(14d) Shaft Seals for Compressors in Ethylene Plants

Never before has there has been so much pressure among ethylene producing plants to achieve maximum compressor reliability and product quality to comply with today's strict local and global emission standards. Compressor shaft seals and sealing systems are critical to plant reliability. This paper will cover shaft seal types and arrangements installed on compressors serving the ethylene industry, advantages and disadvantages of the different seal types, and a description of control and auxiliary system required for each seals type. Critical parameters and milestones necessary to insure long-term continuous operations will be discussed.