Customer Success Story
Discover How EGC Improved Pressure Seal Reliability in a Naval Valve Application
When reliability is critical, sealing components must perform under some of the most demanding operating conditions. In naval nuclear applications, pressure seal valves require dependable performance under extreme environments while spporting long-term operational readiness and maintenance reliability.
EGC was challenged with developing an alternative to traditional silver-coated metal pressure seals used in a critical naval valve application. The solution needed to provide reliable sealing performance, accommodate real-world valve conditions, and improve long-term maintenance reliability.
The result was an engineered flexible graphite pressure seal solution designed to meet the demands of high-performance valve service.
The Challenge: Improving Pressure Seal Reliability
Traditional metal pressure seals have been used successfully in demanding valve applications for decades. However, certain operating conditions can create challenges related to installation, maintenance, and long-term reliability.
For this application, the sealing solution needed to:
- Maintain sealing integrity under high-pressure service conditions
- Accommodate variations in valve cavity dimensions and sealing surfaces
- Provide dependable performance over the life of the valve
- Simplify future maintenance activities
Critical applications require sealing solutions that perform consistently, even when equipment conditions are less than ideal.
The Solution: Flexible Graphite Pressure Seal Technology
EGC developed a flexible graphite pressure seal designed to address the challenges of traditional metal sealing technologies.
Flexible graphite offers unique material properties that make it well suited for demanding pressure seal applications. Unlike rigid metal seals, flexible graphite can conform to surface irregularities while maintaining sealing performance.
The engineered seal design incorporated stainless steel anti-extrusion components to provide structural support while allowing the graphite sealing elements to maintain flexibility and adaptability.
This combination created a pressure seal solution capable of handling challenging valve conditions while supporting long-term reliability.
Validated Performance Through Accelerated Testing
To validate long-term performance, EGC graphite pressure seals underwent accelerated testing at Arizona Public Service, a public electric power utility, and the U.S. Navy’s Target Rock steam test facility.
The testing evaluated seal performance under demanding operating conditions. After one week of accelerated testing, the data was extrapolated to estimate long-term service performance.
The results projected a service life of approximately 26 years, demonstrating the ability of the flexible graphite pressure seal design to provide long-term sealing reliability and improved performance compared with the traditional metal seal design evaluated.
This validation provided confidence that flexible graphite could deliver reliable sealing performance in demanding valve applications.
Performance Advantages of Flexible Graphite
The success of this application demonstrated several advantages of flexible graphite pressure seal technology:
Conforms to Real-World Valve Conditions
Flexible graphite can adapt to surface irregularities and variations in valve cavities, helping maintain sealing performance when components are not perfectly uniform.
Maintains Reliable Sealing Performance
The compressibility and resilience of flexible graphite allow the material to recover from operational stresses while maintaining contact with sealing surfaces.
Supports Easier Maintenance
Unlike metal seals that may gall or become difficult to remove, flexible graphite does not fuse to valve components. This can help simplify future maintenance activities and reduce the risk of damage during seal removal.
Engineered Solutions for Critical Sealing Applications
This naval valve application demonstrates the value of combining advanced materials with application-specific engineering.
From material selection and seal design to qualification testing, EGC works with customers to develop solutions that address real-world sealing challenges and improve equipment reliability. Whether supporting new equipment designs or replacing traditional sealing technologies, EGC engineers provide flexible graphite solutions engineered for demanding applications.
Explore EGC Graphite Pressure Seal Solutions
If your application requires reliable sealing performance in high-pressure, high-temperature, or cycling service, EGC can evaluate your requirements and recommend a solution designed around your operating conditions.
