Dual Gas Seals

for Pumps

Flow Solutions Division

 Advantages of Dual Gas Seals
No product emissions
gas pressure provides barrier to product leakage
No product contamination
uses inert barrier gas such as nitrogen
No seal face wear
noncontacting APGS face technology
Protected from off-design pump operation
tolerant of vibration, cavitation, dry running

Flow Solutions Division

 Advantages of Dual Gas Seals
Minimal power consumption, no heat generation
15-20 times less energy loss than liquid seals
Simplified barrier support system
unitized control panel
dead-ended gas supply
no external cooling required
Low total operating cost
no routine maintenance
inexpensive barrier gas

Flow Solutions Division

 Liquid Seal Support System
Pressure gage, regulator, barrier fluid,
pressure supply, compatible barrier
fluid, supply tank, cooling water,
circulating
device, barrier piping
loop, inner seal
flush, routine
supply tank filling,
disposal of used
barrier fluid

Flow Solutions Division

 Typical Gas Seal Applications
Where Why
VOCs no product emissions
Cavitating pumps vibration, dry running
Batch operations dry running
Replace single seal emissions, dry running
Replace dual seal product contamination,
total operating cost

Flow Solutions Division

 Technology Considerations
Groove pattern design - film stiffness, low
speed lift-off, gas consumption
Secondary seal drag - seal face hang up
Operating conditions - seal face distortion,
vibration, batch operation
Product effects - solids, polymers, etc.
Gas reliability - barrier system design
Safety during upset events - pressure
reversal, reverse rotation, slow speed

Flow Solutions Division

Advanced Pattern Groove System

Shallow Tapered Land

Spiral Groove

Shallow
Annular
Sealing Dam
Groove

Flow Solutions Division

 Advantages of APGS Technology
Patented tapered depth and tapered width spiral
grooves with unifying circumferential groove
High film stiffness with low gas leakage
Adaptable to various application types:
high speed, high pressure compressors
low speed mixers
variable speed pumps
Over 2500 installations in pump gas seal and
compressor services

Flow Solutions Division

 Flowserve Pump Gas Seals
GF-200
Face to face pusher design
Fits large bore seal chambers only
High pressure capability
Extensive exotic materials availability
GX-200
Common rotor welded metal bellows design
Fits both small bore and large bore seal chambers
Solids resistance features
Pressure reversal product containment
Flow Solutions Division
 Advanced Pattern Groove System
2) Gas is compressed
through narrowing
spiral grooves
1) Gas enters wide and
deep grooves at OD
2 1

3) Gas pressure is equalized

through circumferential groove

Flow Solutions Division

 GF-200 Hydraulic Principles
Opening Forces, Fo Closing Forces, Fc
Spring
h

Hydrostatic
Fo1 > Fo > Fo2
h 0.0001 (2.54 m) h 1 < h < h2

Static: Fo < Fc, seal faces closed

Dynamic: Fo = Fc, seal faces separated by gap, h
Upset: Fo1 > Fc, faces separated by new gap, h1 < h
APGS film stiffness provides stability to upset conditions.
Flow Solutions Division
 Robust Seal Face Geometries
Flat
Flatreaction
reactionsurface
surface Uniform
Uniformdrive
driveload
load Flat
Flatspring
springretainer
retainer

Premium
Premiumquality
qualitymaterials
materials

Designed with custom analytical techniques and

proven by extensive correlation testing and field
experience, seal face deflections are minimized for
reliable performance.

Flow Solutions Division

 Patented LoDrag O-ring Design
Canted
Cantedcoil
coilspring
spring Dynamic
DynamicO-ring
O-ring

Highly
Highlypolished
polishedsleeve
sleeve

Canted coil spring positioned above dynamic O-ring

compensates for thermal expansion and chemical
swell, providing consistent loading and low friction
drag to reduce seal face hang-up.

Flow Solutions Division

 GF-200 Design Features
Dead-ended
Dead-ended
barrier
barriergas
gas

Requires
Requireslarge
largebore
bore
seal
sealchamber
chamber

Simple
Simpleinstallation
installationcartridge
cartridgeseal
sealisis
100%
100%static
statictested
testedat
atthe
thefactory
factory

Flow Solutions Division

 Solids Handling
Self-cutting
Self-cuttinglabyrinth
labyrinthbushing
bushing

Teeth
Teethbuilt
builtinto
intocartridge
cartridgesleeve
sleeve

Integrating a bushing into the product end of the

cartridge can reduce the opportunity for solids from the
process stream to enter the seal area and cause
secondary seal hang-up or erosion.

Flow Solutions Division

 GF-200 Operating Limits
Product Pressure: 500 psig (34.5 bar)
Barrier Pressure: 25 psi (2 bar) minimum
over product pressure
Temperature: -40 to 500 F (-40 to 260 C)
Minimum Speed: 500 ft/min (2.5 m/sec)
Maximum Speed: 7000 ft/min (25 m/sec)
Seal Sizes: 1.000 to 6.000
(25.4 mm to 150 mm)
Flow Solutions Division
GF-200 Estimated Gas Consumption
8
Total Gas Consumption (SCFH) = CF x RPM / 1000
Total Gas Consumption (NL/hr) = CF x RPM / 35.31
7

6
Consumption Factor (CF)

1.125" (28 mm)

5
1.375" (35 mm)
1.625" (40 mm)
4 1.875" (48 mm)
2.375" (60 mm)

3 2.750" (70 mm)

4.750" (121 mm)

0
0 100 200 300 400 500
Seal Chamber Pressure (psig)
Barrier Gas Pressure = Seal Chamber Pressure + 50 psig

Flow Solutions Division

GX-200 Gas Barrier Seal

Flow Solutions Division

 GX-200 Design Features
Patented Stationary
Stationarycarbon
carbonfaces
faces
Patented Mounts
Mountscompletely
completely
overall
overalldesign
design outside
outsideseal
sealchamber
chamber

Inboard seal Outboard seal

Common
Commonrotor
rotorsilicon
siliconcarbide
carbidewith
withAPGS
APGS

Flow Solutions Division

 Advanced Pattern Groove System
2) Gas is compressed
through narrowing
spiral grooves
1) Gas enters wide and
deep grooves at OD
2 1

3) Gas pressure is equalized

through circumferential groove

Flow Solutions Division

 GX-200 Hydraulic Principles
Closing Forces, Fc Opening Forces, Fo
h

Hydrostatic

Spring

Fo1 < Fo < Fo2

h 0.0001 (2.54 m) h1 > h > h2
Static: Fo < Fc, seal faces closed
Dynamic: Fo = Fc, seal faces separated by gap, h
Upset: Fo1 < Fc, faces separated by new gap, h1 > h
APGS film stiffness provides stability to upset conditions.
Flow Solutions Division
 Robust Seal Face Geometries
Rectangular
Rectangularcross
crosssections
sections Tangential
Tangentialdrive
driveloads
loads

Premium
Premiumquality
qualitymaterials
materials

Uniform
Uniformhydraulic
hydraulic Flat
Flatreaction
reaction
and
and springload
spring load surface
surface

Designed with custom analytical techniques and

proven by extensive correlation testing and field
experience, seal face deflections are minimized for
reliable performance.

Flow Solutions Division

 Welded Metal Bellows
Interchangeable
Interchangeableinboard
inboard No
Nodrive
drivetorque
torque
Bellows
Bellowscloses and
closes andoutboard
outboardcapsules
capsules through
throughbellows
bellows
off
offduring
duringupset
upset
pressure
pressurereversals
reversals

Patented, unitized welded metal bellows eliminate

dynamic secondary seals for excellent seal face
tracking and solids resistance. With an upset pressure
reversal, inboard seal faces contact to contain product.

Flow Solutions Division

 Solids Resistance

Tapered
Taperedretaining
retaining
plate
plateID
ID
Redirected
Redirected
process
processsolids
solids

Patent pending tapered retaining plate protects

bellows ID and seal face region by redirecting process
solids toward the seal chamber. The bellows remain
clean with no opportunity to hang-up.

Flow Solutions Division

 GX-200 TARSEx Bushing
Radial
Radialvanes
vanesthrow
throw Bushing
Bushingcan
canbebeseparate
separateadd-
add-
solids
solidstoward
towardthe
theOD
OD on
onor
orunitized
unitizedinto
intocartridge
cartridge

Sealing
Sealingdam
damaids
aids
static
staticsolids
solidsrestriction
restriction

The TARSEx bushing restricts solids from the seal

area by creating a static and dynamic barrier through
cooperation with the tapered retaining plate. TARSEx
stands for Tapered Annulus Radial Solids Exclusion.

Flow Solutions Division

 GX-200 Design Features
Dead-ended
Dead-ended
barrier
barriergas
gas

Fits
Fitsany
anysize
size
seal
sealchamber
chamber

Simple
Simpleinstallation
installationcartridge
cartridgeseal
sealisis
100%
100%static
statictested
testedat
atthe
thefactory
factory

Flow Solutions Division

 GX-200 Operating Limits
Product Pressure: 200 psig (34.5 bar)
Barrier Pressure: 25 psi (2 bar) minimum
over product pressure
Temperature: -40 to 500 F (-40 to 260 C)
Minimum Speed: 500 ft/min (2.5 m/sec)
Maximum Speed: 7000 ft/min (25 m/sec)
Seal Sizes: 1.000 to 3.000
(25.4 mm to 76 mm)
Flow Solutions Division
GX-200 Estimated Gas Consumption
2.5

Total Gas Consumption (SCFH) = CF x RPM / 1000

Total Gas Consumption (NL/hr) = CF x RPM / 35.31

Seal/Shaft Size
Consumption Factor (CF)

1.125" (28 mm)

1.5 1.375" (35 mm)
1.625" (40mm)
1.875" (48 mm)
2.125" (53 mm)
1 2.375" (60 mm)
2.750" (70 mm)

0.5

0
0 25 50 75 100 125 150 175 200 psig

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 bar
Seal Chamber Pressure
Barrier Gas Pressure = Seal Chamber Pressure + 50 psig (4 bar)

Flow Solutions Division

 Barrier Gas System
Pressure
gage

Regulator
Flow meter

5 micron
filter

Options:
Pressure alarm
Check valve
From gas To seal Orifice
Booster pump
header
3-way valve

Flow Solutions Division

 Application Considerations
Barrier Gas Reliability
Pressure reversals are a primary reason for seal upset
Install alarms and emergency backup supply
Fluids with Solids
Gas seals are not slurry seals - product at seal face ID
Gas may cause dissolved solids to come out of solution
Use bushings to keep solids from seal faces
Reverse Rotation of Pumps
APGS gas seal faces contact when reverse rotated
Check piping, shutdown procedures, and motor wiring

Flow Solutions Division

 Application Considerations
Transient Slow Speed Cycles
Check all equipment cycles for minimum speeds
Minimize start and stop parameters on VFDs
Stand-by Pumps
Small static gas leakage can accumulate over time
Properly vent pump before start-up
Low Flow / Low Suction Head Pumps
Centrifugal pumps can tolerate 1-2% entrained gas
Gas leakage expands in low pressure suction
Evaluate gas percentage at lowest pressure point

Flow Solutions Division

 GX-200 Case History
US Navy - Fuel oil and lube oil vertical pumps
Problem: Single seals on US Navy ships could not
maintain zero emissions with dry running at startup
and 0.035" axial shaft movement.
Solution: Standard GX-200 satisfied all requirements
including military shock and vibration testing. Shock
testing simulated the shock wave of a conventional or
nuclear weapon upon explosion - a 400 lb hammer
dropped 5 feet imparting 500 gravities. Vibration
testing looked for resonant frequencies from 5-50 Hz
at amplitudes up to 0.030 (0.76 mm).

Flow Solutions Division

 Conclusions
Flowserve Flow Solutions Division GF-200 and
GX-200 noncontacting seal face gas barrier
seals provide extended pump reliability solutions
using proven, patented technologies.
Zero product emissions, no contamination of the
product, no seal face wear, tolerance of off-
design pump operation, negligible energy
consumption, simple installation, and low
maintenance requirements add up to low total
operating costs.

Flow Solutions Division

 Conclusions
APGS face design produces a stable gas film for
consistent loading, early face separation, high
film thickness, and low gas leakage.
The GF-200 is a face to face pusher design
using LoDrag energized O-rings to minimize
secondary seal drag. Fitting only on large bore
seal chambers, it is capable of sealing 500 psi
(34.5 bar) with a variety of optional materials of
construction.

Flow Solutions Division

 Conclusions
The GX-200 is a common rotor design which
eliminates secondary seal drag altogether with
Alloy C-276 or Alloy 718 bellows. It fits any seal
chamber size by mounting entirely outside and
has standard solids tolerance features.
Ask Flowserve for information about gas seal
solutions for other equipment such as mixers,
compressors, or steam turbines where low
speed, high pressure, and/or high temperature
create difficult sealing environments.

Flow Solutions Division

Other Flowserve
Gas Seals

Flow Solutions Division

 Flowserve Gas Seal Products
Product Technology Arrangement Equipment Special Feature
GSD Contacting Backup API Emergency containment
GSL Wavy Backup API High duty containment
GB-200 Hydropads Double ANSI big bore Pressure reversals
GF-200 APGS Double ANSI big bore Low drag O-rings
GX-200 APGS Double ANSI small bore Metal bellows
GF-300 APGS Tandem API Flashing hydrocarbons
GTS Wavy Single Steam Turbine High temperature steam
GSS Wavy All Sundyne High speed, small size
Gaspac APGS, T-groove All Compressor High speed, large size
VRA Contacting Single/Double Mixers Low speed
ML-200 APGS Double Mixers Low speed

Flow Solutions Division