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M COLUMN: Q&A SEALING SOLUTIONS

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Q&A
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Solutions
Pump Engineer is proud to announce Q&A:
Sealing Solutions. This section will address
common questions and challenges faced
in sealing centrifugal pumps. Readers are
encouraged to submit to questions which
will be considered for future editions.
Submit your questions to the editor at
s.schroer@kci-world.com
By Michael Huebner, Principle Engineer, Flowserve
Want more on sealing?
Enter the hashtag in your Facebook
or TwiƩer to find more sealing
arƟcles by Michael Huebner.
or into a buffer fluid can be
tolerated. In these applications,
the goal of the Plan 32 is to
isolate the seal and prevent the
process fluid from entering the
seal chamber.
In other cases, however, the

Q What are the

considerations
physical properties, such a high
viscosity, or have a tendency to
solidify or crystalize under some
in determining a Plan set of conditions (e.g. standby).
Whatever the justification, a Plan
32 flush flow rate? 32 can be useful in providing
a better environment for seal
goal of the Plan 32 may be only
to dilute the process fluid to
improve the physical properties.
This is common in applications,
such as some chemical slurries
or very vicious hydrocarbons
(e.g. asphalt). The fluid properties

A Plan 32 piping plan is a

common method of improving the
environment for the mechanical
seal. Rather than exposing the
seal to the process fluid in
the pump, an external fluid is
introduced into the seal chamber
which displaces the process fluid
and prevents or minimizes the
process fluid from contacting the
seal. There are several reasons
why a Plan 32 may be used. The
process fluid may contain solids
or abrasive particles which may
cause seal hang-up or damage
the seal faces. The user may want
to minimize leakage of process
to atmosphere for environmental
or housekeeping reasons. The
process fluid may have poor
operation and improving seal
reliability.
The Plan 32 injection fluid may
serve several functions: isolation,
dilution, and heat removal. In
many cases, the injected fluid is
intended to positively displace
the process fluid from the seal
chamber and prevent any
process from contacting the seal.
Examples of these applications
include highly corrosive
processes or applications where
even small amounts of the
process fluid can compromise
seal performance (e.g. slurries
or fluids with abrasive particles).
This may also be required in
applications where no process
fluid leakage to atmosphere
in the seal chamber will be
dominated by the Plan 32 flush.
Low concentrations of process
fluid in the seal chamber will not
adversely impact performance.
In virtually every Plan 32, the
external flush also carries away
the seal generated heat. In high
temperature applications, the
Plan 32 may also be required
to reduce the seal chamber
temperature to prevent coking or
prevent excessive heat soak into
the seal buffer or barrier fluid.
One of the critical considerations
of a Plan 32 is determining the
required flush rate of the external
fluid. A high flow rate may
provide excellent isolation, but
has the drawback of high usage
of the Plan 32 flush fluid. The
user must balance the benefits
provided by the Plan 32 against
operational costs for providing
the flush and the potential
impact of the flush on equipment
performance and downstream
operations. The answer to this
question requires considering the
function of the Plan 32 flush
in the specific application.

If the goal of the Plan 32 is to

provide isolation, the process fluid
must be prevented from entering
Figure 1: Piping Plan 32. the seal chamber. The most

Pump Engineer, December 2015 30

 COLUMN: Q&A SEALING SOLUTIONS

common method for achieving

this is to maintain a high flush
velocity under the throat bushing
in the seal chamber. This high
velocity effectively prevents
process fluid from migrating
against the flow under the
bushing. Most industry practices
use a target fluid velocity of 4.6
m/s (15 fps) for the flush in the
bushing. While this figure is
somewhat arbitrary, it has proven
to be very successful in the field.
The velocity is a function of Figure 2: Plan 32 flush velocity under the throat bushing.
the shaft diameter, diametrical
clearance under the bushing, and the temperatures in the seal the seal chamber. By adding a
volumetric flow rate of the flush. chamber, it may be possible to low flow rate Plan 32 to a Plan 23,
Flush flow rates can be reduced provide cooling by incorporating it is possible to operate a system
by using tighter clearances a Plan 23 into the system. A Plan that is continually purged and has
between the bushing and shaft. 23 piping plan is designed to effective cooling.
recirculate fluid from the seal
If the goal of the flush is to chamber to a seal cooler and The goal of most Plan 32 systems
dilute the process in the seal back to the seal chamber. This is is to provide the lowest flush
chamber and absolute isolation the most effective and efficient flow rate consistent with the
is not required, it is possible to method for dissipating heat requirements for application. This
greatly reduce the flush rate. loads and reducing seal chamber requires a thoughtful evaluation of
In these cases, it may be useful temperatures. By its nature, the Plan the isolation, dilution, and/or heat
to consider the flush rates in 23 does not promote interchange removal functions of the piping
term of fluid exchanges in of fluid between the process and plan for the specific application.
the seal chamber. As a given
volume of flush enters the seal
chamber, it will theoretically
displace the same volume
of fluid that is already there.
Based on the volume in the seal
chamber and the volumetric
flow rate of the Plan 32 flush, it is
straightforward to calculate the
number of seconds between fluid
exchanges. Adding an effective
throat bushing in the seal
chamber can not only provide
better isolation of the seal
chamber from the pump process,
but can also reduce the seal
chamber volume and thereby
reduce the time between fluid
exchanges in the chamber.
Figure 3: Combination of a Plan 23 and Plan 32.
In reducing the flow rate to an
absolute minimum, the user must ABOUT THE EXPERT: Michael Huebner
also consider the thermal balances
Michael Huebner is a Principal Engineer at Flowserve Corporation in Pasadena,
in the piping plan. The flush flow
Texas. He has over 30 years of experience in the design, testing, and application
not only provides isolation and
of mechanical seals both in the USA and Europe. He has authored numerous
dilution, but may be required
articles and lectured extensively around the world. He has a BS in Engineering
to carry away seal generated
Technology from Texas A&M. Mr. Huebner is a member of the API 682 Task
heat and heat soak into the seal
Force on Mechanical Seals, the ASME B73 Committee on centrifugal pumps,
chamber. This is especially
the Advisory Committee for the Texas A&M Pump Symposium, and the ASME.
critical in higher temperature
He is also on the Steering Committee for a brand new pump event coming to
applications. If the proposed flow
Houston in 2016 called Pump Summit Americas.
rate cannot effectively control

www.pumpengineer.net 31