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Retractable Packing

Steam Turbine Seal Upgrades
EthosEnergy is the pioneer in steam turbine seal upgrades. Our patented Retractable Packing offers less packing wear, lower steam losses, lower emissions, and greater long-term efficiency, performance and reliability. This product has been in the global marketplace for over 30 years.
Steam leakage at the rotor shaft occurs due to rubs on the packing rings during unit start-up. Conventional packing rings frequently are found worn to an excessive clearance causing significant degradation in steam turbine efficiency and performance. Application of our advanced seals help improve and maintain your unit efficiency while providing potential benefits in reliability, availability and reduced emissions. To achieve maximum improvements each turbine is individually evaluated for the best seal.
What can we do to help?
What can we do to help?
With our patented Retractable Packing the original design springs that are placed behind the segments and hold them in place are eliminated allowing the packing to expand outward into the holder for start-up. Coil springs on the ends of the segments exert an outward force increasing packing clearance until unit has gone through critical vibration and steam load is put into the steam path. The delta in steam pressure across the packing location overcomes the coil spring force closing the ring down to design clearance with the sharp labyrinth teeth intact, reducing steam leakage along the rotor shaft.
EthosEnergy also provides custom installation of our upgraded seals for your unit to ensure optimum performance. The retractable feature of this upgrade allows a large clearance for turbine start up where rubs typically occur, saving the seals for long term efficient operation.
Why use EthosEnergy Retractable Packing?
With over 30 years of installations in the global steam turbine marketplace, EthosEnergy has the skills and expertise to offer custom innovative solutions for your specific steam turbine sealing requirements. EthosEnergy can successfully solve your seal clearance damage issues and virtually eliminate seal related efficiency losses thanks to our patented retractable packing upgrades. Our retractable seal design has been installed and is operating successfully in more than 1000 steam turbines worldwide ranging from 10,000 HP to 1,0000 MW. Retractable seals are easily adapted to most OEM steam turbines with no unit design modifications.
Key benefits include:
- Reduced rubs & associated seal wear
- Improved leakage control
- Recover & sustain lost power, output & turbine efficiency
- Improved unit reliability & cycling capability
- More reliable unit start-ups
- Fuel savings from reduction in heat rate
- Increased turbine efficiency & reduced degradation
- Reduced emissions due to less fuel consumption
- Potential revenue increase from higher power output
- Reduced heat rate
Speak with one of our Steam Turbine Seal experts today and discover how we can help your business!