COMPRESSOR SEALING

Dry Gas Seal Basics

Content
 Basic operation
 Seal key features
 Arrangements

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Centrifugal Compressor

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 DGS

Stationary unit
4. Seal face
6 5. Springs

1 4 5 6. Thrust ring + dynamic o-ring

2 3
Rotating unit
1. Seat
2. Shaft sleeve
3. Clamping sleeve

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 PDGS

Stationary unit
4. Seal face
6 5. Springs

1 4 5 6. Thrust ring + PTFE dynamic

sealing element

2 7 7. Balance sleeve

3
Rotating unit
1. Seat
2. Shaft sleeve
3. Clamping sleeve

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Principle of operation

PRESSURE

Contact free
Lift off
=>
SHAFT ROTATION
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 Acting forces
STATIC

Pressure
Pressure gradient Seat Seal Face gradient and
spring force
DYNAMIC

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Dry Gas Seal Leakage

NON-CONTACT OPERATION

FLOW THROUGH SEALING GAP -

LEAKAGE
Sealing gap
Seal size
Differential pressure
Viscosity
Speed
Temperature
speed

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 Key Design features

State of the art face High performance

materials coating technology

3D groove shape Safe and reliable torque

transmission

High performance PTFE Leakage optimized

solution groove design

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 Key design features

 Sliding materials
Material Carbon TC (Ni) SiC Si3N4
Magnitude sintered

Spec. Mass (kg/dm³) 2..2,5 14,5 3,1 3,26

Tensile Strength (MPa) 80..120 1700 450 850

E-Modulus 10-4(N/mm2) 2..4 60-63 30-41 35

Thermal Conductivity  (W/mK) 7..12 80 100...130 30

Thermal Coefficient of 4..5 4,8 4 2,1

Expansion  (10-6/K).

 Enables easy centering and assembly without tolerance

strips
Back
 Minimized influence on rotor
 Low centrifugal forces & high degree of thermal
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 Basic feature - high performance coating technology
Top view Top view

Amorphous “Diamond Like Crystalline Diamond Coating

Carbon” (DLC) coating

DLC Property Cryst. Diamond

Querschnitt
1000 … 4000 HV Hardness 10000 HV

30…220 GPa Young’s modulus 1150 GPa

Therm. conductivity
0.1…10 W/mK 2000 W/mK
@ 20°C

Cross section ≈ 250°C max. Temperature ≈ 600°C Cross section

adhesive covalent
Bonding to SiC
(fairly good bonding) (excellent bonding) Back
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 Basic feature - 3D grooves

Unidirectional Bidirectional

Pressure increase
Pressure increase GAS entry

GAS entry

Direction of rotation Direction of rotation

 Self cleaning by centrifugal forces

Back
 No high edges
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 Basic feature - leakage optimized groove design

 Constant and stable leakage behavior with “U-groove” for moderate pressures and
temperatures in DGS20 seal series
 Optimized leakage rates even under high pressures with „D-groove“
 Overall by far lower leakage level than compareable hard-soft combinations
 Individual leackage optimized design available upon request
Calculation basis: shaft size 148, Gas: Methane, Gas inlet temperature: 100°C, leakage given for one DryGasSeal
Hard-soft combination calculated for EagleBurgmann hard soft face combination Back
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 Basic feature - safe and reliable torque transmission

Non-positive torque transmission for standard Smart torque transmission device for high loads
applications
Smooth torque transmission by friction drive For special applications, like high pressure, seals
-> Sufficient for moderate friction forces between for high energy pumps, contamination resistant
sliding faces seals:
-> Rings will only slip – not break in a high torque Smart torque transmission by axial springs
event -> Safe and reliable torque transmission under high
loads

Back
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 Basic feature - The PTFE solution

Under high pressure and/or high temperatures orings tend Solution: EagleBurgmann Polymer Dry Gas Seal solution
to Extrusion -> This can lead to an hang up and to a seal
failure

1
12
4 3

Seal Face (1) Supporting ring Balance sleeve Housing (4)

(2) (3)
Material Silicium Carbide Tungsten Carbide Tungsten Carbide Stainless steel
Thermal expansion 3,4*10-6 K-1 5,0*10-6 K-1 5,0*10-6 K-1 10,5*10-6 K-1
coefficient
Young's modulus 380 000 N/mm²EagleBurgmann
600/ August
0002016N/mm² 600 000 N/mm²
© EagleBurgmann 210 000 N/mm²
Basic feature - The PTFE solution

Functional gap
constant, minimized  no extrusion
Polymer sealing element
universal chemical resistance of PTFE
No explosive decompression
unlimited decompression rate

Supporting ring
no PTFE shrinking on sleeve
Spring loaded
no cold flow

Back
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 Arrangements
ARRANGEMEN
TS

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 Single Seal

• Suitable to non-toxic and non-hazardous gases

• Venting of product gas to atmosphere permitted
• In combination with a co-axial separation seal -> acting as a tandem seal

A B D

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Single Seal

Seal gas supply

Separation seal
gas supply
Vent
A B D

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 Double Seal

• No emission
• Suitable for toxic and hazardous gases
• Suitable for low pressure applications (p < flare pressure)
• No flare connection required
• Available nitrogen pressure must be at least 2.5 bar over product gas pressure
• Process must allow a nitrogen contamination

A C S D

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 Double Seal

Buffer gas supply

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C

Seal gas supply

S

Vent
© EagleBurgmann
D

Separation seal
gas supply
 Tandem Seal

• Partially suitable for hazardous gases

• Enhanced safety by tandem seal
• Venting of small amounts of product gas
(<3stdl/min) to atmosphere permitted

A B S D

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 Tandem Seal

Primary seal
gas supply

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B

Primary vent
S

Secondary vent
© EagleBurgmann
D

Separation seal
gas supply
 Tandem Seal with intermediate labyrinth

• No emissions to atmosphere
• Suitable for toxic and hazardous gases
• Enhanced safety by tandem seal
• Availability of nitrogen required

A B C S D

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 A

Primary seal
gas supply

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B
Tandem Seal with intermediate labyrinth

Primary vent
C

Secondary seal
gas supply
S

Secondary vent
© EagleBurgmann
D

Separation seal
gas supply
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