Seal for sealing an incompressible fluid between a relatively stationary

Abstract

A seal structure is provided having a configuration with a very small seal gap between a relatively stationary seal member and a complementary surface on a movable (rotatable) member (such as a rotating shaft) adjacent to which the stationary seal member is mounted. The stationary seal member is movable toward and away from the movable seal member so as to vary the seal gap therebetween. The seal is effective in applications where an incompressible fluid is provided on the high pressure side of the stationary seal member so that leakage along the seal gap is of an incompressible fluid into a lower pressure region on the other side of the seal gap. A sealing dam is provided on the stationary seal member on its sealing face adjacent the low pressure end of the seal gap. A plurality of elongated pads are formed on the sealing surface of the stationary seal member on the high pressure side of the sealing dam, extending perpendicularly to the direction of leakage flow along the seal gap. Lift pockets are formed in predetermined pads and positioned such that fluid is forced into the pocket by the velocity shearing gradient between the movable and stationary members to generate an increased pressure in the pockets to move the stationary seal member away from the movable member to increase the seal gap between the two. The lift pocket is of a depth sufficient, in the event of wear of the lift pocket surface, to result in a pressure increase in the lift pocket as a consequence of its reduction in depth to move the seal member away from the movable member, thereby causing the seal gap to become self-regulating in size. Several embodiments and modifications are presented.