Eg&g Sealol, Inc.

James F Gardner

Matthew Dennis Cunningham

Amitava Datta

Jan E Sandgren

Hai-Ping Ma

John F Short

Dennis A Morin

A rotary seal assembly for preventing leakage of a fluid from a region of high pressure in a housing to a region of relatively lower pressure includes a first member mounted within the housing and having a central axis and an annular sealing face extending in a direction substantially radial the central axis, and a second member located in the housing and having an annular sealing face extending in a direction substantially radial to the central axis and opposing the first member sealing face. The second member sealing face has a first set of grooves and a second set of grooves arranged circularly thereabout, the second set of grooves being spaced radially inward of the first set of grooves. One of the first and second members is a rotor and the other is a stator. A stator holding assembly supports the stator within the housing, the rotor being rotatable about the central axis. The stator holding assembly secures the stator against rotation and urges the stator sealing face toward the rotor sealing face. Pressurized fluid flows between the sealing faces and within the first and second set of grooves, thereby forming a gas film seal between the sealing faces.

Face seal device having high angular compliance

A stationary assembly for use in a gas or liquid seal for sealing an interface between a machine body and a rotatable shaft. The stationary assembly includes an annular seal ring attached to the machine body and surrounding the shaft. An annular seal ring housing secures the seal ring and includes a plurality of bores. Each bore retains a spring. A circumferentially flexible 'O' ring holder receives the springs. The 'O' ring holder presses an 'O' ring against a balance diameter surrounding the shaft and the seal ring to provide a seal. The 'O' ring holder includes a plurality of slots formed therein and arranged to provide the circumferential flexibility.

Gas seal 'O' ring holder

A compliant seal apparatus for sealing a high pressure area from a low pressure area. The compliant seal device comprises a housing including a first wall positioned proximate the high pressure area, and a second wall positioned proximate the low pressure area. A cavity is formed between an inner surface of the first wall and an inner surface of the second wall. A finger having a free end extends from proximate the first wall toward the low pressure area. A member extends from an upper surface of the finger into the cavity to form a sealing engagement with the second wall inner surface. This sealing engagement is located closer than the free end of the finger to the first wall inner surface.

Compliant pressure balanced seal apparatus

A compliant seal device for sealing a high pressure area from a low pressure area. The compliant seal device comprises a base member including an annular base wall, a first wall extending radially inward from the base wall proximate the high pressure area and a second wall extending radially inward from the base wall proximate the low pressure area, the base member having a cavity formed therein between the first wall and the second wall. The compliant seal device further comprises a plurality of flexible sheet members extending between the first wall and the second wall, each of the plurality of flexible sheet members having a base end fixed to the first wall and a moveable free end in sealing engagement with the second wall to substantially enclose the cavity with an adjustable pressure therein.

Pressure balanced compliant seal device

A dry-running gas seal includes a stationery seal ring carrier holding a stationary seal ring, a rotary seal ring carrier holding a rotary seal ring facing the stationary seal ring, scoops radially outside and extending toward the rotary seal ring carrier, and a heat exchanger in fluid communication with the scoops, whereby the portion of the gas is trapped by the scoops and transferred to and cooled by the heat exchanger and returned to and the high pressure area adjacent to the seal.

System and method for actively cooling dry-running gas seals

A seal for inhibiting the flowing of a gas or liquid in the stream along a shaft within a machine housing, the shaft having an axis of rotation in a predetermined radius, the seal comprising a seal housing attached to the machine housing, and a plurality of fingers extending axially upstream from the seal housing the fingers annularly surrounding the shaft and circumferentially spaced from each other, the fingers extending to contract the shaft when the shaft is not rotating, and the fingers curved in the same direction as the shaft, the radius of curvature of the fingers being greater than the radius of curvature of the shaft. The fingers may be angled away from the direction of rotation, have pockets in the radially inner surface of the fingers, and/or have a plurality of strips extending from the housing radially outside of the fingers and annularly surrounding the shaft, the strips covering the circumferential space between the fingers.

Compliant finer seal

A balanced seal ring assembly includes an annular seal ring insert having a sealing face and a rear face opposite the sealing face, an annular retainer pressingly engaging a portion of the outer periphery of the seal ring insert and thereby retaining the seal ring insert, and a distortion compensating ring pressingly engaging another portion of the outer periphery of the ring insert. The retainer and the distortion compensating ring are spaced from each other and combine to reduce the twisting distortion of the seal ring insert. A complete balanced seal assembly comprises a stationary balanced seal ring assembly fixed to the housing and a rotary balanced seal ring assembly fixed to the shaft so that the seal faces of the assemblies are in contact.

Balanced shrink fit seal ring assembly

A dry running gas seal includes a stationary seal ring carrier attached to the machine body wherein the stationary seal ring carrier has an annular pocket, a stationary seal ring held in the pocket, a rotary seal ring carrier fixedly attached to the shaft wherein the rotary ring carrier has an annular pocket, a rotary seal ring held in the pocket wherein the rotary seal ring has a sealing face held adjacent to the stationary seal ring and grooves formed on the sealing face of the rotary seal ring wherein the grooves have an average angle of 5 to 15 degrees. The seal further comprises: an annular notch formed in a portion of the stationary seal ring axially away from the rotary seal ring, a 'T' shaped insert extending into the notch, and an 'O' ring disposed between the insert and the inner walls of the pocket in the stationary seal ring carrier. The seal further includes an annular groove formed in the radially inner wall of the rotary seal ring carrier, and a finger spring disposed in the groove.

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Exeter, RI, United States of America

James F Gardner