T H E S E A L I N G T E C H N O L O G Y M A G A Z I N E

VOL.11, NO. 2

connections 2

back to basics 4

global presence 5

best practices 6

innovations 7

Learning Solutions

Flow Solutions DivisionBW SealsDurametallic SealsPacific Wietz SealsPac-Seal

Hands-on education at Flowserve’sLearning Resource Center

Are nagging maintenance problems inone of your plant’s pumping systems causing costly failures and wreaking

havoc on your organization’s profits? What ifyou could tear apart an identical system—with-out affecting your plant’s uptime—and effec-tively diagnose the problem? Or, perhaps youhave an idea about how you might be able toimprove the functionality and efficiency of yourfacility’s fluid management system, but realize itwould be financially impractical to take your sys-tem offline and foolhardy to experiment withthe system’s components.

Created to provide plant professionals withreal solutions to these critical issues, Flowserve’sLearning Resource Center (LRC) in the Dallassuburb of Irving provides an education-basedprogram that gives students a hands-on oppor-tunity to test their knowledge.

“Our goal is to provide these users with theknowledge and skills for them to effect better,longer performance and improved mainte-nance in their own organizations, resulting infull value from their equipment,” according toGary Mendles, Director of Educational Servicesat Flowserve.

Putting instruction and theory into action,students move from the facility’s classroom to itsstate-of-the-art labs where they can study, test,disassemble and reassemble more than 50 staticpumps and 28 operating pumps that simulatethe actual working conditions of today’s chemi-cal and processing plants, pipelines and oilrefineries.

Unique learning modelThe LRC provides an uncommon third educa-tional experience—experimentation. By testingtheir theories, participants validate past learningand discover what can’t be taught in a classroomalone. The LRC’s unique three-tiered adultlearning model is implemented in three distinctfacility areas: the classrooms, the Static Lab andthe Power Lab.

First, students find out the “why” through

classroom instruction that introduces theoryand references needed to get the most from future hands-on experience.Next, students move to the imple-mentation phase of their learningby working in the LRC’s StaticLab, which gives them thechance to work with the equip-ment they encounter in theireveryday work environment.

In the LRC’s four 900-square-foot Power Labs, students workwith innovative see-throughtraining aids such as glassflowmeters, transpar-ent plastic

suction lines, extensive gauges, thermocouples,vibration monitoring equipment and uniqueclear acrylic pumps that allow students to lookinto the working mechanisms of the equipment.

What really closes the loop to complete thislearning experience is the experimental or dis-covery phase. These hands-on experiments giveparticipants the answers to “what if” scenarios.Mendles says, “During discovery, students rec-ognize they have the skills to do what they wantor need to do back home. The opportunity toexperiment and change the flow characteristicsof these pumping applications allows the stu-dents to see what will really happen if they puttheir solution ideas into action.”

Shawn Bassiri, Process Area Specialist atDuPont’s La Port, Texas facility, has sent manyemployees through the program. “It’s a tremen-dous facility,” Bassiri says, “because the programsprovide an overview of the principles of pumpsand hydraulics, and show participants how sealsreally work. They start at the basics and then gointo more advanced applications. The LRC’sclear epoxy casings on the pumps allow studentsto see exactly what happens when they experi-ment with the seals—for example, they are able

2 www.flowserve.com Face to Face

connections

Learning Solutions

Hands-on education at Flowserve’s Learning Resource Center can improve your plant’s competitive edge

to see the immediate effects from temperaturechanges as well as the effects on the resultant lifeof the seals.”

Interactive trainingFlowserve also takes training to the next levelthrough its Educational Services Certified Train-ing program, an interactive competence-basedequipment-intensive certification program forengineers and specialists. Students are certifiedon the standards required by OSHA that meet aspecified body of knowledge in areas such aspump assembly and disassembly, propermechanical seal installation, calibration andrepair and control valve position.

The program’s goal, according to Lee E.Christensen, Ph.D. and Flowserve’s EducationOrganizational Development Specialist, is todevelop the program’s participants in two ways:

through quantifiable knowledge attain-ment and skill improvement. Certifica-

tion includes complete documenta-tion of a student’s skill level. “In theend, we are certifying that skills havebeen attained and the student is ableto perform certain competencies,”

Christensen said. “The value of thetraining for the customer’s organization

is measured in behavioral changes the stu-dent is able to demonstrate on the job.”

Students return home to their plant, examinetheir equipment, evaluate their procedures,develop an improvement strategy and prepare areliability self-audit.

Christensen notes that “many of the studentsare maintenance engineers or operators whohave dealt with the product, but were notinvolved with the product’s original selection.When they go back to their organization, theyare equipped to better understand the installed

base by going through the questions andbecoming familiar with their own situation. Interms of reliability, they can look at worst per-formance over time, do a case study, identifycommonalities of failure, and make correctionsthat improve their system’s reliability.

“For sustainability, we seek to establish a long-term learning alliance so we can provide skillimprovement and continue to validate that theskill improvement actually benefits the cus-tomer in a way that meets their expectations,”notes Christiansen.

Positive ROIMendles puts this learning in a customer’s per-spective. “Students return with the skills toincrease their company’s competitive position,he says. “If a student comes to the LRC, identifiesa glitch in his system back at home, and imple-ments a response to correct the problem, thatavoidance of failure provides the customer witha positive return on investment.”

Bassiri agrees. “Because pump seals are amajor portion of a plant’s maintenance budget,

the potential for savings in this area is sig-nificant. Avoiding seal problems frees uplabor, improves up time, and eliminatescontamination on the path, which hasenvironmental ramifications.”

But for Bassiri and DuPont, the realpayoff comes through a more focusedeye on the future. “Eliminating sealproblems frees human resources toaddress long-term strategies and movesthe organization away from working in areactionary mode,” he said. “And inorder to make a quantum leap, you needto first be standing on solid ground.”

For more information about the programsat Flowserve’s Learning Resource Center, sendan e-mail inquiry to ESG@flowserve.com orthrough the company’s Web site atwww.flowserve.com. Flowserve’s EducationalServices Group also can be reached at800/446-0401. f

Face to Face www.flowserve.com 3

connections

Students learn all aspects of the instrumented equipment.

The classroom sessions form the basis for understanding in the laboratories.

When a processing facility in Ohio need-ed a new high-pressure compressor,Sundyne Compressors, a division of

Sundyne Corporation, Arvada, Colo. and aHamilton Sundstrand United Technologies sub-sidiary, was the supplier of choice. The designcriteria for the unit dictated gas seals and anoperating pressure in excess of 4,000 psi. In thispressure regime, the standard approach to shaftsealing is a multi-stage seal. The customer had aone-year lead-time for the project.

Since Flowserve is the leader in high-pressureseal technology, and since Sundyne is aFlowserve alliance partner, this project was anideal opportunity for both parties to displaytechnical superiority. Flowserve proposed a sin-

gle-stage seal, a conceptunheard of in the high-pressure industry.

The customer was not sooptimistic but was willingto take only a very smallrisk. Darren Meyer, Com-pressor Seals Specialist atFSD in Carson, Calif., said,“Because the single-stagetechnology was unproven,the customer specified acompressor seal chamberthat was large enough toaccommodate the stan-

dard multi-stage pressure drop design, a strate-gy that offered a fall-back position shouldFlowserve not be able to perform as it claimed itcould.” Then, the customer also ordered a stan-dard, triple-stage seal from another source.

Technical problemsDuring operation, only a thin layer of gas sepa-rates the seal faces. As process gas is pressurized,its temperature rises. Depending on the com-pression ratio, the temperature rise can be hun-dreds of degrees.

At higher density, there is a greater weight ofgas per unit volume. Since the heat of compres-sion is a function of the weight of gas, the heat-ing phenomenon is even more pronounced.

When operating at steady state conditions,the seal assembly achieves thermal equilibriumat an elevated temperature. However, there is aphysical limit to the temperatures to which sealcomponents can be subjected. The soft compo-nents and secondary gaskets can fail by meltingor charring. There is also the risk that the metal-lic components may warp. Should either ofthese occur while the compressor is turning atnearly 17,000 rpm, the results will be pre-dictably catastrophic.

Designing for the“in service” conditionsThe seal faces remain flat and perfectly paral-lel at operating conditions. Flowserve usedfinite element analysis to predict the deforma-tion that would occur. This meant that, atroom temperature, the seal faces are still flat but— without pressure and thermal stress-es—no longer parallel. Rather, the faces forma V-shaped valley with no contact betweenthem.

Record-setting sealThe seal was designed, developed, manufac-tured and tested by the Flowserve facility inDortmund, Germany. This type of design program normally requires three to fourmonths for testing. When the manufacturingwrinkles were ironed out, there remained onlyone month for testing. According to Meyer,“The testing went so well that the new sealdesign proved itself capable of operating atthese high pressures during the very first testcycle.”

Other customers had expressed a need for single-stage seals that could operate at evengreater pressure differentials. As part of the testing program, Flowserve successfullyoperated the new seal at pressures as high as5,800 psi.

This is a typical bi-directional, hard-on-hardseal configuration. There is nothing magicalabout the design. Flowserve relies on high-level knowledge of seal design, which allows itto stay a step ahead of the competition. f

4 www.flowserve.com Face to Face

When the pressure is on, use a single-stage sealThis is the secret to record-setting performance

back to basics

In Europe, double mechanical seals conform to therequirements of Deutches Institute fur Normung(DIN). This is the German national standards organi-

zation that cooperates with the International Organiza-tion for Standardization (ISO) in the development ofinternational standards. In Europe, and especially Ger-many, the DIN standards serve a function similar to thatof the ANSI standards in the United States. Here,products that conform to the ANSI stan-dards have become almost likecommodity products. The situ-ation is different overseas.

Original equipment manu-facturers in Europe producehigh-quality processing equip-ment, such as mixers and agitated vessels, for saleworldwide. Each mixer is cus-tom-engineered and fabricatedwith components that con-form to DIN standards. But,conforming to DIN standardsdoes not imply dimensional standard-ization, as it does here.

Vessel designThere are three places an agitator can be installed on a vessel. The top-mounted agitator accounts for an esti-mated 90 percent of the installed base. In this configura-tion, the seal typically resists only the vapors in the free-board volume of the vessel. When installed on the bottomof a vessel, the agitator seal must keep the process liquidcontained. Finally, for the agitator mounted in the sidewallof a vessel, the seal holds back vapor or liquid, dependingon the depth of the contained fluid. There are three sealtypes that can be used on agitators:

• Wet seals (MW-200).• Dry contacting seals (MD-200).• Dry non-contacting seals (ML-200).According to Tom Bennett, Manager of Marketing at

Flowserve, Flow Solutions Division in Kalamazoo,Mich., German equipment designers and specifiers his-torically prefer liquid-lubricated seals.

A wet seal in a top-mounted mixer holds back vaporsbecause the pressure applied to the barrier fluid insidethe seal exceeds the pressure in the vessel. The pres-

surized barrier fluid can migrate across the seal face andweep on the inside of the vessel. Designers use a san-itary gland or a debris well to capture such leakage. Itcan also be drained periodically using suitable pipingand valves.

Dry, non-contacting seals on bottom-mounted agita-tors present a different problem. A process upset canforce process fluid between the seal faces. No longer

separated by a thin layer of gas, the seal facescome into contact with each other, thus

compromising the primary seal. Theoutboard seal is now the primarydefense against leakage until thethe seal cartridge is repaired.

Side-mounted agitators useeither dry contacting or wet seals.Dry running seals use pressurizeddry nitrogen, although someprocesses and applications needhumidified nitrogen to maximizeseal life. The faces in a dry con-tacting seal are generally fabricat-

ed of carbon and a preferred hardface. Since the faces physically touch

each other in service, wear always pro-duces some minute level of fine carbon particulates.Some industries, such as pharmaceuticals, cannot toler-ate any level of contamination. If carbon dust is unac-ceptable, the best option is a gas, non-contacting seal.

RetrofittingAlthough German designers prefer wet seals, end usersmay find it necessary to use other styles. Even someEuropean OEMs are slowly migrating to dry, non-con-tacting seals. Nevertheless, like every mechanical com-ponent, sooner or later a seal needs to be replaced.Unlike here, retrofitting a DIN-based agitator seal requiresphysical measurements of the old unit before a new unitcan be selected.

Flowserve is the only supplier offering the three stylesof seal that can be installed in the same cartridge hous-ing. Users of DIN standard seals now can change sealtypes without having to modify the agitator or vessel. TheFlowserve Series M DIN standard seals are currentlyavailable in sizes from 40 to 220 mm and will be formallyintroduced at ACHEMA in May, 2000.

Face to Face www.flowserve.com 5

global presenceglobal presence

Foreign agitators are no threat to FlowserveA new “three-in-one” concept infiltrates the European and Asian markets for double mechanical seals

ML-200

best practices

Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., Lehigh Valley,Pa., has recognized FSD Baton Rouge as a“Supplier of the Year.” The award acknowl-

edges the outstanding performance and serviceFlowserve provides in Air Products’ St. Gabriel andGiesmar plants where Air Products manufacturesamines and DNT.

Flowserve provides the mechanical seals on whichthe customer relies. Mike Reagan, Sales Engineer inthe Baton Rouge office, visits each of these plantssometimes twice a week. During the visits, Reagandoes whatever it takes to extendthe life of seals, including per-forming seal failure analysis,inspecting pumps and makingsure the correct seal support sys-tem is being used. Mike’s objec-tive is to make sure Flowserveseals last longer. He also tries tominimize the possibility ofhuman error. As Reagan puts it,“This is consultative selling. Youmust support the product. Youmust apply it properly. You can’tjust throw it in.”

When Reagan started servic-ing the account, Air Productshad been using a mixture of non-cartridge-style mechanical seals.When a seal needed to be replaced, the maintenancetechnician had to piece together individual parts. See-ing an opportunity to further his mission, Mike initiat-ed a cartridge seal program, a move that eliminated atleast 40 stock items, which simplified the mainte-nance inventory. Now, Air Products purchases andtracks only about a dozen part numbers that cover theentire range of seals being used at each plant.

In another winning move, Mike arranged for his cus-tomer to purchase the cartridge seals on consignment.Although the standby seals reside in the Air Productsmaintenance storeroom, the customer does not payfor them until they use them. Previously, Air Productsmaintained an inventory of no less than $60,000-worthof parts for mechanical seals. Now, inventory levels are

somewhere between $6,000 and $8,000.No one can foresee all the fluid handling compo-

nents that will be needed over the course of a year.However, when special goods or services are required,it generally takes Reagan only about a week to arrangeand complete needed repairs or to ship custom orders.

Another source of cool profitThe cooling tower at the Giesmer plant has three cool-ing water pumps. These are large pumps whose shaftshad originally been sealed with packing. Even with dili-

gent attention and maintenance,the packing still leaked exces-sively.

A cooling water system is aclosed system—the treatedwater recirculates continuously.The treatment chemicals werecosting about $5,000 a month,and that means money was drib-bling out of every leaking shaftpacking. Reagan found that it waspossible to retrofit the pumpswith mechanical seals withoutmodifying the pumps. The sealshalted the leakage immediatelyand Air Products found that thepayback period was less thanthree months.

The votes are inIn managing its suppliers, Air Products tracks every rel-evant aspect of vendor performance. For example, AirProducts monitors such factors as the undamageddelivery of the correct quantity, and quality of the cor-rect items on the agreed date for the agreed price.

Not surprising, Air Products expects perfection fromits suppliers, and Mike Reagan delivers it. Every monthif a vendor flawlessly does what it promised, Air Prod-ucts sends the supplier a letter announcing a 100-per-cent performance rating for the month. Quite simply,Mike Reagan and FSD Baton Rouge collected toomany of these letters to go unnoticed. Hence, the for-mal recognition as “Supplier of the Year.” f

6 www.flowserve.com Face to Face

There is another winner in the Flowserve familyTaking customer service to new levels of excellence

best practices

Pictured left to right:

Purchasing Agent Roweena Chauvin;

Mike Reagan: FSD;

Mark Willard: Maintenance Manager.

The GX-200 combines an exclusive non-con-tacting seal face geometry and a reliablemetal bellows design for zero emissions,

increased energy savings, reliability and extendedoperation.

The GX-200’s pressurized dual seal configura-tion makes it ideal for chemical processing, hydro-carbon processing, pulp and paper, pharmaceuti-cal and food processing industry applications.

Features/benefits…• Advanced Pattern Groove System seal face

pattern contains special shallow grooves to furnish both hydrostatic and hydrodynamic lift to the seal faces, reducing energy consumption during pump start-up and operation.

• Provides zero product emissions perform-ance, even under off-design or dry-runningconditions.

• Eliminates the cost of maintaining a liquidbarrier system and eliminates contaminationof the process by barrier fluid.

• Cartridge design and clean gas supply sys-tem make it easy to install and maintain.

Operating parameters…Temperature: -40 to 500° F (-40 to 260° C)Product pressure: Full vacuum to 200 psig

(14 bar)Shaft speed: 500 to 7,000 fpm

(2.5 to 35 m/s)Sizes: 1.000 to 2.75 in. (25 to 75 mm)Equipment: DIN, ISO and ANSI pumps

with any seal chamber size; ANSI pumps with expellers;industrial fans and blowers

Face to Face www.flowserve.com 7

Presenting… Flowserve’s GX-200 Gas Barrier Seal

innovations

“We experienced four failures in one year due to

dry-running the pump, off-design operation of the

pump and polymerization of the process fluid

around the seal, especially when particulates got

stuck between the seal faces. More than one year

after installing the GX-200, we have not had a single

failure.—-Dominique MoreauMechanical Engineer

Rohm & Haas Bayport, Inc.Pasadena, Texas

“We’ve been using gas seals for pumps located at

the bottom of glass lined reactors. Single seals

failed due to dry-running the pump and double

seals failed because a derivative of the process fluid

would heat up, causing free sulfur to precipitate out

and plug up the seal. We’ve had the GX-200 gas

barrier seal in place on eight pumps for more than a

year with no problems.—-Al Lide

Maintenance SupervisorLubrizol Corporation

Deer Park, Texas

GX-200 Field InstallationsEnd User Seal Type Process Fluid Equipment Temperature SpeedLubrizol 1.875” GX-200 Sulfurmonochloride, Durco Mk 2 Grp 2 120° F 1,750 RPMDeer Park, Texas Isobutyl Alcohol Vertical PumpRohm & 1.375” GX-200 Methyl Goulds 3996 120° F 3,500 RPMHaas Bayport, Inc. BM 366794 Methacrylate ST Vertical PumpPasadena, TexasRohm & 1.250” GX-200 Mix of harsh chemicals Union VCM 212° F 3,500 RPMHaas Texas, Inc. BM 372205 (26% sulfuric acid) Vertical PumpDeer Park, Texas (modified)