Complete compressor drygas seal failure
Complete compressor drygas seal failure
(OP)
Hello !
We are just performing a risc analysis for a complete drygas seal failure (inner and outer seal of a turbocompressor tandem seal).
In our company we didn-t face such an event until now,
so we are not able to determinate the probability of such an event.
I would appreciate any informations regarding complete seal failure at turbocompressors and the probability of such an event.
thanks in advance
Ed
We are just performing a risc analysis for a complete drygas seal failure (inner and outer seal of a turbocompressor tandem seal).
In our company we didn-t face such an event until now,
so we are not able to determinate the probability of such an event.
I would appreciate any informations regarding complete seal failure at turbocompressors and the probability of such an event.
thanks in advance
Ed





RE: Complete compressor drygas seal failure
complete failure of dry gas seals are expensive and can be hazardous to equipment/personnel depending upon the gas being compressed - the compressed gas may leak to atmosphere.
hope this helps or this a start.
good luck!
-pmover
RE: Complete compressor drygas seal failure
Generally your seal gas is supplied through a port on the discharge piping of the compressor and then regulated down to about 30 psig or so higher than suction pressure. During start-up/shutdown you don't have this differential pressure built up...so becomes the job of the seal gas booster.
Without this system, you cannot safely assume that you are keeping process gas/debris from the labrynth and/or the carbon seals.
RE: Complete compressor drygas seal failure
RE: Complete compressor drygas seal failure
RE: Complete compressor drygas seal failure
If you have a stable rotor then seal contamination will likely be the number one killer of seals.
You have to ask yourself and the OEM what kind of failure modes the seal can undergo when it becomes contaminated. i.e. Will it fail slowly and simply stop providing the sealing performance required, or will the contamination cause the seal to hang up and basically self destruct sending debris throughout the rest of the seal system. I have seen both instances occur in the field.
Hope this causes you to think deeper and ask for the support from the compressor and seal vendor.
RE: Complete compressor drygas seal failure
there was no report from original poster if there was a pre-warning of seal damage or if it just went south in a quick fashion. I can offer further help with some details of what happened prior to the total seal failure.