Sealing systems are vital in
maintaining pump efficiency, reliability, energy consumption, water usage and
control of emissions to the environment. Switching from compression packing to
a mechanical seal can significantly improve your site’s sustainability and
environmental impact.
Mechanical seals
require a lower water and energy demand and substantially reduce leakage,
making them more efficient at containing volatile or hazardous fluids, aqueous
solutions and slurry suspensions. Mechanical seals also don’t require
maintenance once installed.
Minimized Water Consumption and Leakage
Mechanical seals require little flush water to be injected into the seal chamber compared to compression packing. Abrasive pumping applications pose a significant challenge to compression packing, as substantial volumes of water are injected into the stuffing box to prevent damage to the packing rings and shaft sleeve. A mechanical seal designed for abrasive services requires a small fraction of this water volume to operate.
Reduced Power Consumption
The amount of power required to drive a mechanical seal is up to 80 percent less than compression packing because the seal faces have less frictional energy losses due to the extremely precise mating between the stationary and rotating elements. This results in reduced flush water compared to compression packing.