The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 01, 2024
Filed:
Apr. 07, 2022
Blue Origin, Llc, Kent, WA (US);
Ryan Linderman, Bellevue, WA (US);
Jacob Mills, Maple Valley, WA (US);
BLUE ORIGIN, LLC, Kent, WA (US);
Abstract
A representative seal system (such as a seal system for a turbopump of a rocket engine) automatically adjusts a balance ratio of a seal. The system can include a ring element encircling an axis. A front side of the ring element contacts a revolving surface to form a seal with the revolving surface. The front side can include a stepped surface having two or more steps. Each step includes a sealing surface configured to contact the revolving surface to form a sealing area that is different from a sealing area of each other sealing surface. Each step is positioned and configured to wear away during operation of the machine to expose an underlying surface to the revolving surface, to change the sealing area and the balance ratio of the seal. A representative method of operating a turbomachinery system includes changing the balance ratio of a seal while rotating a rotor.