Rotary vane blower sealing types
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Our company needs to purchase several Roots blowers for transporting gas composed of 20% sulfur dioxide, which is used in acid production; the sealing solutions provided by different manufacturers vary. Some use mechanical seals, while others use inert gas (nitrogen) sealing. Any marine engineer who has worked with this type of equipment could please share some insights? Thank you!
It’s probably better to use a labyrinth seal. The particles and substances present in the flue gas can cause damage to mechanical seals, and rotary vane fans themselves generate significant vibration, which makes mechanical seals prone to damage.
Mechanical seals are recommended. The particulates in the gas have a strong abrasive effect on the comb teeth of the labyrinth, causing it to break down after a short time; repair is troublesome. Filling with nitrogen to balance the seal is generally used in situations where toxic gases are involved and zero leakage is required; moreover, nitrogen needs to be continuously supplied, which incurs considerable costs.
It seems that the failure rate of mechanical seals is higher in Roots blowers
The gas is clean. Flue gas before entering the conversion process.
A packing seal is sufficient; all the Roots blowers used in our company for transporting biogas are equipped with this type of seal
If environmental regulations are strict, use nitrogen for sealing