Mechanical Seals with Oil as Buffer

in High-Pressure Centrifugal Pumps

High-pressure centrifugal pumps offer such operational advantages as mechanical reliability and
low maintenance cost. Buffer fluid used in most of the pumps is water, which can cause freezing and
pump warping. The operating experience with tandem mechanical seals using oil as a buffer fluid
shows that it is reliable and efficient.

Arif Jamal
Fauji Fertilizer Company Ltd., Goth Machhi, Sadikabad, District Rahim Yar Khan, Pakistan

Plant Ammonia Pump

Fauji Fertilizer Company Ltd. (FFC) operates two
Ammonia I urea plants at Goth Machhi, Pakistan. The
first plant (Plant I) was commissioned hi early 1982
with design capacities of 1,000 metric ton of ammonia
and 1,725 metric ton of urea per day. The plant was
successfully revamped to 122% of design capacity in
1990. The second plant (Plant II) with design capaci-
ties of 1,100 metric ton of ammonia and 1,925 metric
ton of urea per day was commissioned in March,
1993. Both plants employ Haldor Tops0e technology
for ammonia and the Snamprogetti process for urea.
FFC opted for use of modern technologies in its
plants. High-speed centrifugal ammonia feed pumps
were selected for the urea unit of Plant 2. The pump
model selected was Sundstrand Model HMP 5112,
similar to high-pressure carbamate pumps which have
been successfully proven in many urea plants through-
out the world. A similar model for carbamate service
has been operating virtually troublefree at Plant I.
Table 1 contains ammonia pump data. To produce
urea, liquid ammonia is required at very high pressure.
Liquid ammonia arrives at a urea plant battery limit of
about 15 bar and 36°C from the ammonia plant and it
is stored in a vessel. Downstream of this vessel, two
booster pumps increase the ammonia pressure from
about 15 bar to 23 bar. This low-pressure liquid
ammonia is then pumped to high-speed, two-stage
centrifugal pumps driven by 6.3-kV electric motors. A
gearbox is provided to increase pump speed. Both
stages operate at the same speed.
Discharge of the second stage at about 223 bar is
sent toward the urea reactor as feed for the urea syn-
thesis reaction.
Composition of liquid ammonia is as follows:
NH3 99.80 wt. %
H20 0.20 wt. %
Oil 5 ppm (max.)

AMMONIA TECHNICAL MANUAL 160 1996

 Table 1. Ammonia Pump Data

Fluid handled Liquid Ammonia

Temp, min/oper/max. °C 20/36/40
Density at min/oper/max. Temp. kg/m3 610/586/579
Pump speed rpm 20562
Suction pressure nor/max. bar 23/28
Discharge pressure bar 223
Differential pressure bar 204
Capacity min/nor/rated 67.7/119/127 (152 max.)
N.P.S.H available m 150
Estimated absorbed power kW 1,220
Sealing type Tendern Mechanical
Flushed fluid NH3 + Buffer
No. of impellers 2
Dia. first stage design/max. mm 130.81/136.27
Dia. second stage design/max. mm 158.24/164.5

At any time, one pump shall remain in service while
the other is on standby. Changeover/startup is only
done in the field after thorough checking.
Motor/pumps are equipped with various alarms and
trips to safeguard one of the most critical machines of
the complex.
Seal System
The Fauji HMP-5112 ammonia pumps incorporate
tandem mechanical seals arrangements, using a seal
flush with process fluid and a seal buffer with oil.
The buffer oil is drawn from the reservoir tank and
pumped to both stages. Prior to entering the seal
chambers of both stages, the pressure is monitored by
orifices which also are provided at the downstream of
buffer seals to prevent ammonia vaporization.
The buffer system has a bypass, pressure differential
control valve PDCV to reduce the buffer oil pressure
during startup and shutdown. The valve position is
controlled by pressure transmitters which help in
responding to process pressure and buffer oil pressure
and in maintaining a differential pressure between
process and buffer oil. The buffer oil is introduced in
seal chambers of both stages through pressure letdown
orifices. Low-pressure differential switches monitor-
ing the buffer oil flow in seal chambers of first and
second stages are set to alarm when flow decreases
(Figure 1).
The seal flush is drawn off the first-stage discharge,
filtered and introduced through a pressure control
valve to the first stage and directly to the second stage.
Low-pressure differential switches monitor the seal
flush flow in both stages (Figure 2).
Seals
The process side seals are John Crane Type 8 AB
with hydro pads (Figure 3). The hydro pad design pro-
vides additional film thickness for sealing light fluids.
These stationary seals are carbon graphite with 78%
balance face. A retainer material SS 316 retains the
face, and four antirotation lugs in the retainer prevent
the face rotation. Four springs keep the stationary and
rotating faces together. The seal-mating face (rotating
face) is of tungsten carbide encapsulated by a SS 316
ring.
Buffer oil seals are similar in construction except for

AMMONIA TECHNICAL MANUAL 161 1996

 ft
*t
AL
n
HM- 'M

M' N

M' -M-

Figure 1. Buffer oil system of Fauji pumps. Figure 2. Seal flush system of Fauji pumps.

RETAINER

STATIONARY FACE
THRUST PUWE RETAINER
ATING FACE
SPRING ^
f_ ANTI-ROTATI0H PIN

STATIONARY fACE
SLEEVE 0-RINGS

PROCESS SEAL
(HYDRO PADS)
ANTI ROTATION LUG AHT1 ROTATION LUG

Figure 3. Seal details. Figure 4. Modification in buffer oil seals.

AMMONIA TECHNICAL MANUAL 162 1996

 DISCHARGE UNE
RECYCLE LINE
SUCTION UNE
X results were not positive. This valve had to be operat-
X malfunctioning. During the investigation it was dis-
Figure 5. Nitrogen pressurizing.
hydraulic balance (65%) and face material (graphite
with 70% silicon carbide). The hydro pads are not pro-
vided here, since it is sealing viscous oil.
Operating Experience
During the first year of operation, the buffer seal
failure incidents were unexpectedly high. All the fail-
ure incidents were investigated. To address the prob-
lem, a modification was also carried out by the manu-
facturer in buffer seals to improve the reliability of
seals. Eventually, all the problems were overcome, and
seal performance is now satisfactory. Following are
details of some of the incidents.
Buffer oil seal failures
Initially, the average life of seals was about two
months. The majority of the failures were of buffer oil
seals.
Wearing of Antirotation Lugs. Almost all of the
failed seals exhibited a common problem, which was
premature wearing of the antirotation lugs. Premature
wearing of antirotation lugs was due to various rea-
sons.
Pressure Differential Control Valve. The buffer oil
seal arrangement is simple and employs flow orifices
for pressure monitor. The pressure differential control
valve is the only control valve buffer circuit; however,
its malfunction has direct effect on seal life. The
response of the pressure differential control valve
installed at the buffer oil circuit had not been up to
AMMONIA TECHNICAL MANUAL
expectations until its root problem was rectified.
Deterioration in the internal parts of its controller and
transmitters was very frequent. Various attempts were
made to calibrate the controllers and transmitters, but
ed manually on a number of occasions when it started
covered that external vibrations transmitting from pip-
ing was causing distress in the control valve's trans-
mitters. The transmitter was relocated to a more
remote location where vibration could not be induced
from the surroundings. This resolved the problem and
allowed the control valve to be put back in automatic
operation.
Recycle Flow Valves. Fauji pumps are furnished with
recycle flow valves which help maintain the pump
operation within the operating range. The pumps
tripped a number of times due to malfunctioning of
these flow valves. These valves were problematic
since the commissioning of the urea plant. It was
observed that the buffer oil seal life was shortened fur-
ther when pumps encountered more startups and shut-
downs. Extensive work was carried out to rectify the
abnormal behavior of these valves, but the problem
could not be resolved. To avoid such trips, however,
the flow is being controlled using a manual isolating
valve as a recycle control valve.
Process Fluid Temperature Variation. Variation in
ammonia temperatures at pump suction causes
changes in the axial thrust of the pump rotor. The
rotating seal faces that are mounted on the rotor also
move axially with rotor axial movement. About 10°C
temperature variation results in 0.02-0.03 mm of rotor
axial movement. This axial movement aggravated the
deterioration of antirotation lugs of buffer seals.
Blockage of Flow Orifices. The flow orifices
installed downstream of buffer oil seal chambers
plugged a number of times. This caused low flow in
the seals which resulted in seal damage. Such plug-
ging occurred mainly due to small pieces that occa-
sionally dislodged from buffer seal faces and choked
the orifices. As a countermeasure, strainers were
installed upstream of these orifices. Blockage has not
been experienced after this modification.
Modification in Buffer Oil Seals. To address the fre-
quent wearing problem of antirotation lugs, the buffer
163 1996
seals were modified by the pump manufacture (Figure
4). Instead of providing antirotation lugs, an antirota-
tion pin of tungsten carbide was installed. This modifi-
cation has been proven as the permanent solution of
the problem. To improve the reliability, seal O rings
were also changed from neoprene to teflon U cup
rings.
Shattering of Rotating Faces. During the initial peri-
od of commissioning, process seals failed several
times when the pump was shutdown and depressurized
(Figure 5). In these incidents the rotating faces of
process seals were found shattered. Investigation
revealed that rotating faces were damaged due to ther-
mal shock. These faces underwent thermal shocks
when the seal was hot and exposed to low temperature
as a result of pump depressurization. The problem was
successfully resolved by depressurizing/pressurizing
under positive nitrogen pressure.
AMMONIA TECHNICAL MANUAL
Conclusion
Despite the initial seal-related problems, the pump
has achieved a high service factor. After overcoming
the problems of seal failures, the tandem mechanical
seals using oil as buffer fluid is now regarded as a reli-
able arrangement in high-pressure ammonia pumps,
which can be recommended for urea plant service.
Acknowledgment
The author wishes to acknowledge his gratitude to
M/S Adil Bin Rauf and Imran Ghauri, Machinery
Engineers of Fauji Fertilizer Company Ltd., Goth
Machhi, for providing active support during the prepa-
ration of this article.
164 1996