High-pressure film-riding seals for rotating shafts

Abstract

A circumferential film-riding seal operative in a gaseous or liquid environment about a rotating shaft is provided so that it is able to function with extended lifetime, low leakage, and a high-pressure difference thereacross. These characteristics are achieved by the employment of a segmented seal ring mounted in tandem with a floating load ring surrounding the rotating shaft. The seal ring has a bore surface thereon confronting the shaft, and the bore surface has a circumferential lift region located downstream of a circumferential bearing region. The bearing region has additional lift grooves either in the seal ring or in the shaft surface confronting the bearing region, together with feed grooves connecting the additional lift grooves, respectively, to a higher-pressure region adjacent the shaft. In certain embodiments the shaft has a sleeve secured thereto, which confronts the bore surface of the seal ring and the load ring, and wherein the additional lift grooves and respective feed grooves may be formed in the shaft sleeve. Also, the shaft sleeve may have a segment of reduced diameter formed thereon so that the diameter of the sleeve confronting the load ring is smaller than the diameter confronting the seal ring to provide pressure balance across the load ring.