if the Pumped Liquid has Particles.

 So the Liquid Particles are removed from the

Seal Flush Piping with the Strainer or Filter,
which keeps the Plan 12 clean to the Seal.

 General: If the seal is setup with a distributed

or extended flush, the effectiveness of the
system will be improved. This plan should be
equipped with a differential pressure indicator
or alarm to show when the filter or strainer is
being blocked. Which would reduce the
Pressure and Flow-rate to the Mechanical
Seal.
 Filters remove Particles that smaller than
0.0016” (40 microns). Strainers remove larger
Particles that are larger than 0.0016” (40
microns
Image borrowed from AES Seals
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 API Plan 13
Seal Piping Plans

 If an API610 Pump has a very high Suction

Pressure, causing high thrusts. Then the
Impeller back Wear Ring & Balance holes
would be removed to reduce the Thrusts. So
Plan-13 must be used. As it allows discharge
pressure flow to enter the Stuffing Box Throat
Bushing. In a Plan 13, the flow exits the seal
chamber through an orifice and is routed back
to Pump Suction.
 Advantages: With a Plan 13, it is possible to
increase or decrease seal chamber pressure
with proper sizing of the orifice and throat
bushing clearance.
 General: Typically Plan 13 is used on vertical
turbine pumps since they have the discharge
at the top of the pump where the seal is
located. Because of the difference in flow
patterns, Plan 13 is not as efficient in
removing heat as a Plan 11 and thus requires
a higher flow rate.

Image borrowed from AES Seals

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 API Plan 14
Seal Piping Plans

 Description: Plan 14 is a combination of Plans

11 and 13. Flush is taken off of pump
discharge, sent to the seal chamber, and
piped back to pump suction.

 Advantages: Cooling can be optimized with

the flush directed at the seal faces. Plan
allows for automatic venting of the seal
chamber.

 General: Often used on vertical pumps to

provide adequate flow and vapor pressure
margin independent of throat bushing design.

Image borrowed from AES Seals

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 API Plan 14
Seal Piping Plans

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 API Plan 21
Seal Piping Plans

 Plan 21 is a cooled version of Plan 11.

The High Temperature Liquid from pump
discharge is directed through an orifice,
then to a heat exchanger (Cooler) to
lower the temperature before being
introduced into the seal chamber to the
Seals.

 Advantages: Process fluid cools and

lubricates the seal. Cooling improves Seal
lubrication, and reduces the possibility of
vaporization in the seal chamber &
across the Seal Faces.

 General: Plan 21 is not a preferred plan,

either by API or many users, due to the
high heat load put on the heat
exchanger, and the fact that cooled
product is injected back into the process.
A Plan 23 is preferred.
Image borrowed from AES Seals
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 API Plan 23
Seal Piping Plans

 Description: Plan 23 is a closed

loop system from the Stuffing Box,
using a Seal Pumping Ring to
circulate product through a heat
exchanger (Cooler) and back to
the seal chamber. Plan 23 is also
used when there is Discharge
Pressure behind the Impeller.
Similar to Plan 13, but Plan 23 is
used for high Pumping Liquid
Temperatures.

 Advantages: More efficient than a

Plan 21 and less chance of heat
exchanger fouling. Reduced
temperature improves lubricity
and improves vapor pressure
margin.

 General: Preferred plan for hot

applications. Close clearance
throat bushing is recommended to
reduce mixing of hot product with
cooler closed loop system fluid.

Image borrowed from AES Seals

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 API Plan 31
Seal Piping Plans

 Plan 31 is a variation of Plan 11, where a

liquid particle Cyclone Separator is added to
the flush line. In this plan, the product is
introduced to the abrasive Cyclone Separator
from the discharge of the pump. Clean flush
is piped from the separator to the seal
chamber and solids are returned to the pump
suction, from the bottom of the Cyclone
Separator.

 Advantages: Unlike a strainer or filter, the

Cyclone Separator does not require cleaning.
Solids are removed from the flush liquid
keeping the seal Stuffing Box clean.

 This Plan 31 should be used for services

containing solids that have a specific gravity
at least twice that of the process fluid.
Typically the Cyclone Separator requires a
minimum pressure difference of 15 psi from
the Top Clean Liquid to the Bottom of the
Particle Liquid.

Image borrowed from AES Seals

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 API Plan 31 Liquid & Particle Limits
1-LIQUID LIMITS.
Seal Piping Plans

In order to ensure that the hydraulic Vortex forms effectively, the liquid cannot be too thick. So the maximum limit of the Liquid
viscosity is 20cSt. If the liquid was higher than this Viscosity, the hydraulic vortex would not form as effectively, so the Cyclone
Separator would not separate the Particles from the Liquid effectively.
2-PARTICLE REQUIREMENTS.
There are several features that the Particles must meet in order to ensure they are effectively forced to flow down the Cyclone
Separator internal hydraulic vortex.
The Particle sizes must not be smaller than 1 Micron.
To ensure the effect of the hydraulic vortex is to draw the Particles downwards to the dirty exit connection. The Particles must be
heavier than the liquid.
The % content of the Particles must not be any higher than 10%, to ensure no Particles manage to flow out the clean top outlet
connection.
3-PRESSURE REQUIREMENTS.
The top Clean and bottom Dirty outlets pressures should be as similar as possible, and no more than 10% different from each
other.
In fact the Pressure Differences between the Inlet and the Clean and Dirty Cyclone Separator outlet connections should be very
close to those required by the Cyclone Separator Manufactures requirements.
If the pressure differences are more than required, a possible solution would be to install a Flow Controller on the Dirty outlet
line, to make the pressure differences closer.

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 API Plan 32
Seal Piping Plans

 Plan 32 uses a Clean External

Flush Liquid brought in from an
external source to the seal. This
Plan 32 is almost always used in
conjunction with a close
clearance throat bushing.

 Advantages: The external flush

fluid, when selected properly,
can result in extending the
Mechanical Seal life.

 General: When Plan 32 is used,

the External Flushing Liquid is
Clean. The Plan 32 pressure
must be maintained a minimum
of 15 psig above maximum seal
chamber pressure. So it will
flow out the Throat Bushing at
the end of the Stuffing Box, to
behind the Impeller

Image borrowed from AES Seals

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 API Plan 41
Seal Piping Plans

 Description: Plan 41 is a
combination of Plan 21 and Plan
31. In Plan 41,the pumped Liquid
with Particles, will flow from the
pump discharge is first put
through a Cyclone Seperator, and
then to the heat exchanger before
being introduced to the seal
chamber.

 Advantages: Solids are removed

and product temperature is
reduced by the Cooler, to cool the
seal’s Stuffing Box.

 General: Plan 41 is typically used

on hot services with solids;
however, depending on the
temperature of the process,
operating costs can be high. This
plan should be used for services
containing solids that have a
specific gravity at least twice that
of the process fluid.

Image borrowed from AES Seals

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 API Plan 52
Seal Piping Plans

 Plan 52 uses an external

reservoir to provide buffer fluid
for the outer seal of an
Unpressurized Double seal
arrangement.

 Advantages: In comparison to
single seals, Dual Unpressurized
Seals can provide reduced net
leakage rates as well as
redundancy in the event of a
primary seal failure.

 General: Cooling coils in the

reservoir are available for
removing heat from the buffer
fluid. Plan 52 is often used
where the process fluid cannot
be affected with the buffer fluid.

Image borrowed from AES Seals

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 API Plan 53A
Seal Piping Plans

 Plan 53A uses an external

reservoir to provide a
pressurized barrier fluid for a
pressurized Double seal
arrangement. Reservoir pressure
is produced by a gas, usually
nitrogen. Flow is induced by a
pumping ring within the Seal
Gland.

 Advantages: Reservoir size can

be optimized dependent on flow
rate. Wear particles settle to
bottom of reservoir and don’t
get recirculated.

 General: Heat is dissipated by

reservoir cooling coils. Barrier
fluid is subject to gas
entrainment at
pressures/temperatures above
300 psi/250F 20 Bar/120C.

Image borrowed from AES Seals

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 API Plan 53B
Seal Piping Plans

 Plan 53B, previously termed 53

Modified, uses an accumulator to
provide the pressurizing gas and the
barrier fluid. A heat exchanger is
included in the circulation loop to
cool the barrier fluid. Flow is
induced by a pumping ring in the
Seal Gland.
 Advantages: If the loop is
contaminated by the Pumped Liquid
for any reason, the contamination is
contained within the closed circuit.
The make-up system can supply
barrier fluid to multiple dual
pressurized sealing systems, on
between bearing Pumps with 2
Stuffing Boxes & 2 sets of
Mechanical Seals.
 General: The bladder accumulator
isolates the pressurizing gas from
the barrier fluid to prevent gas
entrainment. The heat exchanger
can be a water-cooled unit, an air-
cooled unit, or utilize finned tubing
based upon the system heat load.

Image borrowed from AES Seals

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 API Plan 53C
Seal Piping Plans

 Plan 53C uses a piston accumulator

to provide pressure to the system. It
uses a reference line from the seal
chamber to provide a constant
pressure differential over the seal
chamber’s pressure. A water- or air-
cooled heat exchanger provides for
barrier fluid cooling. Flow is induced
by a pumping ring in the Seal Gland.

 Advantages: Provides a tracking

system to maintain barrier pressure
above seal chamber pressure.

 General: The heat exchanger can be

a water-cooled unit, an air-cooled
unit, or utilize finned tubing based
upon the system heat load. The
reference line to the accumulator
must be tolerant of process
contamination without plugging.

Image borrowed from AES Seals

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 API Plan 54
Seal Piping Plans

 Plan 54 utilizes an external source

to provide a clean pressurized
barrier fluid to the Double seals.

 Advantages: Can provide

pressurized Flow to multiple seal
installations of Double Bearing
Pumps with 2 Stuffing Boxes, to
reduce costs.

 General: Plan 54 systems can be

custom engineered to suit
application or specific plant
requirements. Systems can range
from the direct connection from
other process streams.

Image borrowed from AES Seals

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 API Plan 62
Seal Piping Plans

 Plan 62 is a common plan to improve the

environment on the atmospheric side of
single seals by quenching with steam,
nitrogen or water.

 An example of the purpose for Quench, is if

you are pumping NaOH (Sodium Hydroxide).
Which on the atmospheric side of the Seal
face, forms crystals which would damage
the seal faces. So the Quench liquid flushes
the crystals away and protects the Seal.

 Advantages: Plan 62 is a low cost alternative

to Tandem seals. The quench prevents or
retards product crystallization or coking.
Quenches can also provide some cooling.

 General: Typical applications include; steam

quenches on hot services to retard coking;
nitrogen quenches on cold or cryogenic
service to prevent icing; or water quench to
prevent crystallization or accumulation of
product on the atmospheric side of the seal.
Image borrowed from AES Seals
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 API Plan 65
Seal Piping Plans

 Plan 65 is a Seal liquid leakage

Detection system.

 Detection plan normally used for

single seals. It utilizes a level switch on
a reservoir to set off an alarm when
excess leakage is detected.

 Advantages: Provides an alarmed

indication of excessive seal leakage
that can shutdown equipment if
necessary.

 General: The system includes a loop to

by-pass the orifice to prevent high
pressure on the atmospheric side of
the seal. The gland throttle bushing
design should be consistent with the
fluid’s properties. Gland throttle
bushing designs can vary from fixed
designs to spring segmented bushings.

Image borrowed from AES Seals

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 API Plan 72
Seal Piping Plans

 Plan 72 for secondary containment

uses an external low pressure buffer
gas, usually nitrogen, regulated by a
control panel that injects it into the
outer seal cavity.

 Advantages: Introduction of a buffer

gas like nitrogen reduces fugitive
emissions, prevents icing on cold
applications, and provides for some
cooling to the outboard seal.

 General: Plan 72 is normally used with

Plan 75 for primary seal leakage that is
condensing, or with Plan 76 for non-
condensing leakage.

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 API Plan 75
Seal Piping Plans

 Plan 75 is a collection system used

with Secondary Containment Seals for
process fluid that will condense at
lower temperatures or is always in a
liquid state.

 Advantages: The collection reservoir

contains a pressure gauge and a high
pressure switch to indicate a build up
in pressure from excessive primary
seal leakage or failure.

 General: Plan 75 can be used in

conjunction with a gas purge from Plan
72. Typically dry-running, contacting
Secondary Containment Seals are used
with this plan.

Image borrowed from AES Seals

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 API Plan 76
Seal Piping Plans

 Plan 76 is a system to divert non-

condensing primary seal leakage to a
flare or vapor recovery system.

 Advantages: Lower initial and

maintenance costs than dual
unpressurized seals using a Plan 52.

 General: Plan 76 can be used in

conjunction with a gas purge from Plan
72. Can be used with dry-running,
contacting or non-contacting
Secondary Containment Seals.

Image borrowed from AES Seals

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 Specialist for Pumping Technology

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