Effect of Kinematic Viscosity of Barrier Fluids on the Performance of a Bi-Directional Integrated Pumping Ring for Dual Mechanical Seals

Abstract

An experimental investigation is carried out to evaluate the performance of bi-directional pumping ring for dual mechanical seals. An experimental setup is constructed, and appropriate instrumentation are employed to measure the pressure, temperature, and flow rate of the barrier fluid. The experimental study focused on the influence of the kinematic viscosity of the barrier fluid on the performance of the pumping ring. This is done by monitoring Q-ΔP curves for various barrier fluids and temperature ranges. The tests are conducted for industrial barrier fluid compositions which are recommended by vendors of dual mechanical seals, such as Propylene Glycol-water mixtures and Diesel fuel (Grade D2). Despite the importance of the measured performance curves for process control purposes, indicated experimental curved are generalized so that they can be employed in prediction of pumping ring performance for different sizes and operational conditions. Moreover, they can be utilized for numerical models validation.