Gas Seal Support Systems

Gas Control, Conditioning and Monitoring Systems

Integrated. Innovative. Intelligent.

Gas Seal Systems

From its origins more than 95 years ago, John Crane has become a world leader in the design,
development and manufacture of an increasingly wide range of products and services for global
process and industrial markets. These include oil and gas, offshore (upstream applications),
refineries, petrochemical/chemical plants, gas transmission pipelines, LNG and fertilizer plants.
Expertise in the design, production and installation of
gas seals is complemented by the ability to provide
a comprehensive range of gas seal support, monitoring
and control systems, which are at the heart of any reliable
sealing solution.

A standard INOVIT gas seal support system comprises of:

Primary seal gas supply
Primary seal leakage
Secondary seal buffer gas supply
Secondary seal leakage
Separation gas supply

Gas Condititioning Units

For potentially dirty gas duties, or applications where
the seals are operating close to the gas dewpoint, an
Inovit GCU can be fitted. A GCU provides enhanced liquid
separation and filtration, and will provide a much higher
level of reliability in these conditions. Given the high cost
of downtime, a GCU can be easily justified.
Pressurized static shutdown of the compressor is a
typical process condition that can potentially lead to gas
seal contamination. Without the heat generated through
rotation, static leakage through the seal causes cooling
and subsequent liquid dropout. Field experience has shown
that this is a major cause of seal related downtime and
increased repair costs. Under these conditions, a SEPro
booster unit can be fitted to the GCU providing a small flow
of warm gas to the seal.
Gas conditioning modules typically include:

Dependent on the process and operating conditions,

Gas Conditioning Unit (GCU) modules can be added to
the standard INOVIT system to provide an integrated
system that will fully protect the gas seals.
Each system incorporates appropriate design modules to
provide maximum compressor reliability and performance
during normal and transient conditions. These systems also
comply with relevant safety and environment standards.

SEPro gas booster to provide clean gas flow during

shutdown and start up conditions
Knock-out filter to separate liquids from the seal
gas supply
Heater module to ensure adequate seal gas temperature
is maintained
Control module to monitor seal environment and
conditions, initiate booster operation and communicate
with the Distributed Control System (DCS)
A nitrogen supply module can also be included to ensure
the seals are purged when no other suitable gas
is available

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Integrated. Innovative. Intelligent.

Gas Conditioning Unit

Gas Booster Seal Environment Protection
(SEPro)
A significant proportion of seal contamination occurs when
a compressor is stationary under settle out conditions.
A SEPro booster included in the GCU provides a flow of
clean dry gas to the seals even when the compressor is
under pressurized standby conditions.
A flow of gas warms the seal, counteracting the cooling
effect of seal leakage whilst maintaining a suitable margin
over the conditions at which liquids can occur.
A positive flow of gas at adequate velocity purges any
unfiltered gas from the compressor casing away from the
seal, directing it under the inboard labyrinth during stand
by/settle-out conditions.

When using gas to provide the motive force to the booster

is not considered practical (for example in some offshore
or remote installations), an electro-hydraulic drive pack
may be supplied. A flameproof electric motor and inverter
drive control unit varies the speed of the hydraulic pump
to regulate the seal gas booster discharge rate.
A SEPro unit can easily be added to an existing dry gas
seal control system. By eliminating a major source of
contamination, seal performance data has shown that
the seal life can be significantly extended, minimizing
production risk whilst reducing cost of ownership
(maintenance/repair costs).

SEPro Booster Pump

The John Crane SEPro booster is unique in the industry

and incorporates the following features:
High sweep volume to maximize flow
Double acting quad chamber design to maximize
delivery per cycle
Booster cylinder material of construction suitable
for NACE
Unique piston and rod seal design for minimum wear
and maximum life
Integral condition monitoring to indicate excessive wear
One standard design for wide range of duties
simplifying spares inventory and availability
Simple tie in to facilitate easy changeout/repair

Standard System

SEPro Booster

Gas Heater Control

Specialist Filtration and Liquid Separation

Effective filtration is one of the most
important elements of reliable system
design. Incorrectly sized or specified
filters will cause contamination and
rapid degradation of the gas seal.
Unlike many filters designed with welded or cast bodies,
the Indufil design is based on a forged, bolted construction,
maximizing design and manufacturing flexibility. Indufil
products are fully compliant with API-610, 614 and 618,
and in addition to supplying compressor seal gas filters,
Indufil products are fitted as standard across a full range
of turbomachinery, including gas turbines, steam turbines
and gear boxes.
Where a high level of liquid contamination is expected
in the gas stream, a liquid separator or knock-out pot
can be fitted. These units typically combine gravitational
and centrifugal effects to separate out the liquid and gas
streams. A demister pad may also be included to maximize
liquid removal.

Gas Heating
A heater unit may be included in the GCU when required to
keep the seal gas above its dewpoint. API recommends a
minimum margin of 20C/68F, yet in practice the figure is
often ignored. Typically this leads to liquid formation in the
seal and a dramatic reduction in seal operating life.

Filtration System

Integrated System for Maximum Reliability

The modular design of John
Cranes gas seal support system
allows the appropriate modules to
be selected for both the standard
system and gas conditioning unit, providing maximum
compressor reliability and performance during normal and
transient conditions.
Experience has shown that it is essential to design and
build the gas seal and support system with knowledge and
consideration of the full operating parameters.
Design of the gas seal and support system together has
major benefits and allows proper management of the
seal environment to achieve and maintain a high level of
reliability. Ultimately, the best results can be achieved by
obtaining the gas seal and associated support system from
the same source.

Integrated, Innovative, Intelligent, Gas Control,

Conditioning and Monitoring Systems
A complete solution for gas seal support, under
all operating conditions in one integrated unit
An innovation in gas seal support systems

Liquid Separation

=
Fully Integrated INOVIT System

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Integrated. Innovative. Intelligent.

Gas Seal System Retrofit

where reliability needs to be improved
Where first fit cost is a constraint, operational
considerations of the gas seal support system can
be overlooked and a simple standard seal gas unit is
supplied. As a result, the long term reliability of the seals
may be compromized.
Consequently there are many units in the field for which
significant improvement in reliability can be achieved by
upgrading the gas seal support system with improved
control and monitoring across all sealing stages.
Evidence shows that by providing a gas seal with a clean
operating environment, the Mean Time Between Repair
(MTBR) can be significantly enhanced. Additionally,
around 90% of gas seal failures can be attributed to gas
contamination, therefore a small investment in this
area can have a profound effect on the reliability of the
overall plant.

John Cranes dedicated Gas Seal reliability team

continuously supports customers to enhance the
operating life of the gas seal and compressor. The
illustration below right is an example of the complete
replacement of a gas seal support system to the John
Crane INOVIT design on a pipeline application. This new
gas seal system was installed on the same footprint as
the existing system without disturbing the tie-in points.
Since installing this INOVIT system, MTBR has increased
from 6 months to more than 3 years. To mobilize the John
Crane reliability team please contact one of the regional
offices listed on the back page of this brochure.

Our Core Strengths

Knowledge Centers

Global Sourcing and Supply Chain

John Crane provides specialist support for gas seal

control and monitoring systems from globally located
knowledge centers. Each of these centers provides
a wealth of experience in process, mechanical and
instrumentation engineering and are equipped with full
gas support system design build and test facilities.

John Crane has a significant advantage to optimize the

lead time through strong supply chain management and
global sourcing.

Global manufacturing capability

Local support from regionally located experts
Advanced technologies for optimum performance
Unrivalled filtration expertise

Solutions and Proposals

All gas seal support system enquiries are evaluated
by experienced system design engineers. Proposals
including P&IDs and footprint details are normally
submitted at the invitation to bid stage, allowing CAD
drawings to be completed in a shorter time.

Installation, Commissioning and

Service Support
John Crane can provide installation, commissioning and
service support through fully qualified engineers from
our regional gas seal service centers.

Global Standards and Best

Engineering Practice
John Crane can provide systems compliant with
international standards and specifications such as API,
ASME, ATEX/CE/PED, SQL, GOST, NEC and IEC.
Additionally John Crane can provide third party
inspection and certification such as Lloyds, DNV and
Bureau Veritas on request.

Factory Acceptance Test (FAT)

Support can be provided to third party inspectors and
customers for complete functional testing of the system.
Complete QA/QC documents, test and inspection reports,
installation, operation and maintenance manuals are
made available for the customer during the FAT process.

A Complete Solution for Gas Sealing

John Crane provides Integrated, Innovative, Intelligent,
Conditioning and Monitoring Systems for your gas sealing
applications, providing a single point of contact for all
seal and system related enquiries.

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For your nearest John Crane facility, please contact one of the locations below.
North America
Global Headquarters
Morton Grove, IL USA
1-800-SEALING
Tel: +1-847-967-2400
Fax: +1-847-967-3915

Europe
Slough, UK

Latin America
So Paulo, Brazil

Middle East & Africa

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Asia Pacific
Singapore

Tel: +44-1753-224000
Fax: +44-1753-224224

Tel: +55-11-3371-2500
Fax: +55-11-3371-2599

Tel: +971-481-27800
Fax: +971-488-62830

Tel: +65-6518-1800
Fax: +65-6518-1803

If the products featured will be used in a potentially dangerous and/or hazardous process, your John Crane representative should be consulted prior to
their selection and use. In the interest of continuous development, John Crane Companies reserve the right to alter designs and specifications without
prior notice. ISO 9001, ISO 14001 Certified, Meets ISO 14691. Details available on request.
2012 John Crane

Print 04/12 [F] Revised 04/12

www.johncrane.com

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