Upgrading Centrifugal Compressors with Polymer Seals in an Ethylene Plant—a Cas
نویسنده
چکیده
Thermoplastic use as labyrinth seals in rotating equipment is continuing to gain acceptance in the process industries. Presented in this paper is a discussion on thermoplastic use as a labyrinth seal material in centrifugal process compressors. Labyrinths made from engineering thermoplastics are used to improve efficiency, reliability, and installation time. An introduction to the polymer materials commonly used for these applications is followed by a discussion on polymer labyrinth seal engineering. Finally, the case history is discussed. This particular case history involves the upgrading of seven compressors at an ethylene plant in Orange, Texas. The process involved upgrading and evaluating one compressor then converting the remaining six. A discussion on this process is presented followed by coverage of the installation and subsequent efficiency gains. Included is the presentation of results from an advanced computational fluid dynamic (CFD) analysis of two labyrinth seal designs.
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