http://www.

modernpum
pingtoday.com/solvingthe-api-seal-flush-plan11-venting-issue/
Solving the API Seal
Flush Plan-11 Venting
Issue
Sealing Solutions

One of the pumps I am handling in my current project is an OH2

self-venting centrifugal pump. It is designed for a capacity of
194.23 cubic feet (5.5 cubic meters) per hour, a head of 138.78
feet (42.3 meters) and its motor rating is 5.5 kilowatts. The pump
shall be used to transfer diesel fuel (having Specific Gravity of
0.83) from a main diesel storage tank to a generators diesel day
tank. By having a pump of a self-venting design, the pumps
casing will not have a venting connection. This is because the
pumps discharge flange is directly on top of the suction flange
(90 degrees to suction flange center line). As a result, all vapors
entrapped in the pumps casing or coming with the pumped fluid
will be vented directly through the discharge flange. In addition,

the self-venting design will remove the requirement of having a

separate venting piping at site. This means savings in construction
work, time, and operational duties.
THE SEAL ISSUE
The diesel pump was designed to have a single mechanical seal
with API seal flush plan-11. API seal plan-11 is one of the flushing
plans that are implemented for single mechanical seals. The
flushing fluid recirculates from the pump discharge to the seal
through a control flow orifice. The flushing fluid removes the heat
generated in the seal chamber due to the rotation of the
mechanical seal faces. Moreover, the fluids recirculation
increases the seal chambers pressure above the pumped fluid
vapor pressure.
After receiving the pumps General Arrangement Drawing, it was
noticed that the seal plan-11 piping was ascending and then
descending with a vent valve (see figure 1). The vent valve is
necessary to vent all the entrapped air and vapors in the seal
chamber before starting the pump. The reason for introducing this
arrangement, as explained by the pump vendor, is the pumps
small size. Therefore, a continuously rising seal flushing piping
from the seal chamber to the pump discharge cannot be achieved
due to space and manufacturing constraints.

CONSEQUENCES OF THE PROPOSED DESIGN

By having a vent valve in the API seal plan-11 piping, the pumps
operator will need to open it every time the pump is started, so all
the entrapped air / vapors in the seal chamber can be released to
atmosphere in order to have a uniform and adequate fluid
recirculation flow. As a result, the aim of having a self-venting
pump will not be achieved.
In addition, the possibility that the pumps operator does not open
the vent valve, which will eventually lead to damaging the seal
faces. This will increase the seal faces temperature due to the fact
that the required flushing flow is not achieved because of the
entrapped vapors. On the other hand, if the operator started the
pump and forgot to close the API-11 vent valve, diesel will be
flowing out to the atmosphere leading to product loss, pollution,
and definitely mechanical seal failure. The mechanical seal will
not have sufficient lubrication, and the seal faces temperature will
increase due to friction and they will be damaged eventually.

Figure 2: API seal plan-11 tubing without vent valve

PROPOSED SOLUTIONS
The mechanical seals standard API-682 3rd ed. paragraph
6.1.2.20a states the following:
On small horizontal pumps where the elevation of the discharge
nozzle is not high enough to achieve a continuously rising Plan 11
flush line, then the connection may be located in the process
piping upstream of the check valve if approved by the purchaser.
This seems to be a solution to our issue, but it was determined to
be unworkable in this particular case by our process department
and hence, another solution to be investigated.

After searching in my companys internal database for a pump

having similar size, operating conditions, and seal system, a
similar pump from a previous project having API seal plan-11 was
found. The pumps seal plan piping was connected from the
discharge flange to the side of the seal (not to the top of the seal
chamber). For a glance, this arrangement was a hope for solving
the issue, but it was not according to API-682 3rd ed. and it will
have a cost impact if applied at this stage of the project as
indicated by the pumps vendor. So another solution needed to be
found.
SOLUTION
In order to have a completely self-venting pump with a
continuously rising API plan-11 flush line and complying with
API-682 3rd ed., our rotating engineers team have decided to
modify the plan-11 flush line from being piping to tubing (see
figure 2). This solution was communicated to the pumps vendor
and was accepted without claiming any cost impact. And hence,
the design was changed and the issue was solved.
By having tubing instead of piping, the API seal plan-11 can be
continuously rising within the small amount of space available
between the discharge flange and the seal chamber. And hence, no
vent valve will be required and all of the entrapped vapors will be

vented directly to the discharge flange. Furthermore, this solution

eliminated the chances of operators mistakes while operating the
vent valve. Finally, the pump will be fully self-venting, having
adequate flushing flow, and is complying to API-682 3rd ed.
_____________________________________________________
____________________
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Khaled Ayoub is a rotating engineer for Petrofac Engineering and
Construction, one of the worlds leading oilfield service
companies. He can be reached at khaled.ayoub@petrofac.com.
For more information, visitwww.petrofac.com.