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Flushless single cartridge seals earn their corn on ethanol duty
applications general applications
Flushless single cartridge seals earn their corn on ethanol duty The Abengoa Bioenergy plant in York, Nebraska, USA, produces ethanol from corn, which is then used as a fuel additive in gasoline and diesel to reduce automobile emissions. Ten centrifugal pumps are utilized in the arduous ethanol production process. Each has recently been fitted with a flushless single cartridge seal in order to reduce the amount of downtime at the chemical plant.
Contents Flushless single cartridge seals on ethanol duty Building extension necessitates extra sewage capacity
John Crane’s Type 5870 flushless seal was selected for the corn mash into ethanol duty at the chemical plant in York, Nebraska. The previous seals were not standing up to the harsh environment of an ethanol plant particularly well. According to Russell Konwinski, Abengoa Bioenergy’s maintenance manager, the York facility was experiencing major trouble with the prior seal design, which was adversely affecting the longevity of their process pumps. “Most of our seals only lasted 60 to 120 days before failing,” said Konwinski, “but one seal lasted just a day before it started leaking. It was obvious that we needed something more reliable.”
Pumping system The centrifugal corn mash pumps installed at the York factory are from Goulds Pumps – nine of them come from the company’s 3196 series, the other from the 3175 series. All of them are constructed in 316 stainless steel. The Type 5870 Flushless seal from John Crane is designed specifically for use with these pumps as they contain the TaperBore™ Plus seal chamber design containing Goulds Vane Particle Ejector (VPE) ring. This allows unsupported single seal operation in slurry applications. The product at the Abengoa Bioenergy plant in York is a yellow sticky corn mash containing about 30 to 35% solids, so the slurry-handling Type 5870 seal was a perfect fit for this duty. The performance characteristics are a maximum speed of 11 m/s, temperature resistance up to 150°C, and a maximum operational pressure of 21 bar. The seals can also handle axial movement of +/- 2mm and particle sizes up to 5,000 micron in size.
WORLD PUMPS February 2004
Abengoa Bioenergy has installed 10 Type 5870 flushless single cartridge seals from John Crane at its ethanol manufacturing plant in York, Nebraska, USA. The seals are employed on the centrifugal corn mash pumps, which provide the product for the process that turns corn into ethanol.
Ethanol manufacturing plant Double seals are typically the recommended solution for ethanol plants. In this case, however, the time and expense associated with the installation of a pressurized seal support system and the danger of diluting the process fluid with barrier water escaping from a double seal solution, mitigated against following standard procedure. John Crane had already recognized the need for a flushless single cartridge seal that would not require external seal water support or a barrier fluid system, which is necessary with double mechanical seals. Although originally developed for the pulp and paper industry, the Type 5870 flushless seal has since been proven in a variety of other process industries, including ethanol production following this installation.
www.worldpumps.com 21
applications general applications John Crane’s Type 5870 flushless seal.
flush water supply – you can improve your process reliability.” Although no flushing is required, the 5870 does incorporate a quench connection, for possible upset pump operating conditions and therefore a grease or water quench media may be used to lubricate and cool the atmospheric side of the seal. According to John Finley, the local John Crane Sales Engineer, the seal has not only saved dollars in terms of decreased maintenance and downtime, it has also reduced product cost at Abengoa’s plant since they aren’t constantly ordering new seals anymore. The maintenance team at the York facility agree. “Elimination of seal support is the key benefit I believe,” says pump technician, Russell Shockey. “Now we can install a seal and not have to support it with maintenance except for the grease quench.”
Russell Konwinski and Russell Shockey, a pump technician for Abengoa Bioenergy for the last nine years, were introduced to John Crane’s Type 5870 flushless single cartridge seal in the spring of 2002. Since Abengoa Bioenergy was in the process of changing their pump styles at that time to the Goulds centrifugal units, Konwinski said it made sense to incorporate John Crane’s Type 5870 solution during their re-tooling. The factory pre-assembled single cartridge design allowed the complete pump system to be easily installed in a few hours, quickly tested, and in service for a trouble-free start-up in May 2002. More seals were then installed in July and November of 2002, with more recent installations taking the number up to 10 seals in all. According to Tom Evans, Marketing Manager for John Crane, the Type 5870 Flushless Seal is designed to operate unsupported and was an obvious solution. The open-profile, abrasiveresistant sealing faces positioned near the impeller allow maximum cool running and clog-free performance and the large, dynamic o-ring prevents fibers or solids from causing seal hangups. The Type 5870 uses heavy-duty, robust Tungsten Carbide seal faces, chemically resistant Aflas™ O-rings and 316 SS hardware. Additionally, the 5870’s single-coil spring allows for greater shaft motion due to cavitation, pulsations and other upset operating conditions. “Seals frequently fail due to sporadic or poor seal water flush conditions,” said Evans. “If you can operate a seal that eliminates this weak link – your
22
www.worldpumps.com
From a cost standpoint, Konwinski, the maintenance manager, states that the seal quickly paid for itself. “The cost of a double seal, and the manpower expense associated with its flush system, quickly adds up,” said Konwinski. “We are pleased with John Crane’s solution and are happy to report that everything we were told about the seal’s ability to reduce our operating costs has proved to be true.” Ethanol can be used as an automotive fuel by itself or, as is more common, it can be mixed with gasoline to form what is called ‘gasohol’. The most common blends in the US contain approximately 10% ethanol to 90% gasoline. More than 1 billion gallons of ethanol are currently blended every year in the USA. Fewer emissions result from the use of gasohol because the ethanol molecule contains oxygen, which allows an automotive engine to more completely combust the fuel. Since ethanol is produced from plants such as corn that harness the power of the sun it is considered, at least in part, a renewable fuel. The resource is currently being actively encouraged as a possible means of achieving environmental best practice in America and increasing the country’s fuel self-sufficiency. Chemically, ethanol is toxic to humans; it boils at just 78.5°C, and has a density of 0.789 g/mL at 20°C. It does, therefore, have to be handled carefully. The seal and pump system installed at the York, Nebraska, facility can handle the arduous duty and may well be preparing the fuel of the future.
WORLD PUMPS February 2004
Flushless single cartridge seals earn their corn on ethanol duty The Abengoa Bioenergy plant in York, Nebraska, USA, produces ethanol from corn, which is then used as a fuel additive in gasoline and diesel to reduce automobile emissions. Ten centrifugal pumps are utilized in the arduous ethanol production process. Each has recently been fitted with a flushless single cartridge seal in order to reduce the amount of downtime at the chemical plant.
Contents Flushless single cartridge seals on ethanol duty Building extension necessitates extra sewage capacity
John Crane’s Type 5870 flushless seal was selected for the corn mash into ethanol duty at the chemical plant in York, Nebraska. The previous seals were not standing up to the harsh environment of an ethanol plant particularly well. According to Russell Konwinski, Abengoa Bioenergy’s maintenance manager, the York facility was experiencing major trouble with the prior seal design, which was adversely affecting the longevity of their process pumps. “Most of our seals only lasted 60 to 120 days before failing,” said Konwinski, “but one seal lasted just a day before it started leaking. It was obvious that we needed something more reliable.”
Pumping system The centrifugal corn mash pumps installed at the York factory are from Goulds Pumps – nine of them come from the company’s 3196 series, the other from the 3175 series. All of them are constructed in 316 stainless steel. The Type 5870 Flushless seal from John Crane is designed specifically for use with these pumps as they contain the TaperBore™ Plus seal chamber design containing Goulds Vane Particle Ejector (VPE) ring. This allows unsupported single seal operation in slurry applications. The product at the Abengoa Bioenergy plant in York is a yellow sticky corn mash containing about 30 to 35% solids, so the slurry-handling Type 5870 seal was a perfect fit for this duty. The performance characteristics are a maximum speed of 11 m/s, temperature resistance up to 150°C, and a maximum operational pressure of 21 bar. The seals can also handle axial movement of +/- 2mm and particle sizes up to 5,000 micron in size.
WORLD PUMPS February 2004
Abengoa Bioenergy has installed 10 Type 5870 flushless single cartridge seals from John Crane at its ethanol manufacturing plant in York, Nebraska, USA. The seals are employed on the centrifugal corn mash pumps, which provide the product for the process that turns corn into ethanol.
Ethanol manufacturing plant Double seals are typically the recommended solution for ethanol plants. In this case, however, the time and expense associated with the installation of a pressurized seal support system and the danger of diluting the process fluid with barrier water escaping from a double seal solution, mitigated against following standard procedure. John Crane had already recognized the need for a flushless single cartridge seal that would not require external seal water support or a barrier fluid system, which is necessary with double mechanical seals. Although originally developed for the pulp and paper industry, the Type 5870 flushless seal has since been proven in a variety of other process industries, including ethanol production following this installation.
www.worldpumps.com 21
applications general applications John Crane’s Type 5870 flushless seal.
flush water supply – you can improve your process reliability.” Although no flushing is required, the 5870 does incorporate a quench connection, for possible upset pump operating conditions and therefore a grease or water quench media may be used to lubricate and cool the atmospheric side of the seal. According to John Finley, the local John Crane Sales Engineer, the seal has not only saved dollars in terms of decreased maintenance and downtime, it has also reduced product cost at Abengoa’s plant since they aren’t constantly ordering new seals anymore. The maintenance team at the York facility agree. “Elimination of seal support is the key benefit I believe,” says pump technician, Russell Shockey. “Now we can install a seal and not have to support it with maintenance except for the grease quench.”
Russell Konwinski and Russell Shockey, a pump technician for Abengoa Bioenergy for the last nine years, were introduced to John Crane’s Type 5870 flushless single cartridge seal in the spring of 2002. Since Abengoa Bioenergy was in the process of changing their pump styles at that time to the Goulds centrifugal units, Konwinski said it made sense to incorporate John Crane’s Type 5870 solution during their re-tooling. The factory pre-assembled single cartridge design allowed the complete pump system to be easily installed in a few hours, quickly tested, and in service for a trouble-free start-up in May 2002. More seals were then installed in July and November of 2002, with more recent installations taking the number up to 10 seals in all. According to Tom Evans, Marketing Manager for John Crane, the Type 5870 Flushless Seal is designed to operate unsupported and was an obvious solution. The open-profile, abrasiveresistant sealing faces positioned near the impeller allow maximum cool running and clog-free performance and the large, dynamic o-ring prevents fibers or solids from causing seal hangups. The Type 5870 uses heavy-duty, robust Tungsten Carbide seal faces, chemically resistant Aflas™ O-rings and 316 SS hardware. Additionally, the 5870’s single-coil spring allows for greater shaft motion due to cavitation, pulsations and other upset operating conditions. “Seals frequently fail due to sporadic or poor seal water flush conditions,” said Evans. “If you can operate a seal that eliminates this weak link – your
22
www.worldpumps.com
From a cost standpoint, Konwinski, the maintenance manager, states that the seal quickly paid for itself. “The cost of a double seal, and the manpower expense associated with its flush system, quickly adds up,” said Konwinski. “We are pleased with John Crane’s solution and are happy to report that everything we were told about the seal’s ability to reduce our operating costs has proved to be true.” Ethanol can be used as an automotive fuel by itself or, as is more common, it can be mixed with gasoline to form what is called ‘gasohol’. The most common blends in the US contain approximately 10% ethanol to 90% gasoline. More than 1 billion gallons of ethanol are currently blended every year in the USA. Fewer emissions result from the use of gasohol because the ethanol molecule contains oxygen, which allows an automotive engine to more completely combust the fuel. Since ethanol is produced from plants such as corn that harness the power of the sun it is considered, at least in part, a renewable fuel. The resource is currently being actively encouraged as a possible means of achieving environmental best practice in America and increasing the country’s fuel self-sufficiency. Chemically, ethanol is toxic to humans; it boils at just 78.5°C, and has a density of 0.789 g/mL at 20°C. It does, therefore, have to be handled carefully. The seal and pump system installed at the York, Nebraska, facility can handle the arduous duty and may well be preparing the fuel of the future.
WORLD PUMPS February 2004