Simplan Shaft Seals Selected for Liberty

B+V Industrietechnik have developed the face-seal for water-lubricated sterntubes, for shaft diameters from 60-240mm. Over 40,000 hours of testbed operation, four years of field-testing and the strictest quality control standards have ensured the highest quality, best priced product on the market. The constant shaft-wear and damage caused by stuffing boxes and similar sealing systems, along with high general maintenance requirements have always been a problem. The sealing faces of Simplan seals have no contact with the shaft, and therefore cause no wear in this area. Time-consuming and expensive shaft work is no longer necessary, resulting in less dock time. These cost savings and reduction in loss of earnings mean a return on investment in a very short time. The main factor influencing the life of face-seals are the pressure conditions at the sealing faces: the pressure should remain near constant over a large range of axial shaft movements. If the pressure becomes too low, the contact of the faces cannot be guaranteed; i.e. the seal opens, allowing ingress of water. If the pressure becomes too high, the faces will be subject to much higher temperatures, and therefore excessive wear. The neoprene body of the Simplan seal was designed using advanced Finite-Element-Method (FEM) procedures, resulting in an optimized geometry, and ensuring constant pressure conditions at the sealing face during axial shaft movements. This is in contrast to other seals on the market, which show very large changes in sealing pressure under such conditions. Due to the large surface area of the sealing faces, Simplan seals also handle higher than average radial shaft movements. A unique Silicon Carbide material pairing for the Simplan sealing-faces has been developed. These hard sealing faces are unaffected by the hardest sands or sediments. There is no wear on the sealing faces, which might reduce the radial mobility of the seal, and the operating lifetime of the rings is practically unlimited. Simplan seals are supplied with a Pneumostop inflatable stand-still seal, allowing inspection of the seal and shaft without docking and are certified by Germanischer Lloyd to the standards of the Central Commission for Rhine Shipping (ZKR); ensuring leak-free, ecological operation, minimisation of bilge-water quantities, and five-year maintenance-free installation.