Rotary seals in high-speed water swivels and other water-lubricated equipment encounter seal life challenges due to the much lower viscosity of water compared to oils or greases. As a result of insufficient lubrication, the rotary seals and shaft can experience significant wear leading to premature equipment failure.
Kalsi Engineering recently completed a series of rotary seal tests to replicate various high-speed water swivel applications that require water as the lubricant for the rotary seals. The Enhanced Lubrication Seal geometry was selected for this testing because it has the most aggressive hydrodynamic pumping action, which overcomes the low viscosity of water.
A pair of Enhanced Lubrication rotary swivel seals (PN 568-24-14) were tested on a 2.75-inch shaft rotating at 1,310 RPM (943 fpm surface speed). Tests were performed at two different pressure conditions. In the first set of testing, the water was pressurized to 5 psi while the environment was at atmospheric pressure. In the second set of testing, the water was pressurized to 40 psi while the environment was at atmospheric pressure. The pressurized water between the Enhanced Lubrication Seals was maintained at approximately 135°F by circulating coolant through the center of the shaft.
The rotary test seals were in good condition at the conclusion of both sets of tests indicating that the seals were lubricating successfully. Figure 1 shows the post-test condition of a Kalsi Enhanced Lubrication seal that was tested with water at 40 psi and the shaft rotating at 943 fpm for over 90 hours.
Based on this testing, the Enhanced Lubrication Seal is an excellent sealing solution for high-speed water swivels and other high-speed rotary sealing applications that rely on water as a rotary seal lubricant.
Contact our highly experienced engineering staff for expert assistance in implementing the Kalsi Enhanced Lubrication Seals into your water-lubricated rotary seal applications.
