Kalsi Engineering’s blog
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Higher temperature operation with the KLS RCD rotary seal
Rotating Control Devices (RCDs) experience shorter life in higher temperature wells because the existing RCD rotary seals are being pushed beyond their limit. For several years we have been evaluating different seal liner materials for the KLS high-pressure rotary lip seal that can successfully operate at these higher temperatures. We recently completed the most successful…
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Remembering Professor Metcalfe
We at Kalsi Engineering are very saddened by the news of the passing of Professor Metcalfe. For over two decades he mentored four of Kalsi’s engineers during their graduate research. Ralph William Metcalfe Posted by Crowder Funeral Home — Clear Lake Ralph William Metcalfe, 78, of Seabrook, Texas, died peacefully on June 19, 2025, with…
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A revision of the Kalsi Seal Handbook™
We have made some updates to our online Kalsi Seals Handbook, which is now on Revision 51. This is an invaluable resource that has decades’ worth of seal implementation best practices plus a whole host of other related design implementation recommendations. Our customers and internal engineers refer to the Handbook frequently as a good source…
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Enhance Mud Motor Performance and Life with the Extra Wide Hybrid Kalsi Seal
Seal description and features The Extra Wide Hybrid Seal™ (EWH) was developed so that sealed bearing mud motor assemblies can benefit from the advantages of a much wider dynamic sealing lip. The advantages include increased structural strength and pressure capacity, and additional sacrificial material to counteract wear mechanisms such as extrusion damage and abrasive wear. With a well…
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Kalsi Engineering (KEI) Announces Completion of NASA-Funded SBIR Phase II Project
Kalsi Engineering (KEI) is proud to announce the successful completion of our Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project (Miniature passive thermal control valve for mixing or splitting single-phase fluid), funded by NASA. Under this project, KEI developed a patented three-way miniature passive thermal control valve (TCV). These TCVs are used in mechanically pumped…
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High-pressure and high-speed RCD seal testing
The operating condition requirements for Rotary Control Devices (RCDs) are more challenging as drilling pressures and rotating speeds continue to increase. To meet this challenge, we continue to develop RCD sealing systems that extend RCD performance and life. We recently paired our most pressure capable RCD seal (Plastic Lined Kalsi Seal) with our most pressure…
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Extra Wide Hybrid mud motor seal that fits in existing mud motor housings
Kalsi Engineering is excited to announce successful laboratory testing of an Extra Wide Hybrid seal that is a drop-in replacement for the 507-series mud motor seal. This Extra Wide Hybrid Seal fits in the same groove as the 507-series seal and has performed very well at pressure and temperature conditions that a 507-series seal fails…
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Fast Response Flow Control Valves for Gaseous Hydrogen Fueling of Fuel Cell Vehicles
Kalsi Engineering (KEI) is proud to announce that we have been awarded funding through the DOE SBIR (Department of Energy — Small Business Innovation Research) program to develop “Fast Response Flow Control Valves for Gaseous Hydrogen Fueling of Fuel Cell Vehicles.” The SBIR funding is very competitive and approximately 3% to 8% of all submitted…
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Kalsi Engineering Turns 45 on September 5, 2023!
Kalsi Engineering, Inc., (KEI) a high technology firm, was founded by Dr. M.S. Kalsi in 1978 to provide consulting engineering services in the areas of research and development, design, analysis, and testing of mechanical equipment and structures. The company began by providing valve design and analysis services to major corporations, which is now our Consulting Division. The…
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High-Speed Rotary Seal Testing for Water Swivels and Other Water-Lubricated Rotary Applications
Rotary seals in high-speed water swivels and other water-lubricated equipment encounter seal life challenges due to the much lower viscosity of water compared to oils or greases. As a result of insufficient lubrication, the rotary seals and shaft can experience significant wear leading to premature equipment failure. Kalsi Engineering recently completed a series of rotary…