Advanced seal development from EagleBurgmann attracts orders worth millions of Euros

Fixed drilling platforms will soon be a thing of the past due to their lack of mobility. Mobile platforms are now becoming the solution of choice. Drilling platforms with underwater mountable/demountable positioning thrusters from Rolls-Royce provide this type of mobility. The platforms can be exactly aligned with the wellbore in any weather conditions. EagleBurgmann has developed the 9700 series pressurized, double-acting mechanical seal specifically for sealing the thrusters. These cartridge seals are available in a range of diameters and can also be used on container ships, dredgers and tankers.

In providing a solution for shaft diameters up to 530 mm and flange diameters up to 1,000 mm as specified in the requirements profile for this high-seas application, the engineering team at EagleBurgmann moved into uncharted waters. Specially designed secondary sealing elements provide enhanced durability in seawater conditions as well as good immunity to vibration and pressure fluctuations, and those are two of the outstanding features of this sophisticated solution. From the user perspective, low leakage rates and long service lives make the seals a good investment, both economically and ecologically.

Successful track record on the Deepwater Champion Exploration

In the spring of 2011, the Deepwater Champion Exploration drill ship with six underwater mountable/demountable thrusters began deep-sea oil exploration in the Black Sea off the Turkish coast. The ship is operated by ExxonMobil. Last summer, engineers from EagleBurgmann and Rolls Royce installed the new cartridge seals on the thrusters at the Hyundai Heavy Industries shipyard in Korea. The seals were delivered as pre-assembled units. Prior to deployment, the Deepwater Champion Exploration was subjected to rigorous testing under critical conditions which exceeded normal operating conditions by significantly more than 100%. The EagleBurgmann seals passed the sea acceptance test without problems. Based on the successful outcome of the trials and the outstanding performance, EagleBurgmann has now received orders from Rolls-Royce for mechanical seals in varying diameters. The orders are valued at several million Euros. Negotiations on a supply contract for the next three years (also valued at several million Euros) are expected to be completed soon.

Operating conditions

• Medium: seawater / transmission oil
• Pressure: max. 6 bar
• Seawater temperature 0 – 35 °C (0 – 65 °C transmission oil)
• Sliding velocity: max. 7 m/sec.