34 Feature

WORLD PUMPS April 2009

Sealing technology

Mechanical seal
selection for VSDs
Variable-frequency electronic drives are becoming common
place for many applications. However, if operating conditions
change, these drives can also adversely affect some pump
components. A Roddis, B.Eng (Hons), MDip, looks at the
changes that might occur and argues that they must be
taken into consideration when selecting the right seal.

E
lectronic variable frequency drives
(VFDs, sometimes known as variable
speed drives) can be reliable and
trouble-free if they are properly selected
and installed. Their advantages include
high drive efficiency, large turndown
ratio, ease of installation and low
maintenance. Today, plant engineers are
increasingly looking to VFDs to save plant
energy, something that will be a key
driver for cost savings in coming years.
VFDs are used in conjunction with
industrial centrifugal pumps because
they allow varying pump capacity
without pinching down on the
discharge control valve. Changes to the
discharge control valve can alter the
pumped head and move the pump
away from its best efficiency point (BEP).
In some cases, operation away from BEP
has undesirable consequences beyond
mere inefficiency.
Probably the most significant operational
benefit of a variable speed device is to
reduce the heat in the pump, which
occurs from throttling a pump discharge.
This heat can cause the pumped fluid to
vaporise or flash, crystallise, change its
viscosity and/or convert to coke.
Consequences
Over the next decade, it is highly likely
that variable speed devices will be
increasingly introduced into indus-
trial pumping applications. However,
understanding the consequences before
implementing change is wise – as in
this case, especially as regards one of
the primary elements of a centrifugal
pump: the mechanical seal. Mechanical
seals represent perhaps the most
vulnerable pump component and VFDs
may well affect it, as generated heat
in a pump can change the fluid film
condition between the seal faces and/or
change seal face flatness.
Virtually all mechanical seals have
counter-rotating seal faces that must
be maintained flat. While most of

The use of VFDs with motors on pumps

is encouraged whenever the system head
is dominated by friction in the piping,
fittings and valves. In such applications,
variable speed devices can have some
advantages as they can deliver a broad
range of head/capacity figures, so esti-
mates of pump flow do not have to be
exact. Furthermore, VFDs can eliminate
the need for a throttling valve, doing
away with a bypass line, valve leakage
and maintenance. Figure 1. A conventional rotary mechanical seal.

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WORLD PUMPS April 2009
Figure 2. A dual stationary mechanical seal – source: AESSEAL plc (Design: CAPI A1 dual).
Seal water from H.E.
Figure 3. A single stationary mechanical seal – source: AESSEAL plc (Design SMSS23).
today’s mechanical seal installations use
contacting seal faces, a certain number use
non-contacting seal face technology. This
typically uses the hydrodynamic lift effect,
which is created by a series of grooves in
the seal faces. Depending on the design
of the seal, seal face separation occurs at a
certain shaft speed. Below this shaft speed,
separation is either minimal or does not
exist. It is important to know this ‘minimum
lift’ shaft speed value before using non-
contacting seal technology in variable
speed drive applications. In the main, most
engineers understand that non-contacting
seals require precise operating conditions
to survive.
Fluctuations in operating shaft speeds
will affect conditions at the seal faces and
tend to increase the probability of seal
faces touching; perhaps as gas lift grooves
clog through process or seal face debris
being collected.
The opposite is true for contacting
mechanical seal technology. It is generally
accepted that this is constrained by the
PV (Pressure-Velocity) limits of the mate-
rials used. Therefore, these designs are
more susceptible to conditions prevailing
Feature 35
The first is the ‘configuration’ of the seal.
At high shaft speeds, typically greater than
23m/s, it is common practice to select a
‘stationary’ mechanical seal (where the flexing
part is not rotating, Figure 2) rather than a
‘rotary’ mechanical seal (where the rotating
component is flexing, Figure 1).
At elevated shaft speeds, it is generally
accepted that the forces required to keep
the seal faces closed become so large that
they negatively affect seal life, as stated in
the premium mechanical seal specification
used in the Oil and Gas Industry API-682, 3rd
Edition, Section 6.1.1.5.
Rotary seals, as per Figure 1, have a greater
tendency to experience spring fatigue and/
or elastomer fretting when seal chamber
mounting surfaces are not fully perpen-
dicular with the shaft. This is highlighted in
HEAT
EXCHANGER API-682, 3rd Edition, Section 6.1.2.13.
That said, best practices plants are encour-
aged to conclude that a stationary seal
Shell Cooling design is more appropriate for use with a
Water
variable speed drive pump; it simply repre-
sents more robust sealing technology at
higher shaft speeds.
Seal pumping
The second issue deals with the ability of
the seal to circulate barrier or process fluid
during shaft rotational variations. It should
be noted that most dual mechanical seals
near the upper speed limits of VFDs.
have an integral pumping ring, which
Assuming that the seal faces are selected
circulates barrier fluid between the seal and
in accordance with the appropriate seal
the seal support system. Figure 2 shows the
face material PV limits, PV should not be
position of a tapered-vane pumping ring
a limiting factor to deploying contacting
above the outboard rotary seal face (right
seal face technology on variable speed
hand side). Yet, some single mechanical
drive applications.
seals also have pumping rings; these are
typically used with Plan 23 arrangements, as
However, two further areas of the mechanical
shown in Figure 3. Again, the purpose of a
seal design should be reviewed.
API682 States
API-682 states
1.5mm
1.5mm (0.060⬙)
(0.060")
minimum
minimum clearance
clearance
Figure 4. The radial clearance requirement between the mechanical seal rotor and stator, as outlined by
API-682 Section 8.6.2.3.
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36 Feature
Figure 5. Left: view of a typical tapered vane pumping ring; right: typical position of a bi-directional tapered pumping vane device within the dual seal barrier/buffer
cavity of a pump – source: AESSEAL plc.
pumping ring is to circulate barrier or
process fluid around a closed loop system,
typically to cool the seal faces and to extend
seal life.
Speed variations will have a direct effect on
the flow rate and head produced by the
mechanical seal pumping ring. Evidently
then, at low shaft speeds, the seal pumping
ring action may not be enough to over-
come the seal support system resistance
of the barrier/process circuit, leading to
overheating of the seal faces and reduced
seal life.
Clearly, the more efficient the seal pumping
ring is at circulating fluid, the greater the
degree of tolerance it will have to circulate
fluid when used in conjunction with a VFD
motor and pump arrangement. It is there-
fore important to remember that not all
pumping rings are the same – some pump
more than others. Some have very close
radial clearances between the stator and
rotor that may touch, or even seize, when
using a VFD.
Returning to the latest ‘best practice’ refer-
ence source on seal pumping rings, API-682
3rd Edition/ Section 8.6.2.3, we find the
stipulation that radial clearances between
stator and rotor should be 1.5 mm, as
shown in Figure 4.
Radial clearance
Unduly close radial clearances between
counter-rotating surfaces can lead to compo-
nent contact and galling. If, as an example, a
stainless steel rotary component contacts a
stainless steel stationary component, galling
will occur. Nevertheless, some dual seals
applied in industry are designed with radial
clearances in the order of 0.25 mm and
0.5 mm. This is in clear contradiction to best-
practice guidelines and technical common
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sense. After all, equipment shafts are known to
deflect. Pumps operating away from BEP, and
single volute pumps, are certainly undergoing
a measure of shaft deflection. If, then, the dual
seal radial clearance is less than the centrifugal
pump bushing clearance, which is going to
touch first?
The tapered vane pumping ring of Figure 5
consistently delivers more flow and head
compared with all other pumping ring
designs found marketed today and recently
benchmark tested. This tapered vane
pumping ring design has been installed on
over 20,000 dual mechanical seals since the
year 2000, and it fully conforms to Section
8.6.2.3 of API-682, 3rd Edition.
A technical paper further describes an
innovative development of the taper vane
design; the swan-neck seal pumping ring
that is applied by one specific seal manu-
facturer to all of its CAPI (Cartridge API)
range of mechanical seals up to 60 mm
specifically to promote greater barrier/
process fluid flow in small shaft sized appli-
cations. The reader will therefore note that
this seal pumping ring technology is best
practice, not only from the flow it delivers,
but also from the API-682 specification it
conforms to. This is specifically advanta-
geous for VFD applications, to ensure
that the mechanical seal pumping ring
continues to circulate fluid throughout the
operational speed envelope of the pump.
Summary
In summary, VFDs will become increasingly
popular as plant engineers strive to reduce
energy consumption and make process
improvements. The mechanical seals used
in such applications need to be selected
based on the often considerable range of
operating conditions encountered over the
entire equipment life.
WORLD PUMPS April 2009
As we experience change and desire plant
flexibility, it is increasingly difficult to
predict where a VFD pump will be applied
within a plant. Its duty and operating
points may vary, and the speed conditions
it will experience may change with time
and service. It is therefore very appropriate
for plant operators to consider suitable
types of mechanical seals; they should
be robust enough to suit a consider-
able variation in application range and
speeds. Such a mechanical seal should
have certain key attributes that measure
up to this expectation. These expectations,
attributes and capabilities may include the
need to use:
t
Contact seal face technology, as this is
better suited for a wide range of shaft
speed applications compared with
non-contacting seal face technology.
t
Stationary mechanical seals, which have
their springs in the stator part of the seal
rather than the rotating part of the seal,
as these are better suited to high shaft
speed applications, as often found on VFD
duties.
t
Mechanical seal pumping rings that
comply with the best practice standards
of the API-682 specification and deliver
the highest amount of fluid flow/head, as
these are more suitable for
VFD applications. ■
For references, please contact the author.
Contact
A. Roddis
Engineering Director
AESSEAL plc
Tel: +44 (0) 1709 514054
Email: alan.roddis@aesseal.co.uk
Web: www.aesseal.co.uk