Non-leak pumps have been the dream of pump designers ever since the first pump was invented back in the dark ages. We all want a non leaking pump for the obvious reasons. Because of this desire there are a number of companies willing to supply just about any kind of “Voodoo” you are looking for. Let’s take a look at the non seal pump subject and see if this type of pump make sense in your application.

Dual seals are recommended for a variety of purposes, but in this paper we will be considering the use of dual seals as an environmental control to prevent the sealed product from either opening the seal faces, or damaging one of the seal components, the two reasons any mechanical seal ever failed.

The seal gland is that part that holds the stationary half of the mechanical seal and attaches to the stuffing box. The most universally used gland is labeled the American Petroleum Institute (API) gland. The API (American Petroleum Institute) gland incorporates several important environmental controls and safety features. It should be specified for all petroleum refinery service because of the danger of an explosion or fire, but should also be recommended any time you are pumping any type of dangerous product. The gland has several features you need to understand.

ANSI is an acronym used to describe the American National Institute Pump Standard. The standard evolved from the American Voluntary Standard (AVS) that was first proposed by the Manufacturing Chemists Association in the nineteen fifties. It is a set of inch dimensional standards that describe the envelope dimensions of a back pull out, centrifugal pump.

A pump’s efficiency can degrade as much as 10% to 25% before it is replaced, according to a study of industrial facilities commissioned by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and efficiencies of 50% to 60% or lower are quite common. However, because these inefficiencies are not readily apparent, opportunities to save energy by repairing or replacing components and optimizing systems are often overlooked.

Consumers use the term “flushing” to describe six different methods of bringing fluid to the stuffing box area of a centrifugal pump. Experienced seal people use different terms to differentiate between the methods.

In industry, power consumption in the manufacturing environment accounts for approximately one-third of all energy consumed annually in the U.S. In the enclosed-gearing industry, questions, such as “how efficient is product X,” are becoming increasingly common. Several factors influence how efficiency is lost during the operation of the gearbox system. Let’s get started and first take a look at the effect oil seals and lubricants can have on gearbox efficiency.