A Review of the Condition Monitoring of Mechanical Seals

Abstract

Mechanical seals are the most widely used types of dynamic seal. Although its reliability has been improved by employing advanced technologies in design and manufacture in the last 40 years, premature failures of mechanical seals are still very common. The review of the failure of mechanical seal shows that the failure follows early and random distribution. Condition monitoring is then needed to predict the failures at their early stage to prevent additional loses. Possible methods for condition monitoring of mechanical seal are surveyed which include operation parameter monitoring, acoustic emission, ultrasonic wave, dynamic behaviour measurement, and air-born acoustic noise.