All,
Is anybody aware of using water as a buffer fluid in mechanical shaft seal for ammonia service?
It is a new design of the turbine working on gaseous ammonia in close energy recovery cycle and not in refrigeration cycle. Pressure and temperature at seal inlet are 125 psi and 70 deg F, speed 1800 rpm and shaft DIA 6". Big machine.
With stand alone oil bearings (magnetic bearings in the future) in mind it looks like expensive dry gas seal plus air/ammonia or nitrogen/ammonia separation system are the only choice. In the same time with use of water as a buffer I can probably use much less expensive, more simple face seal with all needed arrangements of clean ammonia vent, ammonia/water mix vent and air/water mix vent.
I am new in the ammonia field and not sure about ammonia/water separation system. How complicated and expensive it is, how clean will be ammonia after separation and can it be return to the cycle. Please help. Thank you in advance.
Is anybody aware of using water as a buffer fluid in mechanical shaft seal for ammonia service?
It is a new design of the turbine working on gaseous ammonia in close energy recovery cycle and not in refrigeration cycle. Pressure and temperature at seal inlet are 125 psi and 70 deg F, speed 1800 rpm and shaft DIA 6". Big machine.
With stand alone oil bearings (magnetic bearings in the future) in mind it looks like expensive dry gas seal plus air/ammonia or nitrogen/ammonia separation system are the only choice. In the same time with use of water as a buffer I can probably use much less expensive, more simple face seal with all needed arrangements of clean ammonia vent, ammonia/water mix vent and air/water mix vent.
I am new in the ammonia field and not sure about ammonia/water separation system. How complicated and expensive it is, how clean will be ammonia after separation and can it be return to the cycle. Please help. Thank you in advance.