An ethylene producer in East Texas wanted to increase the efficiency of its centrifugal compressors without sacrificing reliability. A good way to achieve that added performance was to replace the OEM aluminium interstage and balance-piston seals with thermoplastic labyrinths. Relying on our reputation they decided to upgrade one compressor and measure the results for themselves. The upgraded unit performed so well; we were asked to do the same for eight more compressors. The project went smoothly, efficiency improved, and today, that customer is extremely pleased with the performance gains. Click here for case study

A metallic seal is installed per OEM clearance. When the rotor contacts the seal during a transient event, the teeth are permanently deformed. This results in galling on the rotor, larger clearances, and more leakage. A properly designed polymer seal will have tighter installation clearances to reduce leakage. However, in a transient event, the polymer teeth deflect and move with the rotor. After the rub, the tooth regains its original “as-installed” clearance with no damage to the rotor. Click here to read the whitepaper.