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By
Er. Laxman Singh Sankhla
B.E.Mech., Chartered Engineer
Jodhpur, India
Mail ID: laxman9992001@yahoo.co.in
Packing and Mechanical Seals
Packing fills the stuffing box (Figure 2.13) to minimize the amount of
leakage along the shaft by sealing the clearance space between the shaft and
casing. A throat brushing prevents the packing from being forced into the eye
of the impeller by the gland follower.
gland follower against the other parts of the packing gland regulates the flow
and leakage rate of the fluid lubricant.
Although a large number of centrifugal pumps use braided packing in stuffing
boxes (Figure 2.14) mechanical seals have gained acceptance in the petroleum
industry They:
1. Require no leakage which is very important when pumping
hydrocarbons because of the potential safety hazard,
2. Last much longer than packing, and
3. Require less maintenance.
These are real advantages if the pump is in a hard to reach or inaccessible
location.
There are many different types of mechanical seals available on the market
however, all mechanical seals have similar basic components and operate
similarly. A typical mechanical seal consists of rotating parts attached to the
shaft and stationary parts secured to the seal plate, which is bolted directly to
the casing. The highly polished sealing faces of the rotating and stationary parts
are held in contact by one or more springs.