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DRY GAS COMPRESSOR SEALS

by
Piyush Shah
Group Manager, Type 28 Gas Seal Division
John Crane Inc.
Morton Grove, Illinois

SPIRAL GROOVE GAS SEAL DESIGN

Piyush R. Shah is the Group Manager, A cross-sectional view of a spiral grooved gas seal is shown in
'lljpe 28 Gas Seal Division for john Figure 1. The rotating assembly consists of the mating ring ('With
Crane Inc. in Morton Grove, Illinois. spiral grooves) mounted on a shaft sleeve held in place axially
His responsibilities include coordination with a clamp sleeve and a locknut. It is typically pin or key dri­
of engineering, design, installation and ven. The stationary assembly consists of the primary ring
commissioning of dry gas seals on rotat­ mounted in a retainer assembly held stationary within the com­
ing equipment. pressor housing. Under static conditions, the primary and mat­
He developed john Crane Inc.s 'lljpe 28 ing rings are held in contact due to the spring load on the pri­
Dry Gas Seal Training Program, which is mary ring.
used to train field personnel and machin­
ery operators in dry gas seal selection,
installation and control systems monitoring. 15 12 1 3 17
Mr. Shah has B.S. from St. Xavier's College, a B.S. (Chern. 13 14 10 2 16
Tech.) from U.D.C.T. University of Bombay, India, and an
M.B.A. from Illinois Institute of Technology.

ABSTRACT
Dry gas seals can eliminate some of the conventional prob­
lems associated with seal oil systems. Increased safety, lowered
maintenance and improved reliability are key considerations
for retrofitting with gas seals. Understanding the dry gas seal­
ing technology and optimizing the seal selection for a given set
of operating parameters is crucial for the successful application
on rotating equipment. Control systems incorporating filtra­
tion, leakage, and pressure monitoring can provide real time
diagnosis of seal performance.

INTRODUCTION
The gas seal design discussed herein is the spiral groove type.
8 11 5
Various types of face configurations have been proposed by sev­
eral manufacturers over the past fifteen years. The spiral groove
9 7 6 4
face configuration design is one which has been successfully de­ Figure 1. Dry Seal Configuration. 1) mating ring, 2) pin ( rotat­
veloped and applied on centrifugal compression equipment. ing), 3) 0-ring, 4) pin, 5) 0-ring, 6) shaft sleeve, 7) clamp sleeve,
An attempt has been made to provide some seal design 8) cap screw, 9) locknut, 10) primary ring, 11) 0-ring, 12) disc,
criteria, the different types of seal arrangements and to em­ 13) spring, 14) retainer, 15) 0-ring, 16) labyrinth, 17) 0-ring.
phasize the need for optimum seal and control system selec­ Items 1-9 represent rotating assembly. Items 10-17 represent sta­
tion. The process conditions, namely pressure, temperature, tionary assembly.
gas composition, and contaminants in the gas stream are an in­
tegral part of the seal design process. Of equal importance are
the key characteristics of the compression equipment involved, OPERATING PRINCIPLE
namely the rise in temperature from suction to discharge, the The operating principle of the spiral grooved gas seal is that
surface speed involved, whether an overhung or beam unit, of a hydrostatic and hydrodynamic force balance. Under pres­
rotordynamics, etc. surization, the forces exerted on the seal are hydrostatic and are
Review of the location of the compression equipment in the present whether the mating ring is stationary or rotating. Hydro­
overall process loop can provide important information on the dynamic forces are generated only upon rotation. The mating
contaminants in the gas stream. P & I D reviews can provide ring consisting of the logarithmic spiral grooves is the key to
possible alternative choices of buffer gas supply for the seal. generating these hydrodynamic forces.
Above all, a change from the existing wet seal system to dry The spiral groove pattern on the mating ring is shown in Fig­
seals can possibly impact plant efficiencies positively by ure 2 rotating in a clocb\ise direction. As gas enters the grooves,
eliminating oil contamination of do"vnstream equipment, it is sheared towards the center. The sealing dam acts as a restric­
catalysts, etc. tion to the gas outflow, thereby raising the pressure upstream of

133
134 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SEVENTEENTH TURBOMACHINERY SYMPOSIUM

the dam. This increased pressure causes the flexibly mounted Mating Ring: Tungsten Carbide, Silicon Carbide
primary ring to separate from the mating ring [1, 2]. The mating Primary Ring: Carbon, Silicon Carbide
ring with spiral grooves and the primary ring held within the re­ 0-Rings: Elastomers (Viton Kalrez )
TM
,
TM

tainer assembly are shown in Figure 3.

Hardware: 300 or 400 series ss
(Sleeves, discs, etc.)
Coil Springs: 316 ss, Hastelloy

The gas composition, contaminants in the gas stream, operat­

ing temperatures and process conditions dictate the choice of
materials.

SEAL COMPRESSOR INTERFACE

The characteristics of seals incorporating the hydrostatic and
hydrodynamic force balance are listed in Table 1.

Table 1. Seal-Compressor Interface.

• Dry seals can withstand rapid speed and pressure changes.

• Allowance for axial shaft shifts is normally ± .100''; larger shifts
can be accommodated.
• Radial shaft movements allowed are ± . 025"; larger allowance
is possible.
• All rotating seal components a.re balanced.
• Shaft tilts, well in excess of those encountered on overhung and
Figure 2. Spiral Grooved Mating Ring. beam compressors, are routinely handled.
• Dry seal is unaffected by shaft vibrations.
• Accidental contamination causing wetting of sealing surfaces by
bearing oil migratian during running or idle periods, has not been
found harmful to seal performance.
• Seal is capable of starts and stops at full pressure conditions on
the seal.

PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS
Seal Leakage
Since the typical operating gaps between the two sealing sur­
faces range from 0.0001 in to 0.0003 in, the resultant leakage is
very small in magnitude. The size and speep effect on leakage
are shown in Figure 4. Under conditions of static pressurization
beyond 50-75 psi, the seal leaks a very small amount. This leak­
age increases with increasing pressure. For example, four inch
shaft seal on a natural gas compressor statically pressurized to
1,000 psi will leak about one scfm. Under dynamic condition,
due to the pumping effect of the spiral grooves, the leakage in­
creases as well.

Figure 3. Dry Seal Faces. CONDITIONS: 70 BAR PRESSURE, .AIR

�
400

)2

OPERATING RANGE
Gases ranging from inert gases such as nitrogen to highly toxic 8
200
gaseous mixtures of natural gas and hydrogen sulfide can be
sealed utilizing the optimum seal arrangements. The operating
range of the spiral grooved gas seals is as follows: Orpm

Sealed Pressure: 2,400 psi

Temperature: 500°F 200 (mm)-

Surface Speed: 500 ft./sec. 2.5 5 7.5 10

SEAL SIZE (IN)-
M.W.: 2-60
The materials of construction are as follows: Figure 4. Size and Speed Effect on Leakage.
 TUTORIAL SESSION ON SEALS 135

The pressure, temperature, and gas effect on leakage is shown CONDITIONS:AIR, 140°F

in Figure 5. Increased viscosity of gases at higher temperatures

reduces the amount of seal leakage. Power (HP)
(KW)
10

CONDITIONS: 206MM DIA SEAL,

10 000RPM

100PSIG, 2000 RPM

0
4 0 200 (MM)---
100
AIR,300oF
0 2.5 5 7.5 10
SEAL SIZE (IN) -

Figure 6. Gas Seal Power Loss.

0
50 100 (BAR)

There are five basic arrangements that can be prescribed for

500 1000 1500 2000
0
a diverse group of applications.
PRESSURE (PSIG)-

Figure 5. Pressure, Temperature and Gas Effect on Leakage. Single Seal Arrangement
Operating Limit
Pressure: 400 psi max.
Power Loss
Temperature: 500°F
Since the sealing surfaces are noncontacting under dynamic Speed: 500 ft./sec.
conditions, the power loss associated with spiral grooved seals
Gases: Air, Nitrogen, etc.
is very low. The pressure and thermal distortions of the sealing
surfaces are computed and compensated for in the seal design. Service: Wet Gas Compressors, Plant Air & Nitrogen
The power loss associated with increasing shaft speeds is shown Service
in Figure 6. The comparative economic evaluation of the wet
seal and dry seal systems is listed in Table 2. Gases that are inert or nontoxic are typically sealed by this seal
arrangement (Figure 7). The leakage from the seal is either
vented or flared. On wet gas compressors in refinery services
SEAL ARRANGEMENTS the leakage can be educted by a steam eductor and flared (Fig­
Analysis of the operating conditions and process parameters ure 8). The control system requirements are shown in Figure 9
must be carefully undertaken in order to determine the op­ for a single seal arrangement.
timum seal arrangement requirements. Sealing pressure, tem­
perature, speed, gas composition and contaminants are factors
governing the seal selection procedure. Since there is a small
leakage from the seal, venting, flaring, or primary leakage recov­
ery systems should be considered as part of the seal arrange­
ment and control system design.

Table 2. Comparative Economic Evaluation ofWet Seal vs Dry

Gas Seal.
Comparative Economic Evaluation ofWet Seal vs. Dry Gas Seal
WET OIL SEALS DRY GAS SEAL Figure 7. Single Seal Arrangement.
Seal oil support Pumps, reservoirs, filters, None
systems costs traps, coolers, consoles.

Seal oil consumption 1-100 gallons/day No seal oil Tandem Seal Arrangement
Maintenance cost A major expenditure over Negligible Operating Limit
equipment life.
Pressure: 1,200 psi
Energy costs Seal Power loss: 10-30HP l-2HP
Unit driven pumps: 20-100HP Temperature: -135°F to 500°F
Process gas leakage Gas Leakage: 25SCFM & higher Less than 2 SCFM Speed: 500 ft./sec.
Oil contamination Of Pipelines: High clean up costs None Gases: All
Of Process: Catalyst Poisoning
Service: Natural Gas Pipeline Compressors and
Toxic and corrosive Buffer Gas Consumption (egN.) 2-4SCFM Process Gas Compressors
Applications 40-70SCFM

Unscheduled Higb downtime costs Very reliable A majority of the hydrocarbon mixtures, chemical and pet­
shutdowns
rochemical process gases and gases having toxic and corrosive
Aborted startups Frequent Rare
contaminants such as hydrogen sulphide have to be sealed from
136 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SEVENTEENTH TURBO MACHINERY SYMPOSIUM

OUTLET FOR BEARING OIL & GAS SEAL "A" LEAKAGE the environment and the lubrication systems. In a tandem seal
INLET FOR FILTERED PROCESS GAS arrangement (Figures 10 and 11), two seal module s are oriented
0:::
in the same direction behind each other. The first seal (inboard)
� w handles full pressure while second seal (outboard) would run as
z _j standby or backup seal with zero pressure differen tial. The back­
H _j
0::: w
up seal then functions as an additional barrier between the pro­
<( 0... cess gas and atmosphere. The primary leakage from the first seal
w 2:: can be safely vented or flared. The control system for a tandem
co H
seal arrangement is shovm in Figure 12.

-1 9.680
BORE DIA.

L-
SEAL "A"'

6.486
SHAFT DIA. 4.125 --- --1

Figure 10. Tandem Seal Arrangement.

----

GAS HANDLED:*****
ISOBUTANE 7.65
SHAFT SPEED:8,100 RPM
ETHANE 6.20
DISCHARGE PRESSURE:33.7 PSIA
ETHYLENE 6.14
DISCHARGE TEMPERATURE:100"F
PROPANE 5.31
HYDROGEN SULFIDE 4.95
*****GAS %BY WEIGHT
INERTS 4.55
PROPYLENE 16.30 HYDROGEN 4.47
METHANE 13.52 HEXANES 3.13
BUTYLENES 12.81 WATER VAPOR V4
PENTANES 10.16 NORMAL BUTANE. 2.07

Figure 8. Single Seal Arrangement- Wet Gas Compressor.

Figure 11. Isometric View: Tandem Seal Arrangement. A) mating

TO APPROVED VENT
ring, B) primary ring, C) spring, D) retainer, E) shaft sleeve,
F) housing sleeve, G) secondary 0-ring, H) stub sleeve, I) clamp
TO APPROVED VENT sleeve,]) lock sleeve, K) disc.

For natural gas and hydrogen sulfide mixtures or ammonia,

the second seal (seal B) in the Tandem seal arrangement should
be buffered with an inert gas such as nitrogen or sweet natural
gas (if nitrogen is not available). This prevents the hydrogen sul­
fide or ammonia from mixing with the bearing oil. The buffer ar­
rangement on the second seal (seal B) is represented in Figures
13 and 14.
Triple Seal Arrangement
Operating Limit
GAS SEAL
Pressure: 2,400 psi
Temperature: 500°F
Figure 9. Control Panel for Single Seal. 1) ball valve, 2) ball
valve, 3)filter, 4) needle valve, 5) pressure gauge, 6) regulating Speed: 500 ft./sec.
valve, 9) orifice union, 10) orifice union, 11) pressure switch, 12) Gases: Natural, Hydrogen, etc.
pressure switch, 13) pressure switch, 14) differential pressure Service: Hydrogen Recycle Compressors and
gauge. Gas Reinjection Compressors
 TUTORIAL SESSION ON SEALS 137

....... TOFIIRI INLET FOR NITROGEN

BUFFER GAS

OUTLET FOR GAS SEAL "A" LEAKAGE

,�- & NITROGEN BUFFER GAS LEAKAGE

/
IN ��:�I �E D
0::
(.') w
z _j
H

T
_j
0:: w
<( 0..
w :L
11] H

�
5.640
BORE
DIA.
3.032
�� '"----��· SHAFT
I I DIA.
I
I
I
I
I
I GAS HANDLED: AMMONIA
I
I SHAFT SPEED: 10;550 RPM
DISCHARGE PRESSURE: 204 PSIG
ScHnoid : I DISCHARGE TEMPERATURE: 268"F
Valvo
(N.O.)
I Figure 14. Tandem Seal Arrangement: Ammonia Service.

OUTLET FOR GAS OUTLET FOR GAS

SEAL "C" LEAKAGE SEAL "B" LEAKAGE
COMPRESSOR RADIAL & THFIUST
INTERSTAGE PRESSURE SENSING
BEARING
CAVITY FOR SEALS "A" & "B"
GAS SEAL GAS SEAL
I �
INLET FOR ILTERED PROCESS GAS

Figure 12. Control System: 1hndem Seal Arrangement. f-----1+-- � 0::

(.') w
z _j
H _j
0:: w
INLET FOR ALTERED PROCESS GAS-\ <{ 0..
w :L
OUTLET FOR GAS SEAL "A" LEAKAGE�-' \ 11]
& SWEET METHANE GAS LEAKAGE
r-------�--T---�r•
INLET FOR FILTERED "SWEET"
METHANE BUFFER GAS
VENT & DRAIN FOR BEARING
OIL & GAS SEAL "B" LEAKAGE lrrd:.k..l.n+..,..,J.t/ro7rtr��T-T
0::
(.') w
z _j
H _j
0:: w
<{ Q_
w :L GAS HANDLED: HYDROGEN
11] H SHAFT SPEED: 10,500 RPM
DISCHARGE PRESSURE: 1,800 PSIG
DISCHARGE TEMPERATURE: 150"F
1----- 3.500
Figure 15. Triple Seal Arrangement.
GAS HANDLED: METHANE & HYDROGEN SULFIDE
SHAFT SPEED: 23,550 RPM
DISCHARGE PRESSURE: 1,500 PSIG
DISCHARGE TEMPERATURE: 300"F

Figure 13. Tandem Seal Arrangement: Sour and Toxic Service. In processes where zero leakage to the atmosphere is the
plant safety requirement, a double opposed seal arrangement
(Figure 17) with plant nitrogen buffer should be utilized. The nit­
rogen buffer leaks into the process at a selective rate ( < 1 scfm)
In this arrangement (Figure 15), the sealing pressure is bro­ and also leaks (< 1 scfm) to the atmosphere. This prevents at­
ken down across the first (seal A) and second (seal B) seal. The mospheric and bearing oil contamination. A thorough investiga­
primary leakage is after the second seal. The seal design permits tion of the plant safety procedures must be undertaken and
a natural breakdovm (approximately 50 percent across each seal) of should incorporate the review of control system requirements
pressure across the two seals without any external controls. The for the double opposed seals.
control system for a triple seal arrangement is shown in Figure 16.
Non-Elastomer Arrangement
Double Opposed Arrangement
Operating Limit
Operating Limit
Pressure: 1,000 psi
Pressure: 250 psi
Temperature: 750°F
Temperature: -80°F to 500°F
Speed: 500 ft./sec.
Speed: 500 ft./sec.
HCl, Styrene, Methyl Chloride, etc. Gas: Steam, Process Gas
Gases:
Toxic and Corrosive Process Gas Compressors Service: Steam Turbines, Turbo-expanders
Service:
138 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SEVENTEENTH TURBOMACHINERY SYMPOSIUM

3.500 D.
:1::.0005
SHAFT

Figure 18. Non Elastomer Seal Arrangement.

Special Arrangement
Operating Limit
Pressure: 1,000 psi
Temperature: 400°F
Speed: 500 ft./sec.
Fluid: Natural Gas Liquids (NGL) Supercritical C02
Service: Pumps

The concept of dry seals can be extended to high vapor pres­

Figure 16. Control System: IHple Seal Arrangement. 1) check
sure liquids on pumps. In Figure 19, the first (seal A) seal
valve, 2) block/bleed valve, 3) pressure gauge, 4) ball valve, 5)
supplies enough heat to vaporize the liquid at its periphery. The
filter, 6) differential pressure gauge, 7) differential pressure
result is that the seal leaks gas (vapor) that can be safely vented.
switch, 8) orifice union, 9) differential pressure gauge, 10) pres­
The second (seal B) seal acts as a safety backup and contains the
sure relief valve, 11) pressure gauge, 12) pressure switch, 13)
process leakage. In continuous and intermittent pump services,
pressure switch, 14) block/bleed valve, 15) regulating valve, 16)
control of the fluid film across mechanical contacting seals has
needle valve, 17) orifice union, 18) orifice union, 19) needle
been a sealing problem within the industry.
valve.

OUTLET FOR GAS

SEAL "A" LEAKAGE
0::
Buffer Gas: w
Plant N�rogen __j l9
__j z
w H
Q.. 0::
::E <(
H w
llJ

OJ

�
:::0
z
G) ___.l_'j ·r
L----- 2.875
SHAFT DIA.

-L.�
12.125 -------�

GAS HANDLE: "LIGHT'' HYDROCARBONS

SPECIFIC GRAVITY: .5445
SHAFT SPEED: 3,565 RPM
DISCHARGE PRESSURE: 490 PSIA
DISCHARGE TEMPERATURE: 125'F

Figure 19. Vaporizing Liquids Seal Arrangement.

Figure 17. Double Opposed Seal Arrangement.

For optimal dry gas seal application an analysis of the fluid
composition and the change in enthalpy of the fluid is essential.
Heat balance ratios must be reviewed in order to maintain a con­
stant film of gas (vapor) at the sealing surfaces.
The nonelastomeric seal design (Figure 18) permits applica­
tion of this dry seal arrangement at temperatures above 500°F.
Low and intermediate pressure steam turbines natural gas, and CONCLUSIONS
tail gas expanders are applications where high temperatures are It has been demonstrated in operating applications that a
the norm. thorough review of the service conditions, plant safety, and relia-
 TUTORIAL SESSION ON SEALS 139

bility requirements is essential prior to consideration of gas REFERENCES

seals. 1. Sedy, J., "A New Self Aligning Mechanism for Spiral Groove
Proper selection of seal arrangements and control systems in­
Gas Seal Stability," ASLE-79-LC-3B-3 (1979).
corporating plant operating philosophies is crucial to a success­
ful retrofit and high availability of that piece of equipment. 2. Sedy, J., "Improved Performance of film Riding Gas Seals
Whereas, with oil seals, little or no consideration was given to through Enhancement of Hydrodynamic Effects," ASLE-78-
the process gas sealed, with dry seals the process gas itself is LC-3B-1 (1978).
utilized in the seal as a buffer. Hence, it is essential to understand
the seal dynamics, gas contaminants and process fluctuations.
140 PROCEEDINGS OF THE SEVENTEENTH TURBOMACHINERY SYMPOSIUM