Evaluation of mechanical face seals operating with hydrocarbon mixtures

• Published in: Tribology international Vol. 36; no. 3; pp. 199 - 204
• Main Authors: Peng, X.D, Xie, Y.B, Gu, Y.Q
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier Ltd 01-03-2003; Elsevier
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Computer program; Crude oil, natural gas and petroleum products; Energy; Exact sciences and technology; Film pressure coefficient; Fuels; Hydrocarbon mixtures; Machine components; Mechanical engineering. Machine design; Mechanical face seals; Phase states (stability) criterion; Seals and gaskets; Transportation and distribution of crude oils and liquid petroleum products. Ships. Pipelines. Terminals. Service stations; Hydrocarbon mixtures; Phase states (stability) criterion; Film pressure coefficient; Computer program; Mechanical face seals; Face seal; Hydrocarbon; Volatility; Phase change; O ring; Experimental study; Modeling; Geometrical model; Petrochemical industry; Thermodynamics; Seal; Phase stability; Mechanical seal
• ISSN: 0301-679X; 1879-2464
• DOI: 10.1016/S0301-679X(02)00172-X

Methods are introduced for calculating thermophysical properties of the common volatile media, such as hydrocarbon mixtures in a petrochemical plant. Using a suitable equation of state for simulating thermodynamic equilibrium of the media and taking parallel face seals as geometrical models, a computer program for predicting seal performance of various phase states mechanical face seals (MFS) operating with the mixtures is presented. Based on theoretical analysis and experimental results, a criterion named fluid film pressure coefficient
K
m for identifying phase states and phase states stability of MFS is put forward. An appropriate model for determining mean face temperature is set up and compared to the test results. It is shown that the predicted results are in excellent agreement with the test results. It is proved that the methods and program may be useful in practice. It is concluded that performance of MFS can be predicted only if thermophysical properties of a sealed medium could be expressed in suitable expressions.