Type 8628VL Multiphase Lubricating Pipeline Seal

How it Works: John Crane’s Multiphase Non-Contacting Pipeline Seal in Action  

In conventional contacting wet seals, such as those that use liquid ethane as a lubricant, the hydrocarbon must remain a liquid to be effective.  

The Type 8628VL uses spiral groove technology to seal ethene at pipeline pressures without face contact — helping keep mechanical seals operating efficiently and reliably whether ethane is in the liquid, supercritical or vapour phase.  

• The Type 8628VL seals purity ethane and ethylene in both static and dynamic conditions. 
• This liquid film riding, non-contacting pipeline seal uses spiral groove technology to seal ethane and ethylene at pipeline pressure without face contact. It does so by operating with full face lubrication on phase changing fluids’ liquid, supercritical and vapour phases. 
• Face contacting seals configured as tandem seals depend upon liquid phase process fluid (ethane or ethylene) for inboard seal face lubrication and often 15 to 30 GPM of filtered flush flow for cooling of the faces. The Type 8628VL requires only 2 to 3 GPM flush fluid flow for operation. 
• Face-contacting seals have been applied with sophisticated, expensive lubrication systems like API Plan 54 systems requiring utility power and separate barrier fluids. 
• The Type 8628VL is a non-contacting seal that uses process fluid even when changes in the fluid phase occur, which provides reliable seal face lubrication and extended mean time between repair (MTBR).