Rev.

1, March 2024 1
Mechanical Seals: Application notes and trouble shooting
In the 10th edition of API 610 (Standard for centrifugal pumps) the mechanical seal plans were left out
from them, and thereafter design of the mechanical seals and seal support plans were mainly covered in API
682 (Pump Shaft Sealing Systems for Centrifugal and Rotary Pumps). Seal plans here refer to those specified
in API 682, and are generally with same numbering in the older versions of API 610, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th edition.
Seal Chamber (also called stuffing box): The pump specification, API 610 covers seal chamber size,
chamber bore, total length, clear length and dimensional tolerances. In case of repetitive seal failures, verify
that the seal chamber is concentric to the shaft (total indicated runout is less than 125 microns) and the seal
chamber face runout does not exceed 0.5 micron / mm. The seal chamber design (& internal clearances) should
ensure heat removal and stable film at the seal faces. This is especially critical for liquids operating near their
vapour pressure.
Seal function: The seal with rotating element, installed in centrifugal pumps, is typically called mechanical
seal. All seals (dry or wet) leak. Sealing is achieved by having the two-sliding surface – one rotating, and other
stationary sliding in close proximity. The seal leakage rate is controlled by changing various design features,
and is significantly lower than the conventional gland packing rings; hence their ubiquitous use in centrifugal
pumps. The leakage provides lubrication, and removes the heat generated between the two closely spaced
sliding faces, thereby extending the operating life.
Typically, the rotating face may be spring loaded up to sliding speed of 25 m/s. At higher sliding speeds,
the stationary seal face (attached to the machine casing) is spring loaded.
Normally, the mechanical seals are externally pressurised, i.e., the leakage moves radially from outside to
inside. Essentially:
• the leakage movement inside the seal,
• the pressure in the seal chamber,
• the chemical properties of the pumped fluid,
• the generation of heat at the sliding seal faces and its removal, and
• the cleanliness of the pumped and sealing liquid
determine the selection of the seal type (single vs double), and the seal plan for the primary and the
secondary seals. The liquid that is being sealed, or the external liquid used for sealing, determines the design
and the selection of the components in the mechanical seal, namely; the O-rings, Teflon seals, springs, throttle
bush, auxiliaries (orifice, cyclone separator, strainer, heat exchanger, coalescing filter, bladder accumulator,
and sealing fluid reservoir) and the various instrumentation installed in the seal condition monitoring system.
1. Seal plans: API seal piping plans can be divided into four categories:

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a. Process side: Plan 01, 02, 03, 11, 12, 13, 14, 21, 22, 23, 31, 32, and 41
b. Between seals:
i. Plan 52, 53A 53B, 53C, 54, and 55 for wet double seals
ii. Plan 71, 72, 74, 75, and 76 for the gas seals in the pumps
c. Atmospheric side: Plan 51, 61, 62, 65A, 65B, 66A, and 66B
d. Engineered seal: Plan 99
Seal plan 11, 13, 21, 23, 32, 41, 52, 53B, 61 and 62 are more commonly used.
2. Seal plan 11 is the most common seal plan for mechanical seals. Seal plan 21 and 31 are variations of the
seal plan 11; and seal plan 41 is a combination of seal plan 21 and plan 31.
3. A ready to assemble unit of mechanical seals is called a cartridge. They are easy to install, are generally
tested hydrostatically in the factory, and the sliding surfaces are protected for transport. Ensure the
assembly locking feature is removed before commissioning the pump & the seal.
4. All mechanical seals leak from as low as 5 cc per hour (small pumps) to as much as 200 cc per hour (large
pumps of 1000s of kW duty). The leakage rate depends on:
a. the mean radius of the sliding surface,
b. the thickness of the lubricating film and its dynamic viscosity,
c. the differential pressure to be sealed, and
d. the sealing radial width.
Leakage rate acceptance criteria: API standards (610 or 682) do not define the seal leakage rate or the
seal acceptance criteria. Ask the seal supplier to specify the seal leakage rate and its acceptance and
replacement criteria at the time of the order. This should be jointly agreed with the seal supplier prior to
the order. Seals are tested with the pump. If the design is new, and the duty very onerous or critical, then
the seals may be tested suitably in the mechanical seal supplier’s shop prior to its installation in the pump.
5. In the case of boiling liquids or low specific gravity fluids, check the power consumption of the
mechanical seal (mainly the friction heat generated at the seal faces), and ensure that the seal plan
selected is suitable to prevent the vaporisation of the boiling liquid at the seal faces. In such cases, the
seal plan selected should cool the flushing liquid before it is introduced to the seal. Example, when
pumping of propane.
6. In the applications where the seals with the circumferential speed (at the mean sliding seal diameter)
of 30 meters per second or more is required, ask the supplier to provide calculations to verify that a
stable fluid film will be maintained between the rotating and stationary seal faces during operation.

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Rev. 1, March 2024 3
7. Power generated at the seal faces is a multiple of surface pressure x sliding surface area x sliding speed
x coefficient of friction. Pump and seal vendors can vary all these four parameters to provide a reliable
seal.
8. Pump vendors provide various means to reduce the pressure in the seal chamber where the mechanical
seal is located. Typically, the maximum seal chamber pressure (thumb rule) considered by the seal
suppliers is about thirty percent (30%) of the pump discharge pressure. Verify this during design stage.
9. In the case of multistage, between bearing pumps, a balance line may be used to ensure that the seals, at
the either end of the pump, are operating at similar but slightly above the suction pressure. Ask seal
supplier to provide calculations supporting the size of the balance line, including orifice, if applicable.
10. Engineered seals: Engineered seals are not required to meet any of the design or testing requirement of
API 682. Engineered seals are required for hydrocarbon / hazardous service in the following cases:
a. Seal surface speed above 23 meters / second, and/or
b. Pump shaft diameter at seal area is above 110 mm and/or
c. Pressure is above 4,100 kPag and/or
d. See section on, “Seal selection justification” of API 682 for acids and high temperature applications.
In above cases ask the supplier to justify their seal design. Establish the design and test acceptance criteria
before the placement of the order. Consider conducting full design review after the placement of order.
This should include review of the seal construction and the sizing of the auxiliaries.
11. It is common practice for the plant design engineer to obtain seal supplier selection / recommendations
through the pump supplier at the plant design stage, prior to the award of the pump order. Seal suppliers
use their previous experience to base their seal selection offer. Review the seal cross-section drawing and
the bill of material, both, prior to the award and during the design review cycle for known difficult seal
applications. Ask the seal supplier to provide their proven experience list. Judiciously, consider asking
contact details of other customers to obtain feedback on their field experience. Seal suppliers normally
provide this, when asked. Most customers provide feedback, when asked.
12. Clean air act (1990) of USA mandated lower hydrocarbon emissions. Suppliers recommended, and
many customers changed to double seals for the pumps in hydrocarbon or hazardous services. Most
plants have “closed blow down system” and the small amount of hydrocarbon leakage from the seals can
be easily caught and recycled. Over engineered system leads to waste and poor equipment reliability.
Application of double throttle bush can also be considered in the place of double seals.
13. Balanced, single seals with throttle bush are the most common seal type and are very reliable in clean
applications.

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14. Consider double seals only if the seal reliability, safety risk or other environmental regulations justify their
use. In the case of double seals in hazardous duties the throttle bush may prevent massive leakage, and
hence should always be installed.
15. Many customers insist on installing throttle bush (also referred as disaster bush) in all pumps, both with
single or double seals.
16. API 682 does not give the sizing criteria for the orifice, cyclone separators, strainers, heat-exchangers
(coolers), coalescing filters, reservoir, bladder accumulators and heat tracing elements. Their sizing and
selection depend on the properties of the pumped fluids, plant utilities (cooling water – pressure,
temperature and cleanliness; and pneumatic air pressure at the specific pump, pressure variation and
cleanliness), and ambient conditions (site temperature, temperature variation and moisture content).
17. Check cooler sizing and its suitability for the site’s hottest ambient conditions. Consider specifying the
cooler to be sized at least 20% larger than the required cooling surface to mitigate cooler fouling.
18. Check the design (sizing criteria) of the seal support auxiliary systems. It should be suitable for all the
operating conditions. Seal flushing liquid reservoirs should be designed for at least 28 days (4 weeks) of
continuous operation. Generally operators bring the stand-by pump in operation every 28 days, and
hence the guideline.
19. Y-type strainers tend to clog and should be frequently cleaned. Consider coalescing filters for duties where
the strainers are the root cause of the seal problems.
20. Cyclone separators: Check the catalogue of the cyclone separator manufacturer for its design
requirements. Typically, a separator requires 100 kPa (14.5 psi) pressure differential between the its inlet
and stuffing box pressure to operate properly. They are commonly used with orifices to ensure the flow
rate remains in the design parameters of the cyclone separator, and to achieve good separation efficiency.
In the case of clogging, solidifying fluids, a PCV (pressure control valve) may be more suitable than orifice.
Some recommendations: Based on the number of seals failed in a year, operating hours and the total
number of mechanical seals installed in a plant, calculate the mean time between failure (MTBF). Usually,
in a well-maintained plant, this should be between 6 to 8 years.
Troubleshooting: List all the bad actor pumps & mechanical seals of the plant. These would be the pumps
and the seals that lower the MTBF achieved. Generally, the failure to design for the actual conditions
encountered, namely; the pumped fluid properties, the site ambient conditions, the site utilities and ambient
conditions, results in poor seal reliability. Hence, a proper review of the seal selection at the design stage is
of critical importance.

www.gl-mach.com , E: [email protected] , T: +61 456 980 655

Global Machinery Consultants Pty. Ltd., A.C.N No. 094 649 699, A.B.N. 20 094 649 699. Perth, Melbourne, Australia
© This document is the property of Global Machinery Consultants Pty Ltd., Australia.