The Magazine for Pump Users Worldwide November 2011

pump-zone.com
The Magazine for Pump Users Worldwide
pump-zone.com
November 2011
Special Section:
Predictive & Preventive
Maintenance
ChemShow Coverage
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56 NOVEMBER 2011 www.pump-zone.com PUMPS & SYSTEMS
Sealing
A
leak prevention system (LPS) is available that is eec-
tive in sealing pumpage with particulates and for clear
liquids. It can be used with pumps, mixers, agitators,
ribbon blenders, fans and sealing shafts for dry powder han-
dling and includes fast and slow rotating equipment.
The Technology
Te LPS is analogous to a double mechanical seal that uses
a exible sealant as a barrier uid. Tis barrier uid is main-
tained at a pressure slightly above stu ng box pressure by an
air-operated piston. Close-tting bushings at either end of
the seal retain the exible sealant. In essence, the LPS traps
the sealant within the LPS assembly, and the pumpage has no
chance to escape from the pump since it sees no leakage path.
Te pressurizing sealant does not rotate with the shaft
and, in remaining static, is actually a exible stationary seat.
Te vertical edges of the machined crenellations (perpendic-
ular to the shaft axis) act as rotating heads. In an LPS with
two crenellations, four sealing surfaces are on the shaft sleeve.
Use with High and Low Shaft Speeds
Te initial versions of the LPS were designed for low shaft
speeds, with shaft peripheral velocity less than 0.5 meters/
second (1.64 feet/second). Tese designs, typically used on
blenders, mixers or progressing cavity pumps, require no
cooling. Higher shaft peripheral speeds, such as those of most
centrifugal pumps, require cooling of the LPS assembly. An
illustration of the cooled LPS assembly as used in centrifugal
pumps is shown in Figure 1.
Te cooling chamber is formed between the LPS hous-
ing and the bore of the existing pump stu ng box with an
O-ring sealthe cooling medium does not contact the pro-
cess liquid. Guide vanes in the cooling chamber distribute
the ow from the in/out ports in a serpentine path.
Te Kevlar bushings provide a tight clearance against
the shaft sleeve, limiting any intrusion of the exible sealant
into the pump. Similarly, the graphite and Teon bushing
combination limit the exible sealant from exiting the pump.
Crenellations on the shaft sleeve provide radial sealing
surfaces to accommodate shaft movement due to deection
and/or vibration. For process pumps (e.g. ANSI or paper
stock), a hook-type shaft sleeve is supplied to protect the
pump shaft and to help position the impeller on the shaft as
well as enabling axial travel for impeller clearance adjustment.
Since no process uids migrate through the stu ng box,
no solids will enter the seal assembly. Solids ejection vanes are
furnished on the shaft sleeve to keep solids from settling on
the bottom of the stu ng box.
New Leak Prevention
Technology
Jack Tyler, P.E., Jack Tyler Engineering Company, & Art Evans, Art Evans & Associates
Air-operated piston assembly, injectable packing and air ush enhance this sealing
systems performance in harsh applications.
Figure 1. Leak prevention system general arrangement
PUMPS & SYSTEMS www.pump-zone.com NOVEMBER 2011 57
Standard material of the seal assembly
is 304SS and other materials can be fur-
nished for compatibility with the pumped
liquid.
Velocity Considerations
Shaft tangential or peripheral velocity is an
important consideration when selecting the
shaft seal type. Calculating this parameter
can be accomplished with these equations:
English/American Units
V
T
=
Dia x x rpm
720
Where:
V
T
= shaft tangential velocity, feet/
second
Dia = Shaft diameter, inches
Metric Units
V
T
=
Dia x x rpm
60,000
Where:
V
T
= shaft tangential velocity,
meters/second
Dia = Shaft diameter, millimeters
Pressure Assembly
In the LPS, the pressure on the exible
sealant within the assembly is main-
tained at about 1 bar (approximately
15 psig) above stu ng box pressure.
Tis is accomplished by an air-operated
piston assembly. See Figure 2.
Te pressurizing piston provides
a consistent and moderate pressure
on the exible sealant. Tis pressure is
between four times and seven times the
pressure in the air chamber, depending
on the pump application and pressur-
izing device furnished. Te required air
pressure is calculated on a case-by-case
basis.
Virtually no air consumption
occurs for this device. If air pressure is
lost, the seal will continue to operate
for at least 45 minutes before leakage
through the seal will occur. Once air
pressure is restored, the seal will return
to normal operation.
Figure 2. Sealant pressurizing assembly
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58 NOVEMBER 2011 www.pump-zone.com PUMPS & SYSTEMS
Sealing
Te sealant reservoir contains approximately 2 inches
3

(33 centimeters
3
or 60 grams) of sealant, which is su cient for
about 18 months of operation in most cases. If the reservoir
needs to be replenished, this can be done while the pump is
running and takes about three minutes.
Te proximity rod can be tted to engage a switch that
activates a signal to an attendant when/if sealant has to be
replaced in the reservoir. Te signal can be a message to a cell
phone, SCADA or other monitoring device. Tis allows a time
period cushion of about three weeks in which the sealant reser-
voir can be replenished before the supply is exhausted.
Since the pressure on the exible sealant must be main-
tained slightly above pump stu ng box pressure, calculating
the stu ng box pressure, which is dierent for each pump type,
is important. In many cases, the stu ng box pressure is the
same as the pump suction or discharge. Some exceptions are:
Open Impeller w/ Back Pump-Out Vanes
P
S'Box
=
P
Pump Discharge
- P
Pump Suction
4
+ P
Pump Suction
Open or Enclosed Impeller w/ Balance Holes
P
SBox
=
P
Pump Discharge
- P
Pump Suction
10
+ P
Pump Suction
When pump suction pressure is variable, use the higher
value for suction pressure for the stu ng box pressure. If the
pump is to be operated against a closed discharge valve at any
time, use the pump discharge pressure at shut-o. If the pump
is on a suction lift, the stu ng box may be at a pressure lower
than atmospheric and air may be drawn through the shaft seal.
Tis is no problem for the LPS since it can run dry indenitely.
Flexible Sealant
Te exible sealant used in the LPS is also important. Tere
are several types, but the most common is injectable packing.
Tis has been available for decades for use in more traditional
stu ng box arrangements in which the injectable packing is
pumped into a stu ng box with a ring of packing at each end.
In this mode, the injectable packing was intended to maintain
a seal for the pumped liquid.
Over-pressurization during installation and the lack of
packing pressure maintenance led to irregular and often unsat-
isfactory performance, such as leaky stu ng boxes. Conversely
in the LPS, the injectable packing is held within the system
assembly and forms a barrier through which the pumped liquid
cannot pass. No over-pressurization occurs since the pressuriz-
ing piston assembly maintains a moderate and steady pressure.
Te choice of a exible sealant depends on the requirements
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