Gordon has a BS in mechanical engineering from Mississippi State University (1970) and an MS in mechanical engineering from Louisiana State University (1978). He held various engineering positions with Gulf Oil, Eastman Kodak and Exxon in the chemical and refining industries. He was Regional Sales Manager for United Centrifugal Pump Company and retired as Chief Engineer, Field Operations for John Crane, Inc.

Before joining John Crane, Gordon wrote a computer program for centrifugal pump calculations, “Centrifugal Pump Pac”. By simulating pump design, this program points out potential pump selection and application problems. Centrifugal Pump Pac also revised and redrew pump performance curves. Gordon also wrote a book on pump-driver alignment, “Machinery Alignment Tables”. Gulf Publishing Company of Houston, Texas marketed his computer program and book.

Gordon was routinely involved in the design, selection, application and troubleshooting of mechanical seals. He is the author of several computer programs used at John Crane. Gordon was actively involved in the design and testing of the Type 48 low emission seal and the Upstream Pumping seal. He was an instructor for both the Basic Seals and Advanced Seals short courses at the Texas A&M Pump Symposium and was a member of the Advisory Committee. He organized the Fundamentals of Mechanical Seals short course for the Fluid Sealing Association. Gordon was also an instructor for John Crane Academy where he taught basic and advanced sealing technology. He authored several articles on JohnCraneToday.com and wrote the regular “Notes from the Field” column.

As a member of the first, second, third and fourth API 682 Task Force, Gordon helped to write the national standard on mechanical seals for pumps. He is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers.

John Crane non-proprietary publications (author or co-author)

“The Development of the Type 48”, TRP-48001, January 1992.

“Seal Chamber Pressure”, MMTC-901, April 1994.

“Buffer and Barrier Fluids”, TRP MS060, November 1996.

“Circulation Systems for Single and Multiple Seal Arrangements”, MMTC-602, 2000.

External publications

“A Methodology for Design and Application of Mechanical Seals”, ASLE 79 AM 58 1.

“The Role of Hydraulic Balance in Mechanical Seal Reliability”, Texas A&M Turbomachinery Symposium, 1979.

“Upstream Pumping: A New Concept in Mechanical Sealing Technology”, ASLE Spring Meeting, 1987.

“Heat Transfer in Mechanical Seals”, 6th International Pump User’s Symposium, 1989.

“The Flashing Index as an Indicator of Mechanical Seal Reliability”, Journal of the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers, April, 1992.

“Mechanical Seal Reliability”, in Centrifugal Pumps: Design and Application, Lobanoff and Ross, Gulf Publishing Company, 1992.

“Implications of the New Pump Shaft Sealing Standard”, Hydrocarbon Processing Magazine, Gulf Publishing Company, June, 1993.

“Pressure Ratings of Mechanical Seals”, 14th International Pump User’s Symposium, 1997.

“Estimating Heat Generation, Face Temperature and Flush Rate for Mechanical Seals”, PumpUsers Expo, Pumps and Systems magazine, 1999.

“Materials for Mechanical Seal Faces”, Pumps and Systems magazine, 2001.

“Advances in Mechanical Sealing – An Introduction to API 682 Second Edition”, Texas A&M Turbomachinery Symposium, 2002 (co-author with M. Huebner and J. Thorp).

“Buck on Seals”, a regular column in Fluid Handling Systems magazine.

“Is It Time for an MTBR Standard?”, Pumps and Systems magazine, December 2004 (co-author with Jason Gondron).

“Guidelines for Application of High Temperature Dual Seals”, 23rd International Pump Users Symposium, 2007.

“Circulation Systems for Single and Multiple Seal Arrangements”, Pumps and Systems magazine, May 2007 (co-author with Ralph Gabriel).

Externally published books and software

Machinery Alignment Tables, Gulf Publishing Company, 1984.

ChemCalc8: Centrifugal Pump Design, Gulf Publishing, 1985.