Gas Seals 101

John Stahley
Manager, Project & Commissioning Engineering
Dresser-Rand Co.
Olean, NY
History of dry gas seals
 1950s: Mechanical contact seals
 1962: First dry gas seal application (I-R
CVS-20, ethylene compressor)
 1970s: I-R developed the “MG” model,
designed exclusively for gas seals (shipped
over 65 units)
 1978: First tandem gas seal, I-R CDP-230
 1980s: Many gas seal retrofits of pipeline
boosters
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Dry gas seals in 2004
 90% of new compressors are equipped
with gas seals
 Tandem is the standard for DR served
markets
 Industry experience at over 6000 PSI
 Dry compressor key to subterranean and
sub-sea compression

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 Gas seal components
 Mating ring
– rotating
PRIMARY HOUSING BARRIER
– machined grooves RING SPRINGS SEAL

 Primary ring COMPRESSOR HEAD

– stationary
PROCESS BEARING

– spring loaded SIDE SIDE

 Shaft sleeve COVER

MATING COMPRESSOR SHAFT
– shrouds mating ring RING RETAINING
RING
 Pusher sleeve SHAFT
PUSHER
SLEEVE
SLEEVE
– transmits spring load
 Housing
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Gas seal operating principle
 Rotation creates lift
– seal gas is
compressed in
grooves
– pressure dam at
tips creates
running gap
– gas leaks through
gap to vent
– non-contacting
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Gas seal operating principle
 Static operation
– spring force holds
stationary ring
against rotating
ring
– rings in tight
contact over the
dam area

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 Rotating ring
 Grooves a few microns deep
and not machined to the ID
 Running gap is about 3 to 5 μ
(1/20th a human hair)
 Groove geometry is unique
among gas seal
manufacturers
 Groove pattern determines if
seal is unidirectional
(dependent on direction of
rotation) or bi-directional (“T”
groove)
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Unidirectional v. bi-directional
 Typically cited advantages of bi-directional seals:
 Ability to operate in either direction of rotation
– this is rarely a real necessity, and would damage
the compressor bearings
 Can be installed in either end of compressor
– unidirectional seals are designed to prevent
incorrect installation (e.g. different number of
dowel pins)
 Can stock a single spare seal
– Additional risk if both seals are damaged
– Require both seals to be returned for testing
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Materials of construction
 Rotating ring
– Dependent on sealing
pressure, seal diameter,
and operating speed
– Material evaluated
based on hardness,
elasticity, strength, and
thermal properties
– Typical materials are
Tungsten Carbide,
Silicon Carbide, and
Silicon Nitride
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 Stationary ring
– Dependent on same
parameters and
material properties
– Generally softer to
“track” rotating ring
– For “hard/soft”,
typically carbon
– For “hard/hard” (high
pressure), same
materials as rotating
ring
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Materials of construction
 Metallic parts
– Dependent on gas
properties
– Material evaluated
based on corrosion
resistance
– Typical materials are
AISI-400 series
stainless steels (NACE
compliant)
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 Springs
– Dependent on gas
properties
– Material evaluated
based on corrosion
resistance and strength
– Typical materials are
Nickel alloy steels such
as Inconel or Hastelloy
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Materials of construction
 O-rings
– Dependent on gas properties, temperature and
pressure
– Explosive decompression
– Typical materials are 90 Durometer Viton
– Silicon and polymers also used

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Gas seal manufacture
 Rotating ring is subjected to overspeed testing
(DR requires 1.15 x MCOS for one minute)
 Rotating assembly is dynamically balanced. DR
requires:
– Component balance of rotating ring and sleeve
– Assembly balance with repeatability check
– Check balance after pressure test

Refer to 003-150-001

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Gas seal testing
 Each gas seal is subjected
to static and dynamic
pressure testing as per
API-617 (7th ed) Annex 1D
 Seal performance
measured against seal
manufacturer's guarantees
 Each seal (i.e. primary and
secondary) is tested
independently
 Refer to 003-150-001

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Gas seal configurations
 Single
 Double opposed
 Tandem
 Tandem with
intermediate laby
 Triple
– essentially extinct

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Single gas seal
VENT
 Rarely used in DR served
markets due to safety SEAL
GAS SUPPLY
SEPARATION
GAS SUPPLY
concerns
 Used in low pressure or
non-hazardous process
gas applications
PROCESS BEARING
SIDE SIDE

INNER LABYRINTH PRIMARY BARRIER

SEAL GAS SEAL SEAL

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Double opposed gas seal
SEPARATION
 Back-to-back FLUSH GAS
SUPPLY
INERT SEAL
GAS SUPPLY GAS SUPPLY
VENT
configuration
 Typically buffered with
inert gas
 Used in low pressure PROCESS BEARING
SIDE
applications SIDE

 Flush gas required to

protect inboard gas seal
from process gas
INNER LABYRINTH INBOARD OUTBOARD BARRIER
contamination SEAL GAS SEAL GAS SEAL SEAL

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Double opposed gas seal
Advantages
 Since the seal gas is injected between
the two opposed gas seal elements, the
total seal gas consumption is very low,
equivalent to the sum of the leakage of
the two seals.
 Seal gas leakage into the process is very
low, equivalent to the leakage of the
inboard seal.
 Leakage to the outboard vent is also very
low, contains no process gas (zero
process gas emissions), and can be
vented locally.
 Plant nitrogen is typically very clean and
dry, which greatly reduces the potential
for gas seal contamination, increasing
gas seal reliability.
 There is no primary vent system, which
simplifies the gas seal support system
(less expensive).
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Disadvantages
 Pressure limited. The relatively large
mass of the rotating sleeve can
generate excessive heating, and gas
cooling is limited due to the low gas
flow through the seals.
 Limited by the availability of a high
pressure source of inert gas.
 A very small amount of the inert
sealing gas will leak into the
compressor. Depending on the
application and the inert sealing gas
employed, this could upset the
process.
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Tandem gas seal
PRIMARY
 The industry standard in SEAL VENT
SEPARATION
GAS SUPPLY
GAS SUPPLY
DR’s served markets SECONDARY
VENT

 Two single gas seals in

series (primary and
secondary) PROCESS BEARING
SIDE
 The primary seal absorbs SIDE
the total pressure drop
 The secondary seal serves
as a backup should the INNER PRIMARY SECONDARY BARRIER
LABYRINTH GAS SEAL GAS SEAL SEAL
primary seal fail SEAL

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Tandem w/ intermediate laby
PRIMARY SECONDARY
 Laby between primary and VENT VENT

secondary seals
SEAL INERT SEAL SEPARATION
 Buffered with inert gas GAS SUPPLY GAS SUPPLY GAS SUPPLY

 Prevents primary seal

leakage from flowing into
the secondary vent
PROCESS BEARING
SIDE SIDE

INNER LABYRINTH PRIMARY SECONDARY BARRIER

SEAL GAS SEAL GAS SEAL SEAL

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Tandem w/ intermediate laby
Advantages
 The primary advantage of
the tandem gas seal with
intermediate labyrinth over a
conventional tandem design
is the elimination of seal gas
emissions to the secondary
vent. This provides for safer
and more environmentally
friendly operation of the
compressor.
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Disadvantages
 More complex support system
requirements.
 Requires more axial space in
the compressor.
 Difficulty in the accurate
measurement of primary gas
seal leakage due to mixture of
primary gas seal leakage and
intermediate laby leakage in the
primary vent. Impossible to
determine the proportion of
primary gas seal leakage to the
overall gas flow through the
vent.
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Gas seal application criteria
Does process
gas contain2
Sealing pressure1 No > 30% H2 or No
 500 psi?
> 30% C2H2 or
> 20 ppm H2S?
Yes
Yes

No N2 to be used for Yes

N2 available at sealing
pressure1 + 50 psi? separation gas?

No
Yes

Double Opposed Tandem Gas Seal Tandem

Gas Seal with Intermediate Laby Gas Seal
Notes:
1) “Sealing pressure” includes all operating AND static sealing pressures
2) As required by 003-350-001

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Barrier seals
 Located on the outboard side of
the gas seal
 Required to prohibit flow of
bearing lube oil into gas seal
 Usually buffered with nitrogen or
air
 Can use labyrinth or segmented
carbon ring
 Segmented carbon ring seals are
available in shaft contacting (zero
clearance) or non-contacting
(bushing style) designs

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Carbon ring v. laby
COST:
 Typical aluminum labyrinth seals are substantially less
expensive than segmented carbon ring seals.
RELIABILITY:
 Labyrinth seals are probably more reliable than carbon ring
seals. Carbon ring seals can wear more quickly due to
their tighter clearance, and are more susceptible to damage
during installation and/or removal.
PERFORMANCE:
 Separation gas consumption for carbon rings seals is
much less than for labyrinth seals due to their tighter
clearance.

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Explosive mixtures
 Hydrocarbon + air
(separation gas) in the
secondary vent can result Rich
in an explosive mixture (inject
process gas)
 DR philosophy is to design
system to avoid an
Explosive
explosive mixture (see Mixture
003-350-001)

Lean
(inject air)

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 Barrier seal application criteria

Air or N2 to be used Air Potential for explosive Yes Will secondary vent Yes
for separation gas? mixture in secondary vent? require air injection
to run “lean”?

N2 No
No

Segmented Carbon Ring

Seal (non-contacting)

Labyrinth Seal
Notes:
1) As required by 003-350-001

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References
 003-150-001 and 003-350-001 on DRNet
 “Design, Operation, & Maintenance
Considerations for Improved Dry Gas Seal
Reliability in Centrifugal Compressors” on DRNet
(and DR web site)

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Questions???

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