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UsingLabyrinthSealstoControl
ContaminantIngression
WesCash,NoriaCorporation
Tags:contaminationcontrol
MachineryLubrication(8/2013)
DuringmytravelstovariousfacilitiesacrosstheUnitedStates,Iamoftenaskedaboutthebestwayto
keepcontaminantsoutofamachine.Iusuallyexplainthatitbeginswhenthelubricantsarereceived
andhowtheyarehandled,andcontinuesuntiltheyareputintoservice.Atthatpointitbecomesa
functionoflimitingcontaminantingression.
Simplemodificationstobreathersandsightglassescanbebeneficial,butshaftsealsarejustas
importantinthisprocess.Labyrinthtypesealsarecommondevicesforcontaminantexclusion,and
whenproperlymaintained,theycangreatlyinfluencethereliabilityofthecomponentsinwhichthey
areinstalled.
Acomparisonofvarioussealmaterials(Ref.Seal&Survive,SealSchoolHandbook)
Asealsfunctionismultifaceted.Notonlyisitattachedtoamachinetokeepparticlesandoutside
contaminantsfromgettingin,butitalsomustkeepwhatisinsidethemachinewhetheritisoil,
processfluidorabarrierfluidinside.OnestudybyExxonMobilshowedthattheamountofoillostis
fourtimesthecapacityofthemachine.Theneedforminimizingleakagewhileprolongingthemachines
operatinglifeismorecriticaltoday,asthedemandsforreliabilityandthepenaltiesforfailurecontinue
torise.
Standardlipsealswilllimitcertaincontaminantsfromenteringandrestrictsomeleakage,buttheyare
subjecttofailure,especiallyinsystemswithhighpressureorextremeambientconditions.Onelimiting
factorofthesetypesofsealsistheconstructionmaterial,witheachelastomerhavingitsownstrengths
andweaknesses.
Thebasicconceptoflabyrinthsealsistoreducecontaminantingressionnotonlybyrestrictingthe
clearancethroughwhichparticlesenterbutalsobycreatingareasofturbulentflowtoexclude
contaminants.Thesetypesofsystemsprovidebetterparticleexclusionandlesslubricantleakagethan
standardlipseals,whichcontacttheshaftandrubthesurfaceduringoperation.
LipSealsvs.LabyrinthSeals
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Shaftsealsmustbeproperlyselectedandmaintained.Somesealsdoagoodjob
ofretainingoilorgreasebutdoalousyjobofexcludingcontamination.Lipseals
areaprimeexample,particularlytheonesthatareonlydirectedinward.These
typesofsealstendtowearafteraperiodoftimebecausetheymakerubbing
contactwiththeshaft.Eventually,thesealsnolongerfunctionwellfromthe
standpointofbothoilretentionandcontaminantexclusion.
LipSealLabyrinthSeal
Ontheotherhand,alabyrinthsealisnoncontacting,soitwillnothavethewear
outcondition.Thesesealsareexcellentforexcludingparticlecontaminationand
moisture,eveniftheresasprayofwaternearby.Sobothoilretentionand
contaminantexclusionareatamuchhigherlevelofperformancecomparedto
contactingmechanicalsealsandlipseals.
Ofcourse,thedisadvantageofusinglabyrinthsealsisthattheyaremore
expensive.Generally,youwillneedtoretrofittheseontheequipmentandwill
incurthecostoftheirinstallation.However,labyrinthsealswilllastlongerand
performbetter.
Labyrinthsealsareconstructedinmultiplepieces.Onepiece,knownasthestator,isaffixedtothe
machineandremainsstationary.Theotherpiece,calledtherotor,isattachedtotheshaftandrotates
withthemotionofthesystem.Thetwopiecesinterlocktoeffectivelysealoutthemajorityof
contaminantswhileholdinginthelubricantorprocessfluid.
Thesetypesofsealsarenoncontacting,whichmeansthatthetwoopposingfacesdonottoucheach
other.Theyarealsoconsideredfrictionless,astherotorandstatorareseparatedbyaverysmallgap.
Inmanyinstances,thisgapcanbeassmallas0.003inches,whichequatestoroughly76microns.This
maysoundlikealargeopeningincomparisontothe1micronlubricantfilminsidearollingelement
bearing,butbecauseofthepaththatthecontaminantmusttaketoactuallyreachthebearing,thisgap
ismorethanadequate.
Allcontaminantstryingtoenterthebearinghousingmustgothroughthesealsmaze(labyrinth)of
turnsandanglesinordertoreachthebearing.Onthepaththroughalloftheseturns,particlesare
constantlysubjectedtocentrifugalforcesduetotherotationalmotionoftheshaft,andonlyavery
smallnumbermakeitthroughtheentirelengthoftheseal.
Avarietyofdifferentlabyrinthsealsareavailable,frombronzeandstainlesssteeltoplastic.The
constructionofthesealsmayevenchangebetweenbrands,withsomeemployingmagnetsandothers
simplyusingOringstoprovidethenecessaryseatforthehousingandshaft.However,theyalloperate
onthesameprincipleandmustbeproperlyinstalledtoworkcorrectly.
Whenlookingforoptionstoboostreliabilityandminimizebearingfailures,considerthesealsthatare
inuse.Inareasofhighairborneparticulatematterorheavywashdownareas,alabyrinthstyleseal
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canhelplimittheingressofcontaminantsandprolongmachinelife.Withproperlubricationand
contaminantexclusiondevices,manybearingscancomeclosetoachievingtheirdesignlife.
References
EG&GSealol,Seal&Survive,SealSchoolHandbook,Revision3.
Fitch,J.C.,Scott,R.,&Leugner,L.(2012),ThePracticalHandbookofMachineryLubricationFourth
Edition.
Inpro/Seal,BearingIsolators.
MaintenanceTechnology(1991),BeyondPredictiveMaintenance.
Neale,M.J.,Drives&Seals:ATribologyHandbook.
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