SEPTEMBER 2019 MAINTENANCE
for minimal outlay, can deliver
significant reductions in energy
use as well as improving the
efficiency of seal and support
system and, consequently,
pump reliability.
Reduce energy use;
conserve water
In theory, one solution to
excessive water use would be
simply to reduce the amount
of liquid being injected into a
system. However, this tends to
compromise seal life, increasing
the risk of leakage and leading
to costly downtime and outages.
But for those companies
which have upgraded to
the ‘continuous loop’ seal
support systems that have
been developed in recent
years, energy conservation
goes hand-in-hand with water
conservation.
Continuous loop water
management systems employ an
integral vessel to store flushing
water for constant recycling.
The barrier fluid is circulated to
and from the mechanical seal
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Undertaking
regular seal
inspections
should be part
of any plant’s
maintenance
strategy
via thermosiphon – a method
of passive heat exchange which
circulates the fluid, minimising
water waste and providing
more efficient cooling.
Because continuous loop
systems are connected directly
to the plant water line, which
becomes the system’s fluid and
pressure source, they protect
the seal faces from harmful
products, making
them, and therefore the pump
itself, more reliable.
To set the potential return
in investment in the context
of a typical paper mill, where
six litres of water per minute
can be injected into pumps
and systems to flush and cool
them before being evaporated
off, investment in a continuous
loop water management system
can achieve reduced energy
use of over 14.7 million kw/h,
leading to savings of over
£400,000 and a ROI within
three to four months. This
is in addition to improved
plant reliability and reduced
maintenance times.
Far from being insignificant in terms of energy
use, the mechanical seal can act as the ‘canary in
the coal mine’ in identifying unnecessary power
usage caused by inefficient support systems.
Seal energy audits can also provide an
important communications bridge between plant
maintenance and reliability personnel, who often
make decisions about piping plans in isolation,
and operational stakeholders with responsibility
for energy consumption, who often have limited
visibility of how that seal piping plan impacts on
wider energy use and operational efficiency.
In addition to the reliability improvements and
long-term cost savings that a seal energy audit can
deliver, a company could also add the less easily
calculable environmental benefits, not to mention
reputational boosts from being able to visibly
demonstrate a commitment to ISO 50001. As
such, a seal energy audit should be a key feature of
any responsible company’s maintenance plans.
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