Compressor Dry Gas Seals

Jaffer Hamood
Compressor seal & System Specialist
Compressor Seal Group, Saudi Arabia & Bahrain
 Compressor Dry Gas Seals

Purpose

To Understand Flowserve dry gas

seal products and how they work
together to create a properly
functioning sealing device.

© 2006, Flowserve Inc. Flowserve Educational Services

 Compressor Seal Basics
Classification of compressors

Flowserve Corporation Property and Confidential 3

 Compressor Seal Basics
Cross-sectional of a centrifugal machine.

Flowserve Corporation Property and Confidential 4

 Compressor Seal Basics
Rotor assembly
Impellers

Seal Area

Coupling
Mount Thrust Rotor

Balance Piston
Impeller
Spacers
Bearing
Journal
Shaft
Flowserve Corporation Property and Confidential 5
 Compressor Dry Gas Seals

Introduction

• Typical Dry Gas Seal Configurations

• Dry Gas Seal Face Geometry

• Bi Directional
• Uni Directional

•Bearing Oil Separation Seals

• Labyrinths
• Carbon Rings

• Causes of failure and how to prevent it.

© 2006, Flowserve Inc. Flowserve Educational Services

 Compressor Seal Basics
Dry gas seal basic components

Housing

Stationary
Ring Retainer

Rotating
Mating Ring
Dynamic Sealing
Element
Sleeve
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 Compressor Dry Gas Seals

Basic Seal Parts

Spring Holder or Retainer
Primary Sealing Ring Assembly
or Stationary Face

(ROTOR) (STATOR)

Mating Ring or
Rotating Face Secondary or Dynamic
Sealing Element
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 Compressor Dry Gas Seals

Typical Gas Seal Configurations

Single
Double
Tandem
Tandem with inter-stage labyrinth

© 2006, Flowserve Inc. Flowserve Educational Services

 Compressor Dry Gas Seals

Single Seal = GASPAC S

Clean Buffer Gas

Primary Leakage

Buffer Gas Flow

PROCESS ATMOSPHERE
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105 Bar, Short Stuffing Box, Low Cost
Turbo Expanders, Blowers etc
 Compressor Dry Gas Seals

Double Seal = GASPAC D

Barrier Gas
Clean Buffer Gas

Buffer Gas Flow

Main Leakage

Process Leakage

PROCESS ATMOSPHERE
© 2006, Flowserve Inc. Flowserve Educational Services
Dirty/Wet Gas (Coker, FCC), Vacuum, Flare off gases, P=40bar
3 Bar inert gas above process pressure, Low Pressure applications, No backup
 Compressor Dry Gas Seals

Tandem Seal With Interstage Labyrinth = GASPAC L

Primary Leakage Inert Buffer Gas

Clean Buffer Gas

Secondary Leakage
Inert Buffer Gas

Buffer Gas Flow

PROCESS ATMOSPHERE
© 2006, Flowserve Inc. Flowserve Educational Services
Induce an inert gas, Zero emission, H2S, H2 applications, Secy leakage to atm
Torturous path for process gas on cat failure
 Compressor Dry Gas Seals

Rotating Face Materials

Hardened metal
 Cr or Carbide coated stainless steels
Tungsten Carbide
Silicon Carbide
Silicon Nitride

Low Host, Heat check, Brittle, Hevay

© 2006, Flowserve Inc. Flowserve Educational Services
Sintering P&H process, Powdered on failure
Best, Costlier, Less conductive, Better weight/strength ratio
 Compressor Dry Gas Seals

Features of Rotating Face Materials

High Hardness
 Resistance to abrasion
 Pattern retention

 Resiliency against contamination

© 2006, Flowserve Inc. Flowserve Educational Services

 Compressor Dry Gas Seals

Effects of Contamination

Number one cause of seal failures

 How Clean is Clean?

 How Dry is Dry?

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 Compressor Dry Gas Seals

Process Contamination With Particles

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Affects groove depth, damages faces
Damages dyn seal surface – Hangup, O ring damage
 Compressor Dry Gas Seals

Process Contamination With Liquids

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 Compressor Dry Gas Seals

Seal Face Lift Augmentation Pattern Geometry

Patterns Have Two Categories

 Unidirectional.

 Bidirectional

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 Compressor Dry Gas Seals

Face Patterns - Unidirectional

APGS - Flowserve Spiral Groove – John Crane V-Groove – Eagle/Burgmann

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 Compressor Dry Gas Seals

Face Patterns - Bi-directional

SMT-Groove - Flowserve X mass Tree – John Crane U-Groove – Eagle/Burgmann

© 2006, Flowserve Inc. Flowserve Educational Services

 Compressor Dry Gas Seals

Seal Supply Gas Quality Requirements

Dry, Clean, & Continuous Seal Gas Supply

Particulates < 3 microns ,

> 36°F (20°C) above dew point (superheat)

Seal gas supply flow velocity of 15 ft/sec (5 m/s) across the

process seal

Adequate seal gas supply flow during transient conditions

© 2006, Flowserve Inc. Flowserve Educational Services
Add filters reqd,
Upto 10m/s laby wear
 Compressor Dry Gas Seals

Bearing Oil Separation

Mix of Leakage Separation Vent Bearing

gas seal and gas oil
separation gas

Dry gas seal Seperation seal Bearing

Function of a Separation Seal is to Separate two mediums :

Keep the bearing oil away from the dry gas seal
Keep the leakage of the dry gas seal away from the
bearing/atmosphere
© 2006, Flowserve Inc. Flowserve Educational Services
 Compressor Dry Gas Seals

Separation Seals

Today there are many more options for separation

seals:

 Labyrinth seals are typically used when air is the gas

medium.
 Carbon ring seals are more commonly utilized due to
their inherent ability to minimize separation gas
consumption.

© 2006, Flowserve Inc. Flowserve Educational Services

 Compressor Dry Gas Seals

Barrier Seals Center Tap Labyrinth

Secondary Leakage Barrier Seal

and Barrier Gas

© 2006, Flowserve Inc. Flowserve Educational Services

 Compressor Dry Gas Seals

Segmented Carbon Ring Bearing Oil Separation

Secondary Leakage Barrier Seal

and Barrier Gas

© 2006, Flowserve Inc. Flowserve Educational Services