Secondary Containment for API 685 Magnetic Drive Pumps
As the oil & gas and petrochemical industries move toward increasingly stringent environmental and safety targets and remote operations, the demand for API 685 magnetic drive pumps has never been higher. However, for many of our customers handling high-risk fluids, "sealless" is no longer the final word in safety, secondary containment is often a critical requirement.
In the world of centrifugal pumps, API 685 sealless technology eliminates the mechanical seals that can be a source of leakage and which require additional seal support systems with their ongoing attention and maintenance. While a standard magnetic drive pump is inherently hermetically sealed by a primary containment shell, certain applications demand an additional "fail-safe" layer.
What is Secondary Containment?
In a standard API 685 pump, the process fluid is contained by a single static shroud or can. Secondary containment adds a second pressure boundary. This typically involves a reinforced coupling housing and a dry-running mechanical backup seal on the drive shaft. If the primary containment shell is breached for any reason the secondary containment system captures the leakage, preventing any release to the atmosphere.
Why Are Customers Specifically Requesting It?
Through our recent projects for major operators around the world we have identified three primary drivers for secondary containment:
Handling lethal and highly toxic fluids: Under COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) and similar global regulations, lethal or highly toxic fluids require a zero-leakage guarantee that accounts for equipment failure. If for example, a primary shell fails while pumping hydrogen sulphide or benzene, the consequences could be devastating. Secondary containment provides the window required by many site safety cases to safely shut down and isolate the pump.
Environmental protection in sensitive zones: For pumps located near protected onshore or offshore natural habitats, even a minor leak is a major liability. Customers are opting for secondary containment to mitigate the risk of an uncontrolled release, ensuring that any primary breach is contained and immediately flagged by monitoring instrumentation.
High-pressure and high-temperature volatility: In high-pressure applications where fluids are pumped near their vapour pressure, a shell breach could lead to immediate flashing and potential fire risk. Secondary containment systems, often equipped with pressure and temperature sensors, allow operators to detect a change in the secondary housing’s atmosphere and trigger an automated emergency shutdown before the fluid can escape.
Integrated monitoring
At Amarinth, we don’t just provide the hardware; we engineer the intelligence behind it. Our API 685 pumps can be fitted with advanced instrumentation that monitors the space between the primary and secondary boundaries. Whether it’s a temperature and liquid sensing probe for low-vapour liquids or a pressure switch for volatile gases, we ensure your team knows about a problem long before it becomes a hazard.
Looking to upgrade your hazardous fluid handling? Our team of experts is ready to help you.
