LEAKAGE OF WATER FROM PUMP MECHANICAL SEALS

Technical Report · Wed Nov 01 04:00:00 EST 1961

OSTI ID:4816435

Burns, D L

Measurements of water vapor leakage past mechanical seals for pump shafts showed that commercially available mechanical seals do not leak more than about 30 lb/yr of vapor. They are therefore considered to be satisfactory for D/ sub, 2/O pumps, in power reactor applications. Both vapor and liquid leakage were measured in bench-scale tests on mechanical seals from three manufacturers for pump shaft sizes of 2.625- and 3.563-inch diameter, shaft speeds from 500 to 3600 rpm, and pressures from 250 to 1000 psig. At the rated speed of 3600 rpm and the rated pressure of 1000 psig the liquid leakage of the light water used in the tests varied from 0.3 to 17,000 lb/yr. Because the water in the seal chamber of the pump is cooled to about 45 deg C for these typical mechanical seals, liquid leakage of D/sub 2/O would be recoverable and would not represent an economic loss. The liquid leakage from most of the seals showed a general trend to decrease as the shaft speed was decreased and to increase as the pressur'e was decreased. (auth)

• Research Organization: Du Pont de Nemours (E.I.) & Co. Savannah River Lab., Aiken, S.C.
• NSA Number: NSA-16-020564
• OSTI ID: 4816435
• Report Number(s): DP-666
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

COOLING
ECONOMICS
ENGINEERING AND EQUIPMENT
HEAVY WATER
LEAKS
LIQUIDS
PRESSURE
PUMPS
SEALS
VAPORS
WATER