Seal Support Systems

Qseals supplies a complete line of Seal Support Systems based on the thermosyphon principle. The thermosyphon effect (natural convection) cools the seal faces. Combined with a stable fluid film, this considerably extends the service life of the seal.

Barrier fluid

A mechanical seal consists of two seal faces that form the primary seal. Between the two faces is a fluid film (very thin, 2 to 3 µm) that provides lubrication. Without a stable fluid film, the seal faces would run in direct contact with each other and build up enormous frictional heat. This high temperature causes excessive wear and seal failure. The key to good sealing is therefore a good, cool and stable fluid film.

With a single mechanical seal, the process fluid acts as the fluid film between the seal faces. As long as the process fluid is suitable for this, a single seal can be used. However, many process fluids are not suitable for cooling and lubricating the seal faces. Think of slurries, fluids that vaporise because of the pressure drop across the seal faces, fluids that are too cold or too hot, and so on. In all of these situations, an external barrier fluid is essential to keep a good fluid film. A good fluid film extends service life dramatically.

Advantages of the Qseals Seal Support System

With Seal Support solutions from Qseals, you benefit from:

Longer service life (MTBF) and maximum uptime
The Qseals Thermosyphon line makes full use of your process capacity by extending MTBF.
Greatly reduced water use and associated costs
Traditional ‘quench to drain’ methods waste enormous amounts of water (up to 6 million litres per seal per year). You save significantly on water consumption and waste water treatment.
Unique split design
Our seal support systems have a split design, which makes them unique. Thanks to this design, the systems are easy to clean thoroughly and the tank lasts longer.
Fast return on investment (ROI)
The longer service life and the savings on water, energy and operating costs give you a very fast ROI.
Better for the environment
A smaller carbon footprint and lower environmental impact, thanks to large savings on water and energy.
Lower operating costs
Thermosyphon systems are largely maintenance-free, so your maintenance technicians and process operators can be deployed elsewhere in the plant.
Reduced energy consumption
The amount of water that can reach the product past the seal faces is reduced to an absolute minimum, so evaporation steps that would otherwise be needed in the production process are no longer required.

Pressure system

The pressure system is normally filled with a barrier fluid such as water or oil. For applications where water is not possible or not desirable, a suitable oil is available from Qseals. The system can be kept under pressure using the plant’s compressed air or nitrogen supply, or a compressed air cylinder. Qseals supplies three different systems, each of which can be extended with various options. The basic system consists of a pressure vessel with a sight glass. It can be used without overpressure to provide cooling at moderate loads, to prevent crystallisation of water-based solutions, or to protect against dry running.

The pressure system adds an air/N2 regulator and a pressure valve to the basic system, so you can pressurise the vessel from an existing pressure line in the plant. An overpressure of at least 1 bar above the process pressure prevents abrasive particles in the process fluid from damaging the seal faces. Additional options include a cooling coil (both in the vessel and around the supply line to the seal, which strengthens the thermosyphon effect) and various pressure sensors.

Water retention system

The water retention system consists of the basic system, but is pressurised by connecting it directly to the available water supply. The result is a system that is not only low-maintenance but also very reliable. It comes complete with a pressure gauge, flow indicator and non-return valve to absorb pressure fluctuations. This system can also be extended to provide additional cooling capacity.